Later Mauryas

Later Mauryas – 232 BC – 185 BC

• The Mauryan dynasty lasted 137 years 
• Ashoka’s death was followed by the division of the Mauryan Empire into two parts Western and Eastern.
• The Western part came to be ruled by Kunala – son of Ashoka and the Eastern part came to be ruled by Dasaratha.
• The last Mauryan ruler Brihadratha was assassinated in 185 BC by his commander-in-chief, Pushyamitra Sunga, who established his own Sunga dynasty.

Causes for the Decline

• Highly centralized administration 
• Pacific policy of Ashoka 
• Brahmanical reaction 
• The partition of the Mauryan Empire 
• Weak later – Mauryan Rulers 
• Pressure on Mauryan economy 
• Neglect of North West Frontier

Mauryan Administration 
Central Administration 

1. The King – the Mauryan government was a centralized bureaucracy of which the nucleus was the king. According to Chanakya there are7 elements of states 

1. Saptanga theory 

• Raja – the king
• Amatya – the secretaries 
• Janapada – territory 
• Durg – fort 
• Kosha – the treasure 
• Sena – army 
• Mitra – friends 
• The Mantri Parishad - the king was assisted by Mantri Parishad whose members included 
• The Yuvaraja – the crown prince 
• The purohita – the chief priest 
• The Senapati – the commander in chief 

 2. Provincial Administration 

• Uttarapatha (Northern Provincial) – Taxila 
• Avantirashtra (western Provincial) – Ujjain 
• Prachi (Eastern and Central Provincial) – Patliputra 
• Kalinga (Eastern Provincial) – Toshali 
• Dakshinapatha (Southern Provincial) - Suvarnagiri 

3. Municipal Administration 

Kautilya devotes a full chapter to the rules of the Nagarak i.e. city superintendent. His chief duty was maintencance of law and order 

Megasthenese account of the system 

6 committees of five members each and their function 

I – industrial arts 

II – entertainment of foreigners 

II – registration of births and deaths 

IV – trade and commerce 

V – Public sale of manufactured goods 

VI – collection of taxes on the articles sold (1/10th of purchase price)

4. Army 

The most striking feature of Mauryan administration was the maintenance of a huge army. They also maintained a Navy

According to Maegasthenese the administration of Army was carried by a board of 30 officers divided into 6 committee each committee consisting of 5 members

1. Infantry 
2. Cavalry 
3. Elephant 
4. Chariots 
5. Navy 
6. Transport

Economy 

The state controlled almost all economic activities 

Tax collected from peasants varied from ¼ to 1/6 of the produce 

The state also provided irrigation facilities and charged water tax 

Tolls were also levied on commodities brought to town for sale and they were collected at gate 

The state enjoyed monopoly in mining, forest, salt, sale of liquor, manufacture of arms etc.

During Mauryan period the punch marked coins – mostly of silver were the common units of transaction

Society 

Kautilya/Vishnugupta is not as rigid on the Varna system as the earlier Smriti writers 

Magasthenese states that Indian Society was divided into 7 classes

1. Philosophers 
2. Farmers 
3. Soldiers 
4. Herdsmen 
5. Artisans 
6. Magistrates 
7. Councilors 

Women occupied a high position and freedom in the Mauryan society. According to Kautilya women were permitted to have a divorce or remarry. Women were employed as personal body guards of the king, spies and in other diverse jobs 

Signification of Mauryan Rule 

The emblem of Indian Republic has been adopted from the lion capital of Ashokan pillar at Sarnath

Many Gurukuls and Buddhist monasteries developed with royal patronage 

• Literary developments 
• Arthashashtra 
• Kalpasutra 
• Katha Vastu 
• Bhagwati Sutra 
• Acharanga Sutra 
• Dasavalik 

Mauryan Art and Architecture

Mauryan architecture can be divided into Court Art and Popular Art.

Mauryan Court Art: Implies architectural works (in the form of pillars, stupas and palaces) commissioned by Mauryan rulers for political as well as religious reasons.

