Chandragupta Maurya - The first emperor to unite the India
India around the 4th century BCE was divided into numerous kingdoms and republics. The foremost among them was the Magadha Kingdom in eastern India, whose rulers beginning with King Bimbisara (543- 492 BCE) had embarked on a quest for empire building. Magadha boundaries had been much extended over time and contained a good part of central, eastern, and north India. Alexander the great (365-323 BCE) invaded India in 326 BCE and in consequence much of north-eastern India was thrown into turmoil and political chaos.
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| Magadha Kingdom before Mauryas |
Who was the Chandragupta Maurya?
Chandragupta Maurya, who founded the Maurya Empire, was one of the most important rulers in the history of India. He is credited for unifying small independent states to form a large single kingdom for the first time under one administration, leaving aside Kalinga and the Tamil regions of Chera, Chola, Satyaputra, and Pandya. He was successful in destroying the Nanda dynasty, which ruled most of northern India, at the young age of 20. Along with his chief advisor and Brahmin scholar, Chanakya, he seized the Macedonian territories and conquered the eastern territories of Alexander’s general Seleucus to add them to his empire. His empire stretched across Kashmir in the north to Deccan Plateau in the south and Afghanistan and Balochistan in the west to Bengal and Assam in the east. Nevertheless, he voluntarily left his throne and accepted Jainism, moving southwards to Shravanabelagola , Karnataka.
A modern statue depicting Chandragupta Maurya, Laxminarayan Temple, Delhi
Early Life
Chandragupta Maurya was born in 340 BCE. There are many views when it comes to the lineage of Chandragupta Maurya. Most of the information about his ancestry comes from ancient texts of the Greek, Jains, Buddhist and ancient Hindu. There have been many research and studies conducted on the origins of Chandragupta Maurya. Some of the historians believe that he was an illegitimate child of a Nanda prince and his maid, Mura. Others believe that Chandragupta belonged to Moriyas, a Kshatriya (warrior) clan of a little ancient republic of Pippalivana, situated between Rummindei (Nepali Tarai) and Kasia (Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh). Two other views suggest that he belonged either to the Muras (or Mors) or to the Kshatriyas of the Indo-Scythian lineage. Last but not the least, it is also claimed that Chandragupta Maurya was abandoned by his parents and that he came from a humble background. According to the legend, he was raised by a pastoral family and then was later sheltered by Chanakya, who taught him the rules of administration and everything else that is required for one to become a successful emperor.
Influence of Chanakya
Chanakya was the ancient Indian teacher in Taxila university. He was author of the book “Arthashastra”. The Mudrarakshasa (written by Vishakhadatta) states that the Chanakya swore to destroy the Nanda Dynasty after he felt insulted by Dhana Nanda. As per various records, Chanakya was on the lookout for a suitable person to end the reign of a Nanda king and possibly the Empire as well. During this time, a young Chandragupta who was playing along with his friends in the Magadha kingdom was spotted by Chanakya.
Chanakya: The statesman behind the force of power
Impressed with Chandragupta’s leadership skills, Chanakya is
said to have adopted Chandragupta before training him on various levels.
Chanakya taught and admitted him in Taxila to study the Vedas, military arts,
law, and other sastras. After Taxila, Chandragupta
and Chanakya moved to Patliputra(Patna), the capital and a historic
learning center in the eastern Magadha kingdom of India with the
intent to conquer the Nanda capital.
Conquest on Nanda Empire
The Nanda Empire originated
from the region of Magadha in ancient India during the 4th century BCE, and
lasted until between 345-321 BCE. At its greatest extent, the empire ruled by
the Nanda Dynasty extended from Bengal in the east, to the Punjab region in the
west, and as far south as the Vindhya Range. The rulers of this dynasty were
famed for the great wealth that they accumulated.
Around 324 BCE, Alexander the
great and his soldiers had decided to retreat to Greece. However, he had left
behind a legacy of Greek rulers who were now ruling parts of ancient India.
During this time, Chanakya encouraged the young Chandragupta Maurya and his
army to take over the throne of Magadha. Using his intelligence network,
Chandragupta gathered many young men from across Magadha and other provinces,
who were upset over the corrupt and oppressive rule of King Dhana Nanda, as
well as the resources necessary for his army to fight a long series of battles.
These men included the former general of Taxila, accomplished students of
Chanakya, the representative of King Porus of Kakayee, his son Malayketu, and
the rulers of small states.
