PPT: The Mauryan Empire | History for UPSC CSE PDF Download

 Page 1


The Mauryan 
Empire
Page 2


The Mauryan 
Empire
Chandragupta Maurya
Origins
Chandragupta Maurya 
founded the Mauryan 
dynasty, likely from 
either a common family 
or the Mauryan clan in 
Gorakhpur.
Ascension to Power
With Chanakya's 
guidance, he overthrew 
the declining Nanda 
dynasty to establish 
Mauryan rule.
Military Conquest
Chandragupta 
reportedly conquered 
much of India with an 
army of 600,000, 
though this figure is 
contested.
Territorial 
Expansion
He freed northwestern 
India from Seleucid 
control and gained 
eastern Afghanistan, 
Baluchistan, and 
territories west of the 
Indus through 
negotiation.
Empire Boundaries
His empire encompassed Bihar, Orissa, Bengal, 
western and northwestern India, and the Deccan, 
excluding only Kerala, T amil Nadu, and parts of 
northeastern India.
Page 3


The Mauryan 
Empire
Chandragupta Maurya
Origins
Chandragupta Maurya 
founded the Mauryan 
dynasty, likely from 
either a common family 
or the Mauryan clan in 
Gorakhpur.
Ascension to Power
With Chanakya's 
guidance, he overthrew 
the declining Nanda 
dynasty to establish 
Mauryan rule.
Military Conquest
Chandragupta 
reportedly conquered 
much of India with an 
army of 600,000, 
though this figure is 
contested.
Territorial 
Expansion
He freed northwestern 
India from Seleucid 
control and gained 
eastern Afghanistan, 
Baluchistan, and 
territories west of the 
Indus through 
negotiation.
Empire Boundaries
His empire encompassed Bihar, Orissa, Bengal, 
western and northwestern India, and the Deccan, 
excluding only Kerala, T amil Nadu, and parts of 
northeastern India.
Imperial Organization
1
Administrative 
Sources
The Mauryan 
administrative 
system is detailed 
in Megasthenes' 
account and 
Kautilya's 
Arthasastra. 
Megasthenes, a 
Greek ambassador, 
wrote about 
Pataliputra and 
the Maurya 
empire. The 
Arthasastra also 
contains genuine 
information about 
Mauryan rule.
2
Centralized 
Power
Absolute power 
centralized in the 
king.
Council of wise 
members advised 
the king, but his 
adherence to their 
advice remains 
unclear.
Provinces 
governed by royal 
family members, 
further divided 
into smaller units.
3
Urban Focus
Special attention 
given to towns like 
Pataliputra, 
Kausambi, Ujjain, 
and T axila.
Pataliputra had six 
committees 
overseeing various 
functions, e.g., 
sanitation, foreign 
affairs, and record-
keeping.
Page 4


The Mauryan 
Empire
Chandragupta Maurya
Origins
Chandragupta Maurya 
founded the Mauryan 
dynasty, likely from 
either a common family 
or the Mauryan clan in 
Gorakhpur.
Ascension to Power
With Chanakya's 
guidance, he overthrew 
the declining Nanda 
dynasty to establish 
Mauryan rule.
Military Conquest
Chandragupta 
reportedly conquered 
much of India with an 
army of 600,000, 
though this figure is 
contested.
Territorial 
Expansion
He freed northwestern 
India from Seleucid 
control and gained 
eastern Afghanistan, 
Baluchistan, and 
territories west of the 
Indus through 
negotiation.
Empire Boundaries
His empire encompassed Bihar, Orissa, Bengal, 
western and northwestern India, and the Deccan, 
excluding only Kerala, T amil Nadu, and parts of 
northeastern India.
Imperial Organization
1
Administrative 
Sources
The Mauryan 
administrative 
system is detailed 
in Megasthenes' 
account and 
Kautilya's 
Arthasastra. 
Megasthenes, a 
Greek ambassador, 
wrote about 
Pataliputra and 
the Maurya 
empire. The 
Arthasastra also 
contains genuine 
information about 
Mauryan rule.
2
Centralized 
Power
Absolute power 
centralized in the 
king.
Council of wise 
members advised 
the king, but his 
adherence to their 
advice remains 
unclear.
Provinces 
governed by royal 
family members, 
further divided 
into smaller units.
3
Urban Focus
Special attention 
given to towns like 
Pataliputra, 
Kausambi, Ujjain, 
and T axila.
Pataliputra had six 
committees 
overseeing various 
functions, e.g., 
sanitation, foreign 
affairs, and record-
keeping.
Government Structure
Central 
Administration
Central government 
managed around two dozen 
state departments 
controlling social and 
economic activities.
Military Strength
Chandragupta had a large 
army of 600,000 foot-
soldiers, 30,000 cavalry, 
9000 elephants, and 8,000 
chariots, possibly including 
a navy. Military affairs 
overseen by a board of 
officers through six 
committees, each 
dedicated to different 
branches of the armed 
forces.
Financing
State-controlled economic 
activities to meet army 
expenses. Revenue 
collected from cultivated 
land, taxes imposed on 
peasants, tolls on goods, 
and state monopolies on 
mining, liquor, and arms 
production contributed to 
the treasury.
Chandragupta's 
Legacy
Established a well-
organized administration 
and a stable financial base 
through these measures.
Page 5


