Archaeological Sources
Edicts of Asoka
The inscriptions of Asoka were first deciphered by James
Princep in 1837. They are written in Pali language and in someplaces Prakrit was used. The Brahmi script was employed for writing.
In the northwestern India Asokan inscriptions were found in Karoshti
script. There are fourteen Major Rock Edicts. The two Kalinga
Edicts are found in the newly conquered territory. The major pillar
Edicts were erected in important cities. There are minor Rock Edicts
and minor pillar Edicts. These Edicts of Asoka deal with Asoka’s
Dhamma and also instructions given to his officials. The XIII Rock
Edict gives details about his war with Kalinga. The Pillar Edict VII
gives a summary of his efforts to promote the Dhamma within his
kingdom. Thus the Asokan inscriptions remain valuable sources for
the study of Asoka and the Mauryan Empire.
POLITICAL HISTORY OF THE MAURYAS
Chandragupta Maurya (322 – 298 B.C.)
Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of the Mauryan
Empire. He, at the young age of 25, captured Pataliputra from the
last ruler of the Nanda dynasty, Dhanananda. In this task he was
assisted by Kautilya, who was also known as Chanakya or
Vishnugupta. After firmly establishing his power in the Gangetic
valley, he marched to the northwest and subdued the territories up
to the Indus. Then he moved to central India and occupied the region
north of Narmada river.
In 305 B.C., he marched against Selukas Niketar, who was
Alexander’s General controlling the northwestern India.
Chandragupta Maurya defeated him and a treaty was signed. By
this treaty, Selukas Niketar ceded the trans-Indus territories – namely
Aria, Arakosia and Gedrosia – to the Mauryan Empire. He also
gave his daughter in marriage to the Mauryan prince. Chandragupta
made a gift of 500 elephants to Selukas. Megasthenes was sent to
the Mauryan court as Greek ambassador.Chandragupta embraced Jainism towards the end of his life
and stepped down from the throne in favour of his son Bindusara.
Then he went to Sravana Belgola, near Mysore along with Jain
monks led by Bhadrabhagu and starved himself to death.
Bindusara (298 – 273 B.C.)
Bindusara was called by the Greeks as “Amitragatha” meaning
slayer of enemies. He is said to have conquered the Deccan up to
Mysore. Taranatha, the Tibetan monk states that Bindusara
conquered 16 states comprising ‘the land between the two seas’.
The Sangam Tamil literature also confirms the Mauryan invasion of
the far south. Therefore, it can be said that the Mauryan Empire
under Bindusara extended up to Mysore.
Bindusara received Deimachus as ambassador from the Syrian
king Antiochus I. Bindusara wrote to Antiochus I asking for sweet
wine, dried figs and a sophist. The latter sent all but a sophist
because the Greek law prohibited sending a sophist. Bindusara
supported the Ajivikas, a religious sect. Bindusara appointed his
son Asoka as the governor of Ujjain.
Asoka the Great (273 – 232 B.C.)
There is little information regarding the early life of Asoka.
He acted as Governor of Ujjain and also suppressed a revolt in
Taxila during his father Bindusara’s reign. There was an interval of
four years between Asoka’s accession to the throne (273 B.C.)
and his actual coronation (269 B.C.). Therefore, it appears from
the available evidence that there was a struggle for the throne after
Bindusara’s death. The Ceylonese Chronicles, Dipavamsa and
Mahavamsa state that Asoka captured power after killing his ninety
nine brothers including the his elder brother Susima. The youngest
brother Tissa was spared. But according to Taranatha of Tibet,
Asoka killed only six of his brothers. Asoka’s Edict also refers tohis brothers acting as officers in his administration. However, it is
clear that the succession of Asoka was a disputed one.
The most important event of Asoka’s reign was his victorious
war with Kalinga in 261 B.C. Although there is no detail about the
cause and course of the war, the effects of the war were described
by Asoka himself in the Rock edict XIII: “A hundred and fifty
thousand were killed and many times that number perished…” After
the war he annexed Kalinga to the Mauryan Empire. Another most
important effect of the Kalinga war was that Asoka embraced
Buddhism under the influence of Buddhist monk, Upagupta.