Maurya devised a strategy to
invade Pataliputra, the capital of the Nanda Empire. A battle was announced and
the Magadha army was drawn from the city to a distant battlefield in order to
engage Maurya’s forces. Meanwhile, Maurya’s general and spies bribed the
Nanda’s corrupt general, and created an atmosphere of civil war in the kingdom,
which culminated in the death of the heir to the throne.
Upon the civil unrest in the
kingdom, Nanda resigned and disappeared into exile. Chanakya contacted the
prime minister (Amatya), Rakshasa, and convinced him that his loyalty was to Magadha,
not to the Nanda Dynasty, and that he should remain in office. Chanakya
reiterated that choosing to resist would start a war that would severely affect
Magadha and destroy the city. Rakshasa accepted Chanakya’s reasoning, and
Chandragupta Maurya was legitimately installed as the new King of Magadha in
321 BCE, at the age of 21. Rakshasa became Chandragupta’s chief advisor, and
Chanakya assumed the position of an elder statesman.
Expansion of kingdoms and conquest on north-west regions
Chandragupta’s new empire stretched from what is now Afghanistan
in the west to Myanmar in the east. and from Jammu and Kashmir in the north to
the Deccan Plateau in the south. The
Indian campaign of Alexander the Great ended before Chandragupta came into
power. Alexander left India in 325 BCE and assigned the northwestern Indian
subcontinent territories to Greek Governors. The nature of early relations
between these governors and Chandragupta is unknown. Justin mentions
Chandragupta as a rival of Alexander successors in North-Eastern India. He
states that after Alexander death, Chandragupta freed Indian territories from
the Greek and executed some of the governors. According to Boesche, this war
with the northwest territories was in part fought by mercenaries hired by
Chandragupta and Chanakya and these wars may have been the cause of demise of
two of alexander’s governors, Nicanors and Philip. Megasthenes served as a
Greek ambassador of Seleucus I Nicator in Chandragupta’s court for four years.
Victory over Seleucus I Nicator
Seleucus I Nicator, one of the Alexander’s Macedonican
generals who in 321 BCE established the Selecuid Kingdom with the capital at
Babylon (today in Iraq), brought Persia (Iran) and Bactria(part of Afghanistan,
Uzbekistan and Tajikistan) under his own authority, putting his eastern front facing the
empire of Chandragupta. Chandragupta came into conflict with Seleucus I Nicator,
Alexander heir in the east, the idea being the reduction of Greek power and
gaining in own territory and strength. Seleucus I Nicator lost the war. The war
ended in 301 BCE by signing of a treaty. Chandragupta obtained the areas of
Arachosia (Kandahar area in present day Afghanistan), Gedrosia (southern Balochistan
) and Paropamisadai (the area between Afghanistan and Indian subcontinent) ,500
elephants were given to the Greeks. Legends maintains that Seleucus handed over
his Daughter Helena in marriage to Chandragupta but historical evidence does
not support it. It was also decided to appoint a Greek ambassador and as a
result, Megasthenes came to a Patliputra (Patna). He wrote about the Mauryan
administration through his work “Indica” which is now lost but quotations of it
survive in the works of several subsequent Greek writers.
Seleucid Empire with coin inscription of Seleucus I Nicator
Conquest on south
After acquiring the provinces west of river Indus from
Seleucus, Chandragupta empire stretched across the northern parts of southern
Asia. Thereafter, began his conquest in south beyond the Vindhya range and into
the Southern parts of India, expected parts of present-day Tamil Nadu and
Kerala and this is how Chandragupta had managed to established his empire
throughout the India.
The Mauryan
Empire under Chandragupta
Administration
Based on the advice of Chanakya, his Chief Minister, Chandragupta Maurya developed an elaborate system of imperial administration. He had established a superior central administration where his capital Pataliputra was located. The administration was organized with the appointment of king's representatives, who managed their respective province. It was a sophisticated administration which operated like a well-oiled machine as described in Chanakya’s collection of texts called the Arthashastra. Most of the power was concentrated in his hands, and he was assisted in his duties by a council of ministers (Mantriparishad). Chandragupta had council of ministers, with Chanakya as his chief minister. The council of ministers consisted of three to twelve members, each being the head of a department. Then there was the state council which could have twelve, sixteen or twenty members. Besides, there was the bureaucracy consisting of the 'Sannidhata' (head of the treasury), 'Samaharta' (chief revenue collector), 'Purohita' (head priest), 'Senapati' (commander of the army), 'Pratihara' (chief of the palace guard), 'Antarvamisika' (head of the harem guards), 'Durgapala' (governor of the fort), 'Antahala' (governor of the frontier), 'Pair' (governor of the capital), 'Nyayadhisha' (chief justice), and 'Prasasta' (police chief).