The Mauryan 
Empire
Chandragupta Maurya
Origins
Chandragupta Maurya 
founded the Mauryan 
dynasty, likely from 
either a common family 
or the Mauryan clan in 
Gorakhpur.
Ascension to Power
With Chanakya's 
guidance, he overthrew 
the declining Nanda 
dynasty to establish 
Mauryan rule.
Military Conquest
Chandragupta 
reportedly conquered 
much of India with an 
army of 600,000, 
though this figure is 
contested.
Territorial 
Expansion
He freed northwestern 
India from Seleucid 
control and gained 
eastern Afghanistan, 
Baluchistan, and 
territories west of the 
Indus through 
negotiation.
Empire Boundaries
His empire encompassed Bihar, Orissa, Bengal, 
western and northwestern India, and the Deccan, 
excluding only Kerala, T amil Nadu, and parts of 
northeastern India.
Imperial Organization
1
Administrative 
Sources
The Mauryan 
administrative 
system is detailed 
in Megasthenes' 
account and 
Kautilya's 
Arthasastra. 
Megasthenes, a 
Greek ambassador, 
wrote about 
Pataliputra and 
the Maurya 
empire. The 
Arthasastra also 
contains genuine 
information about 
Mauryan rule.
2
Centralized 
Power
Absolute power 
centralized in the 
king.
Council of wise 
members advised 
the king, but his 
adherence to their 
advice remains 
unclear.
Provinces 
governed by royal 
family members, 
further divided 
into smaller units.
3
Urban Focus
Special attention 
given to towns like 
Pataliputra, 
Kausambi, Ujjain, 
and T axila.
Pataliputra had six 
committees 
overseeing various 
functions, e.g., 
sanitation, foreign 
affairs, and record-
keeping.
Government Structure
Central 
Administration
Central government 
managed around two dozen 
state departments 
controlling social and 
economic activities.
Military Strength
Chandragupta had a large 
army of 600,000 foot-
soldiers, 30,000 cavalry, 
9000 elephants, and 8,000 
chariots, possibly including 
a navy. Military affairs 
overseen by a board of 
officers through six 
committees, each 
dedicated to different 
branches of the armed 
forces.
Financing
State-controlled economic 
activities to meet army 
expenses. Revenue 
collected from cultivated 
land, taxes imposed on 
peasants, tolls on goods, 
and state monopolies on 
mining, liquor, and arms 
production contributed to 
the treasury.
Chandragupta's 
Legacy
Established a well-
organized administration 
and a stable financial base 
through these measures.
State Control
Brahmanical 
Influence
Kings were expected to 
follow laws in the 
Dharmasastras and 
respect prevailing 
customs.
Kautilya (also known as 
Chanakya) positioned 
the king as 
dharmapravartaka - 
upholder of social order 
based on varnas and 
asramas.
Royal Absolutism
Magadha princes 
annexed various regions 
through military 
conquests, consolidating 
the Magadhan empire.
This military dominance 
evolved into 
comprehensive control 
over citizens' lives, 
establishing royal 
absolutism.
Administrative 
System
Controlling all spheres of 
life required an extensive 
bureaucracy.
The Mauryan era 
featured a 
comprehensive 
administrative system 
with numerous official 
positions.