The First Empire Chapter Notes | Footprints Class 6: Book Solutions, Notes & Worksheets PDF Download

The Beginning

In 326 BCE, a powerful leader named Alexander from Macedonia invaded north-western India but couldn't go further because of a strong Indian army. He left some people in charge of the areas he conquered and returned to Greece. This invasion weakened the small tribes and states in North India, which helped a man named Chandragupta Maurya to create an empire.

Chandragupta Maurya

The Nandas had a powerful but unpopular army. Chandragupta, who had served the Nandas, left them and learned warfare from the Greeks in the northwest. He met Chanakya, who trained him in statecraft. With Chanakya's help, Chandragupta overthrew the Nandas in 321 BCE and established the Mauryan empire. He expanded his empire to include Punjab, parts of North India, and territories in the northwest through a marriage alliance with Seleucus Nicator's daughter. His empire stretched from the Hindu Kush to Bengal and from the Himalayas to the Narmada. Later, Chandragupta became a Jain, abdicated his throne, and fasted to death at Shravana Belagola in Karnataka. 

Bindusara

Chandragupta's son, Bindusara, became the king after him. His empire stretched to Mysore in the south, and he maintained good relations with Greek leaders.

Ashoka The Great

Ashoka, one of the most famous Mauryan rulers, became the king in 268 BCE after a tough battle with his brothers. He wanted to add a region called Kalinga to his empire and fought a war. However, the war's violence shocked him, and he decided to follow a path of peace instead of war. Ashoka became a follower of Buddha and focused on spreading the message of peace and kindness, known as Dhamma, instead of conquering more lands.

The Kalinga War and Its Impact

An excerpt from the 13th Major Rock Edict reveals Ashoka's deep remorse and newfound commitment to Dhamma following the war. Ashoka, referred to as "Beloved-of-the-Gods," expressed regret for the violence and turned towards promoting Dhamma, a concept derived from dharma, meaning religious duty and moral conduct.

Ashoka embraced Buddhism, aiming to govern through principles of non-violence, tolerance, truthfulness, respect for elders, and kindness. He encouraged his subjects to adopt these values to foster unity and mutual respect within the empire.

Ashoka's Dhamma

Ashoka's Dhamma encouraged his people to be non-violent, tolerant, truthful, respectful to their elders, and kind and charitable to all. His goal was to bring people together and make them more understanding and peaceful.

Ashoka's Edicts

Ashoka communicated his ideas to his subjects through inscriptions on stone pillars, caves, and rocks. These inscriptions told people about his ideas on how to govern, behave, and follow religious beliefs. The famous Lion Capital from one of these pillars is now on the Indian flag.

The Mauryan Administration

The Mauryan administration was well-defined, and much of our knowledge about it comes from Megasthenes' Indica and Chanakya's Arthashastra. Megasthenes, the Greek ambassador sent by Seleucus Nicator to Chandragupta Maurya's court, documented his experiences in Indica.

• The Mauryan administration followed the principles of effective governance outlined in Arthashastra. 
• The king held supreme power but consulted his ministers (mantri parishad) for important decisions. The vast empire was divided into provinces like Suvamagiri and Takshila, which were further divided into districts containing multiple towns or villages. 
• Each village was managed by a headman called the gramika. Pataliputra, the capital, and its surrounding areas were directly administered by the emperor with the help of officials known as amatyas, mahamatras, and yuktas. 
• These officials collected taxes, managed law and justice, and encouraged agricultural expansion, as land revenue was the main income source, ranging from one-fourth to one-sixth of the total produce. 
• There were also taxes on irrigation water (udukabhaga), trade, crafts, forest produce, mines, and fines.

Mauryan Art and Architecture

During this time, many remarkable structures were built, including rock-cut caves called viharas. The Sanchi stupa, one of Ashoka's many stupas, is still famous today. There were also polished monolithic pillars, and one of these had a design with lions, which is now on the Indian flag.

Decline of the Mauryan Empire

The Mauryan Empire started to decline after Ashoka's death in 232 BCE. His successors were not as strong, and there were invasions in the north-western border. Some historians think Ashoka's peaceful policies might have contributed to the decline.