The empire was divided into 4 provinces; Tosali (Dhauli, Odisha),
Ujjain, Suvarnagiri(Andra Pradesh) and Taxila(present day in Pakistan). Tosali
was the capital of eastern area, Ujjain, in the west Suvarnagiri in the south,
and Taxila in North. The governors or viceroys of provinces were called 'Mahamatras'
and if the designation was held by a prince then he was called 'Kumara
mahamatra'. Assisting them were the 'Yutas'(tax collectors), 'Rajukas' (revenue
collectors), and 'Sthanikas' and' Gopas' (district officers).
Then there was the local village head called 'Gramika' under whom
the village assembly operated. This provided the royals
with the requisite administrative experience, especially the one who went on to
become emperor. The provinces were divided into smaller units and arrangements
were put in place for both urban and rural administration. Archaeological
evidence of the existence of a number of towns and cities has been
found. Of these, the most prominent was the capital city of
Pataliputra. Its administration was carried out by six committees with five
members apiece. Some of the tasks entrusted to them included the maintenance of
sanitation facilities, care of foreigners, birth and death registration,
regulation of weights and measures, etc. Various types of weights used in this
period have been discovered in several places. The central government also
maintained about two dozen departments looking after various social and
economic activities.The civil courts
were called 'Dharmasthiya' and criminal courts were called 'Kantakshodhana'.
Infrastructure
Mauryan empire was well known for
its engineering marvels like temples, irrigation, reservoirs, roads and mines.
The empire built a strong economy from solid infrastructure such as irrigation,
mines, and roads. Ancient epigraphical evidences suggest Chandragupta, under
counsel of Chanakya, started and completed many irrigation reservoirs and
networks across the Indian subcontinent to ensure food supplies for the
civilian population and army a practice continued by his dynastic successors. Regional
prosperity in agriculture was one of the required duties of his state officials.
Silver punch mark coin of the Maurya empire, with symbols of wheel and elephant
Since Chandragupta Maurya wasn’t a huge fan of waterways, his main mode of transport was by road. This led him to build bigger roads, which allowed the smooth passage of huge carts. He also built a highway which stretched across thousand miles, connecting Pataliputra (present day Patna) to Taxila (present day Pakistan). Other similar highways built by him connected his capital to places like Nepal, Dehradun, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. This kind of infrastructure subsequently led to a strong economy which fueled the whole empire. Chandragupta and Chanakya seeded weapon manufacturing centers and kept them as a state monopoly of the state. The state however encouraged competing private parties to operate mines and supply these centers.
Arts and Architecture
The evidence of arts and architecture during Chandragupta’s time is mostly limited to texts such as those by Megasthenes and Chanakya. Archeological discoveries in the modern age, such as those Didarganj Yakshi discovered in 1971 buried beneath the bunks of the Ganges suggest exceptional artisanal accomplishment. The site was dated to 3rd century BCE by many scholars but later dates such as the Kushan era (1st-4th century CE) have also been proposed. The competing theories state that the art linked to Chandragupta Maurya's dynasty was learnt from the Greeks and West Asia in the years Alexander the Great waged war; or that these artifacts belong to an older indigenous Indian tradition.
As with most ancient administrative system, the Mauryan bureaucracy’s
main purpose was to collect taxes. These consisted primarily of the land tax.
Since this depended on agriculture prosperity, the government sponsored the
reclamation of large amounts of land from forests and wastelands. Irrigations projects
were undertaken to increase productivity.
Taxes were also levied on trade, and trade was officially
encouraged. The construction of a network of roads certainly as much for
military as commercial purpose, will have significantly affected trade for the
better and such measured as the planting of roadside trees for shade and construction
of rest houses every few miles, illustrate the government concern in this area.
Trade
The Mauryan Empire’s political unity and internal peace
encouraged the expansion of trade in India. The metal coinage become more widespread,
which would have stimulated trade. The Khyber Pass, on the modern boundary of
Pakistan and Afghanistan became a strategically important point of trade and
interaction with the outside world. Greek states and Hellenic Kingdoms in West
Asia became trading partners. India’s exports included silk, textiles, spices,
and exotic foods. The outside world gained new scientific knowledge and
technology through expanded trade with the Mauryan empire.
