Rulers of the Mauryan Empire

It was 321 B.C.E when the Mauryan Empire had formed and around 185 B.C.E when it had ended. Up until that time, Mauryan Empire was the only such Empire that rules almost all over India. Various empires ruled during this time period.

The first individual who led the Mauryan Empire was Chandragupta Maurya, whose Chief Minister used to be Chanakya, also known as Kautilya. As the authority of Alexander, the Great had begun to decline, Chandragupta Maurya began land consolidation. With the death of Alexander, Chandragupta made the most out of it by uniting the army and defeating the Nanda in the Magadha. The Mauryan Empire began with Chandragupta as the King. 

Chandragupta and his minister Chanakya played a significant role in contributing to the whole Mauryan Empire’s legacy. After Chandragupta in the year 300 B.C.E, his son Bindusara was crowned as King. Under the leadership of Bindusara, the empire was running smoothly. Bindusara also well-maintained the land of his empire. Now, coming to the third leader of the Mauryan Empire, which was Bindusara’s son – Ashoka. We will study in detail the Ashoka Empire in the sections following this one. It was after Ashoka’s death that his family was still reigning, however the empire had begun to disintegrate. Brihadratha, the last of Mauryas got assassinated by Pushyamrita who was his then commander in chief. Thus, these were some significant points regarding the Mauryan Dynasty, which is a very important part of history today. 

Ashoka Empire

The third Mauryan ruler was Ashoka, he was Bindusara’s son. A significant mark was left by Ashoka through the means of establishing huge stone pillars which were inscribed with the edicts that were issued by Ashoka. Ashoka led a huge fight against Kalinga. It was during the eighth year of Ashoka’s reign that he conquered Kalinga. After this campaign, he again evaluated his commitment towards the expansion of the kingdom and then led to the path of Buddhism. It was in the Ashoka’s empire that a distinct class of officers known as – dharma minsters were there to enhance the work related to dharma in public, help those who might be suffering and take care of the women’s needs as well as people of several religious commodities. Thus, these points help in understanding a gist about Ashoka’s empire. 

Conclusion

As observed from the above discussion, the concept regarding the Mauryan Empire can now be clearly understood. The notable points regarding the first Mauryan ruler – Chandragupta have also been discussed. Chanakya was the Chief Minister who advised Chandragupta and contributed immensely towards the welfare of the Mauryan Empire. The second ruler of the Mauryan Dynasty was the son of Chandragupta – Bindusara. He was also a great ruler who kept his land secure during his reign. Bindusara’s son – Ashoka was the third emperor of the Mauryan dynasty. He can be called the last major ruler of the Mauryan Empire. Under his eight-year of reign, he conquered Kalinga, which led to a bloody conquest in which a lot of people lost their lives. With this, he revalued his decision and led on to the path of Buddhism. Brihadratha, the last of Mauryas got assassinated by Pushyamrita who was his then commander in chief. Thus, it can be concluded that several notable points regarding Mauryan Dynasty have been covered in the above sections.