In his last edict, probably inscribed in 242 B.C., Asoka wrote: “The promotion of the Dhamma among men has been achieved by two means, laws and persuasion. But of these two, the laws were less effective and more convincing. Specially trained officials, called Dhamma-Mahamattas, regularly visited the empire to judge people`s views and instruct them on the meaning of the Dhamma. King Asoka often toured with his Dhamma-Mahamattas. He also sent missionaries to foreign countries, “because I think I have to promote the welfare of the whole world.” Asoka`s empire was divided into four provinces, which in turn were divided into smaller regions. Government officials were appointed to maintain strict control and collect tribute and taxes from each of these regions. Asoka went beyond simply preaching abstract ideas. He tried to give his subjects practical advice in edicts, which he had inscribed on rocks and stone pillars for all to see. These stone documents, called stone and column edicts, were written in the language of ordinary people. By making the edicts accessible to all, Asoka sought to bind the different peoples of his empire while giving them a unique and compassionate code of ethics by which they could live. Although Asoka came to the Maurya throne at a time of peace and economic prosperity, the great diversity of peoples within the empire threatened disunity. Asoka needed a common code of conduct to connect everyone. My officials will see to it that the government of the Empire is managed effectively for the benefit and happiness of the people.
When Bindusara died, a period of unrest ensued. Apparently, Asoka and his brothers were fighting among themselves for the claim to the throne. With the support of his father`s prime ministers, Asoka took control of the empire. Four years later, in 269 BC, Asoka was officially crowned king. He was about 35 years old. Asoka referred to himself only by the royal title of “Beloved of the Gods” and addressed most of his edicts to the people of the empire. One of the edicts expressed Asoka`s remorse for the suffering he had inflicted on the people of Kalinga: this chapter describes the internal administration and external relations of the Maurya Empire during the reign of Aśoka. He explains that the creation of the Maurya state ushered in a new form of government, that of a centralized empire. Under this regime, the king had central authority, and he not only defended social use according to the traditional concept of royalty, but could also promulgate his own laws. Due to this increased power of the king, the centralized Maurya monarchy under Aśoka became a paternal despotism.
This chapter describes the relationship of the Maurya state with Kalinga and Ceylon. He suggests that Aśoka`s relationship with Ceylon was not purely political, as although there was a considerable exchange of missions, Ceylon remained an independent kingdom. After reigning for 24 years, Chandragupta became a Jainist. Jainism is a very puritanical offshoot of Hinduism. Chandragupta abdicated the throne. He abandoned all his possessions and wandered his empire until he died of slow starvation, a traditional way for Jains to die. The four Mahajanapadas – Magadha, Kosala, Avanti and Vatsa – competed for supremacy from the 6th century BC to the 4th century BC. Eventually, Magadha emerged victorious and was able to gain sovereignty. It became the most powerful state in ancient India. Magadha is located in modern Bihar. Jarasandha, who was a descendant of Brihadratha, founded the kingdom in Magadha.
It is mentioned in the Mahabharata. Magadha, ancient kingdom of India, in the present-day state of Bihar in northeastern India. It was the nucleus of several great kingdoms or empires between the 6th century BC and the 8th century AD. Around 321 BC. The Nanda dynasty ended with the defeat of Dhana Nanda by Chandragupta Maurya, who became the first king of the Maurya Empire with the help of his mentor Chanakya. The empire later spread over most of India under King Ashoka the Great, who was initially known as “Ashoka the Cruel”, but later became a follower of Buddhism and became known as “Ashoka Dharma”. [17] [18] Later, the Maurya Empire ended, along with the Shunga and Khārabēḷa empires, to be replaced by the Gupta Empire. The capital of the Gupta Empire remained Pataliputra in Magadha. Magadha was a region[2] and one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas, “Great Kingdoms” of the second urbanization (600-200 BC) in present-day South Bihar (before expansion) in the eastern plain of the Ganges. Magadha was ruled by the Brihadratha dynasty, the Pradyota dynasty (682-544 BC), the Haryanka dynasty (544-413 BC) and the Shaishunaga dynasty (413-345 BC). The villages had their own assemblies among their local chiefs called Gramaks. Their administrations were divided into executive, judicial and military functions.
T32 [4] Under King Bimbisara (reigned c. 543-c. 491 BC) of the Haryanka lineage, the kingdom of Anga (East Bihar) was added to Magadha. Kosala was later annexed. The rule of Magadha continued under the Nanda (4th century BC) and Mauryan (4th-2nd century BC) dynasties; under the Maurya dynasty, the empire encompassed almost the entire Indian subcontinent. In the first centuries of our era saw the decline of Magadha, but the rise of the Gupta dynasty in the 4th century brought it back to a higher position. These imperial dynasties not only began to establish their power in Magadha, but in any case, Pataliputra (along with modern Patna) was the imperial capital, which added to the prestige of Magadha. Magadha played an important role in the development of Jainism and Buddhism. It was replaced by four of the largest empires in northern India, the Nanda Empire (c. 345-322 BC), the Maurya Empire (c. 322-185 BC), the Shunga Empire (c.
185-78 BC) and the Gupta Empire (c. 319-550 AD). The Pala Empire also ruled Magadha and maintained a royal camp at Pataliputra. [6] [7] Few MCQs were interviewed on the UPSC exam on this topic. However, the next chapter, religious reforms, is very important from the point of view of UPSC Prelim and Main. We will do this in detail. Other important articles for the preparation of ancient history for UPSC are linked in the table below: If you do not have a club account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your club. A shorter list appears in the Jain tradition, which simply lists Shrenika (Bimbisara), Kunika (Ajatashatru), Udayin, followed by the Nanda dynasty.
[37] In 326 BC. Alexander`s army approached the western borders of Magadha. The army, exhausted and frightened at the thought of confronting another huge Indian army on the Ganges, mutinished along the Hyphasis (present-day Beas River) and refused to march further east. Alexander, after meeting his officer Coenus, was convinced that it was better to return, and headed south to conquer his way to the Indus to the ocean. In the ninth year of his reign, Asoka decided to follow the path of his father and grandfather and go to war. He marched on Kalinga. The kingdom of Kalinga, located on the east coast of India, controlled important land and sea trade routes to the south. It was also one of the few regions of India that had never been conquered by the Mauryans. Many companies offer single sign-on between the company`s website and Oxford Academic.