Jainism and death
The Mudrarakshasa(written by Vishakhadatta) uses the Sanskrit term vrishala, employed for Kshatriyas and others who deviate from the Brahminical rules, to denote Chandragupta; “That Chandragupta did deviate from Brahminical orthodoxy is proved by his predilection shown for Jainism in his later years”. Both historical evidence and popular belief state that Chandragupta in his later years accepted Jainism. Inscriptions in Karnataka dating between 5th to 15th centuries CE mention a certain Chandragupta in connection with the Jain saint Bhadrabahu. Chandragupta probably abdicated, became an ascetic, accompanied Bhadrabahu to Karnataka and later died by following the ritual of sallekhana, i.e., fasting till death. Chandragupta thus ruled for 24 years and was succeeded by his son Bindusara (297- 273 BCE), father of Ashoka the Great (268-232 BCE).
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Integration Of India Under Chandragupta
Under Chandragupta Maurya’s rule, the whole of India and a
large part of South Asia was united. At its peak, the size of
the Maurya empire was close to 5,000,000 km², encompassing the modern states of
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Afghanistan. For comparison,
even the British and Mughal Raj fell far short of this and the modern Indian
republic is a mere two-thirds of this total size. More importantly, this was a
peaceful empire where no ravaging conquests took place (until Ashoka’s rise)
and the emperor sitting at Pataliputra was able to effectively rule areas and
people situated thousands of miles away. This was rightfully one of South
Asia’s golden eras where arts, handicrafts, architecture, poetry and literature
flourished. different religions like Buddhism,
Jainism, Hinduism thrived under his
rule. Since the entire empire had uniformity in its administration, economy and
infrastructure, the subjects enjoyed their privileges and hailed Chandragupta
Maurya as the greatest emperor. This worked in the favor of his administration which
subsequently led to a flourished empire.
We live in grim times. The world seems to be tethering on the
edge of disaster. As someone once said, those who refuse to learn from history
are bound to repeat it.. So
What can we learn and implement from Chandragupta’s reign in
today’s world?
Ø
Chandragupta became the
king at the age of only 21 which depicts his great valor, hardwork, dedication
, leadership qualities which we all should try to imbibe in ourselves.
Ø
With his intellect he
gathered associated network of brilliant people against his enemies, in similar way in
today’s world biggest enemies of mankind are hatred, anger, violence, aversion
etc. which can be dealt similarly with keeping yourself in a positive mindset
and positive company.
Ø
Chandragupta’s well
oiled machine like administration as quoted in ‘Arthashastra’ is a great
example of his farsightedness as today most democratic countries adopted same
method of distributive portfolios through various ministries with one head at
the center.
Ø
He built infrastructure
specially for irrigation purposes, agricultural activities and mining which
depicts that he realized ,the main centers of economy are always farmers and
workers which is itself a great value to adopt for India which is primarily an agricultural
country.
Ø In Conquering ancient world with full of invasions and splits of kingdoms, he introduced the policy integration of state which gave rise to a sense of integrity, fraternity and patriotism in people ,this idea never lost it’s value in the history and never will..
If you feel , you have learnt something from Chandragupta's life please share with us in the comment section ...
-BLOG CREDITS : Shreyas Nikam ( Team Historic Wednesday)
References:
1. https://www.culturalindia.net/indian-history/ancient-india/chandragupta-maurya.html
2. https://www.worldhistory.org/Chandragupta_Maurya/
3. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-worldhistory/chapter/the-maurya-empire/
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandragupta_Maurya
5.
https://www.timemaps.com/civilizations/the-mauryan-empire/
6. https://www.historyfiles.co.uk/FeaturesFarEast/India_IronAge_Mauryas01.htm
1. https://hamzasar.medium.com/chandragupta-maurya-the-slave-boy-who-built-a-grand-empire-1c0b1a5ba9fa
Image credits:
https://www.ancient-civilizations.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Map-Nanda-Empire-1005x1024.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/MauryanCoin.JPG/330px-MauryanCoin.JPG
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Chandragupta_Maurya_and_Bhadrabahu.jpg/330px-Chandragupta_Maurya_and_Bhadrabahu.jpg
https://www.gktoday.in/wp-content/uploads-back/2016/05/mauryan-provinces.png
https://coinweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/feb_mark-map-lg.jpg
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