Reign of the Mauryan Dynasty!!

The Mauryan Empire marked brilliance in many spheres of life. Great Kings like Chandragupta Maurya and Ashoka conquered numerous lands and have taught us some significant lessons of life. There was advancement in governance of provinces. Everyone had the liberty to put forth their opinions and advice. People had the freedom of Expression and hence, the land prospered. Edicts of the rule of the 3 main kings, who shaped this dynasty, influenced many to mend their ways.

Chandragupta Maurya- The first Mauryan Emperor; built the foundation for this empire to flourish and for his descendants to understand the responsibilities a ruler has for his subjects and kingdom. It is often said that he belonged to the ‘Land of Peacocks’, which is why, he is called Maurya. Chandragupta defeated the last Nanda ruler Dhananda to conquer his land of Pataliputra, which later, Chandragupta made his capital city. He was assisted in doing so by the great philosopher, teacher, economist, advisor and jurist Chanakya. Chandragupta had extended his territory by subjugating the land of Avanti and occupied many parts of present Afghanistan. Evidences from Jain records state that Chandragupta became a Jain monk after ruling his kingdom for 24 years.

After the death of the first Mauryan emperor, his son Bindusara ascended the throne. Bindusara had vanquished sixteen states and extended his empire from sea to sea during his reign. Ambassadors from Syria and Egypt were a part of his court. Bindusara died between 273-272 B.C.

Both the kings have put forth a great message for us to abide by. They used their intelligence and wisdom for the right cause which helped their subjects to live blissfully and composedly. They had a massive contribution is shaping the entire Northern India in terms of development, employment, monetary support, food, clothing, shelter and the right to convey their thoughts without any external interference.

Ashoka- a brave king and fierce warrior lead the kingdom after the demise of Bindusara. Ashoka was a just and able emperor. He wanted to subdue the land of Kalinga as it would prove to be really useful geographically. But Kalinga, as an independent state, did not wish to join alliances with Ashoka’s territory. Hence, to make ends meet, Ashoka declared war on Kalinga. Over 1.5 lakh people were detained and 1000 people had died in the war. The blood-shed really moved Ashoka. He realised his folly and decided to make a vow of purifying himself of all the sins he has committed. Ashoka chose the path of Dhamma- the Sanskrit form of the world Dharma. He propagated Buddhism and called himself Devanampiya Piyadasi in the name of ‘the one dearest to Gods’. Dharma was the code of demeanour of his life. He had set some strict laws for all his subjects. Firstly, no one would show behaviour of impertinence in front of their parents. Secondly, nobody should harm any animal for the sake of fun. Lastly, people must give away a certain amount of their income in charity. Ashoka ruled for 37 years after which, he died in 232 B.C. After his death, the Mauryan Empire began falling apart.

With this, we get to know how Ashoka chose the path of repentance rather than continuing his misdeeds. He realised his mistake and made amends. Many people get scared to accept their mistake only because their reputation will get harmed. Ashoka, being a king could chose this path, then why not us? We must learn from his doings, that realisation and acceptance of ones mistakes does not make one inferior, but a man of great admiration and valour. We must always admit our mistake without hesitation and try to understand the depth of damage it could cause. In this way, we will never repeat the similar mistake another time.

TIT-BITS COLUMN

• Chanakya was the son of a Brahmana of Taxila. He was also called Kautilya.  
• Megasthenes- A Greek ambassador was present in the court of Chandragupta Maurya.
• Indika and Arthashastra tell us about the Mauryan rule.
• Philosophers and religious people wandered in the kingdom for revealing the truth as to why life existed.