Edicts of Asoka
The inscriptions of Asoka were first deciphered by James
Princep in 1837. They are written in Pali language and in someplaces Prakrit was used. The Brahmi script was employed for writing.
In the northwestern India Asokan inscriptions were found in Karoshti
script. There are fourteen Major Rock Edicts. The two Kalinga
Edicts are found in the newly conquered territory. The major pillar
Edicts were erected in important cities. There are minor Rock Edicts
and minor pillar Edicts. These Edicts of Asoka deal with Asoka’s
Dhamma and also instructions given to his officials. The XIII Rock
Edict gives details about his war with Kalinga. The Pillar Edict VII
gives a summary of his efforts to promote the Dhamma within his
kingdom. Thus the Asokan inscriptions remain valuable sources for
the study of Asoka and the Mauryan Empire.
POLITICAL HISTORY OF THE MAURYAS
Chandragupta Maurya (322 – 298 B.C.)
Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of the Mauryan
Empire. He, at the young age of 25, captured Pataliputra from the
last ruler of the Nanda dynasty, Dhanananda. In this task he was
assisted by Kautilya, who was also known as Chanakya or
Vishnugupta. After firmly establishing his power in the Gangetic
valley, he marched to the northwest and subdued the territories up
to the Indus. Then he moved to central India and occupied the region
north of Narmada river.
In 305 B.C., he marched against Selukas Niketar, who was
Alexander’s General controlling the northwestern India.
Chandragupta Maurya defeated him and a treaty was signed. By
this treaty, Selukas Niketar ceded the trans-Indus territories – namely
Aria, Arakosia and Gedrosia – to the Mauryan Empire. He also
gave his daughter in marriage to the Mauryan prince. Chandragupta
made a gift of 500 elephants to Selukas. Megasthenes was sent to
the Mauryan court as Greek ambassador.Chandragupta embraced Jainism towards the end of his life
and stepped down from the throne in favour of his son Bindusara.
Then he went to Sravana Belgola, near Mysore along with Jain
monks led by Bhadrabhagu and starved himself to death.
Bindusara (298 – 273 B.C.)
Bindusara was called by the Greeks as “Amitragatha” meaning
slayer of enemies. He is said to have conquered the Deccan up to
Mysore. Taranatha, the Tibetan monk states that Bindusara
conquered 16 states comprising ‘the land between the two seas’.
The Sangam Tamil literature also confirms the Mauryan invasion of
the far south. Therefore, it can be said that the Mauryan Empire
under Bindusara extended up to Mysore.
Bindusara received Deimachus as ambassador from the Syrian
king Antiochus I. Bindusara wrote to Antiochus I asking for sweet
wine, dried figs and a sophist. The latter sent all but a sophist
because the Greek law prohibited sending a sophist. Bindusara
supported the Ajivikas, a religious sect. Bindusara appointed his
son Asoka as the governor of Ujjain.
Asoka the Great (273 – 232 B.C.)
There is little information regarding the early life of Asoka.
He acted as Governor of Ujjain and also suppressed a revolt in
Taxila during his father Bindusara’s reign. There was an interval of
four years between Asoka’s accession to the throne (273 B.C.)
and his actual coronation (269 B.C.). Therefore, it appears from
the available evidence that there was a struggle for the throne after
Bindusara’s death. The Ceylonese Chronicles, Dipavamsa and
Mahavamsa state that Asoka captured power after killing his ninety
nine brothers including the his elder brother Susima. The youngest
brother Tissa was spared. But according to Taranatha of Tibet,
Asoka killed only six of his brothers. Asoka’s Edict also refers tohis brothers acting as officers in his administration. However, it is
clear that the succession of Asoka was a disputed one.
The most important event of Asoka’s reign was his victorious
war with Kalinga in 261 B.C. Although there is no detail about the
cause and course of the war, the effects of the war were described
by Asoka himself in the Rock edict XIII: “A hundred and fifty
thousand were killed and many times that number perished…” After
the war he annexed Kalinga to the Mauryan Empire. Another most
important effect of the Kalinga war was that Asoka embraced
Buddhism under the influence of Buddhist monk, Upagupta.
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