Palaces: Greek historian, Megasthenes, described the palaces of the Mauryan Empire as one of the greatest creations of mankind and Chinese traveler Fa Hien called Mauryan palaces as god gifted monuments.

Persian Influence: The palace of Chandragupta Maurya was inspired by the Achaemenid palaces at Persepolis in Iran.

Material Used: Wood was the principal building material used during the Mauryan Empire.

Examples: The Mauryan capital at Pataliputra, Ashoka’s palace at Kumrahar, Chandragupta Maurya’s palace.

Pillars: Ashoka pillars, (usually made of chunar sandstone), as a symbol of the state, assumed a great significance in the entire Mauryan Empire.

Objective: The main objective was to disseminate the Buddhist ideology and court orders in the entire Mauryan Empire.

Language: While most Ashoka pillar edicts were in Pali and Prakrit language, few were written in Greek or Aramaic language also.

Architecture: Mauryan pillars mainly comprise of four parts:

Shaft: A long shaft formed the base and was made up of a single piece of stone or monolith.

Capital: On top of shaft lay the capital, which was either lotus-shaped or bell-shaped.

Abacus: Above the capital, there was a circular or rectangular base known as the abacus.

Capital Figure: All the capital figures (usually animals like a bull, lion, elephant, etc) are vigorous and carved standing on a square or circular abacus.

Similarities with Persian (Achamenian) Pillars

Polished Stones and Motifs: Both Maurya and Achaemenian pillars, used polished stones and have certain common sculpture motifs such as the lotus.

Proclamations: Maurya’s idea of inscribing proclamations (related to Buddhist teachings and court orders) on pillars has its origin in Persian pillars.

Third Person: Inscriptions of both empires begin in the third person and then move to the first person.

Differences with Persian (Achamenian) Pillars

The Capital Figure: It was absent in Mauryan pillars of the Kumhrar hall whereas pillars at Persepolis have the elaborate capital figures.

The Shape and Ornamentation: The shape of Mauryan lotus is different from the Persian pillar.

Pillar Surface: Most of the Persian pillars have a fluted/ ridged surface while the Mauryan pillars have a smooth surface.

Architectural Scheme: The Achaemenid pillars were generally part of some larger architectural scheme, and bit complex and complicated, while the Ashokan pillars were simple and independent freestanding monuments.

Shaft: Unlike Mauryan shafts which are built of monolith (single piece of stone), Persian/Achaemenian shafts were built of separate segments of stones (aggregated one above the other).

Pillar Edicts and Inscriptions

Ashoka’s 7 pillar edicts: 

These were found at Topra (Delhi), Meerut, Kausambhi, Rampurva, Champaran, Mehrauli:

• Pillar Edict I: Asoka’s principle of protection to people.
• Pillar Edict II: Defines Dhamma as the minimum of sins, many virtues, compassion, liberality, truthfulness, and purity.
• Pillar Edict III: Abolishes sins of harshness, cruelty, anger, pride, etc.
• Pillar Edict IV: Deals with duties of Rajukas.
• Pillar Edict V: List of animals and birds which should not be killed on some days and another list of animals which have not to be killed at all.
• Pillar Edict VI: Dhamma policy
• Pillar Edict VII: Works done by Asoka for Dhamma policy.

Minor Pillar Inscriptions

Rummindei Pillar Inscription: Ashoka’s visit to Lumbini & exemption of Lumbini from tax.

Nigalisagar Pillar Inscription, Nepal: It mentions that Asoka increased the height of stupa of Buddha Konakamana to its double size.

Major Pillar Inscriptions

• Sarnath Lion Capital: Near Varanasi was built by Ashoka in commemoration of Dhammachakrapravartana or the first sermon of Buddha.
• Vaishali Pillar, Bihar, single lion, with no inscription.
• Sankissa Pillar, Uttar Pradesh
• Lauriya-Nandangarth, Champaran, Bihar.
• Lauriya-Araraj, Champaran, Bihar
• Allahabad pillar, Uttar Pradesh.

Stupa: Stupas were burial mounds prevalent in India from the Vedic period.