Characteristics of The Mauryan Empire

The Mauryan Empire emerged because of Magadha’s expansion. Chandragupta Maurya, the empire’s founder, ruled much further northeast as Afghanistan and Baluchistan, whereas his grandson Asoka, arguably India’s finest renowned emperor, conquered Kalinga, now Orissa.

CITY ADMINISTRATION IN MAURYA:

Nagarka, who served as a City-Superintendent or a City-Magistrate with other officials aiding him, is mentioned in the Arthashastra. Nagaoka was charged with responsibilities such as delivering water to city residents, maintaining public roads and buildings, inspecting walls & city towers, and implementing fire safety procedures. He was frequently called upon to deal with tough events such as floods and diseases. Megasthenes claims that the municipal government was broken down into six boards, each with five members. Each board was responsible for a distinct duty, such as trade and commerce control, demographic censuses, or for foreigners. The six boards collaborated on issues such as public building upkeep, fire safety, and care.

CHARACTERISTICS OF MAURYA EMPIRE

Since such a big empire demanded strong association, the following are the primary characteristics of how the dynasty was run.

1. The empire was divided into five primary governmental centers, each of which was strategically positioned. For instance, respectively Taxila and Ujjayini were to continue to form trade networks, while Suvarnagiri (meaning “golden mountain”) was likely crucial for accessing Karnataka’s gold mines.
2. Enduring army- A powerful military was required to manage and protect such a varied and wide territory. As Megasthenes has shown, the Mauryans possessed a formidable army. He also specifies six distinct committees for military coordination, each with six subcommittees. One was in charge of the army, and another was r of transportation and food, the third of regular warriors, the 4th of horses, the fifth of chariots, and the sixth of elephants.
3. Instituting royal monarchs as managers of massive political centers since they could be recognized as royal princes.
4. During Asoka’s reign, he worked to keep their empire together through spreading the ideas of dhamma, which have been simple and now almost universally applicable. This, he says, shall guarantee people’s well-being on this earth and then the next.
5. To administrate the enormous empire, strong methods of communication via land and waterways were created.

STABLE STATE ADMINISTRATION.

• • Ujjain, Taxila, Kalinga, and Suvarnagiri were the capitals of the four provinces that made up the empire.
  • The prince who had been a descendant of said Mauryan dynasty was already in charge of each of these territories.
  • These provinces were partitioned and controlled once again into smaller divisions.
  • Rajukas was in the leadership of the districts, having Yuktas assisting them.
  • Grahmini had been in charge of village administration, while Gopa would have been in charge of 10 – 15 villages.

• The city administrator was Sagarika. He was responsible for maintaining law and order.

MAURYAN ARMY

• The Mauryan government was renowned for maintaining a large army.
• Pliny mentions Chandragupta Maurya having roughly 9000 elephants, 30000 cavalries, and 600000-foot soldiers in his report.
• It is even stated that around 800 chariots were used IN BATTLE
• According to Megasthenes, the management of the military group was governed by a panel of 30 officers organized into six committees.

DECLINE OF MAURYAN EMPIRE

After Ashoka died in 232 BC, the Mauryan Empire came crashing down. Brihadratha, the final king, was killed in 185-183 BC by his Brahmin general Pushyamitra Shunga. Just after the demise of Ashoka, the Maurya Dynasty fell apart quickly. The lineage of weaker rulers was one clear cause. The obvious factor was the Empire’s division into two halves. The Greek invasions may have been kept off if the division had not occurred, allowing the Mauryas a chance to reclaim some of their former authority. After Ashoka died in 232 BC, the Mauryan Empire started to crumble. Brihadratha, the final king, was slain by his Brahmin general Pushyamitra Shunga.

CONCLUSION

Chandragupta Maurya established the Mauryan empire in 322 BCE, which lasted until 180 BCE. Except for Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the ancient Mauryan empire comprised the entire Indian subcontinent. The Mauryan government had a massive organization that was responsible for many aspects of life. The Mauryan dynasty was recognized for establishing a monarchy in India. The Mauryan administration is described thoroughly in Kautilya’s Arthashastra. That was seen to become the most reliable source of knowledge on the Mauryan administration. Megasthenes Indika, like Arthashastra, provides lights on the Mauryan government, commerce, trading, and civilization.