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"Arise
Awake" sleep not till the goal is reached ' these were
the words that evoked a spirit of nationalism and enthusiasm
amongst the fellow countrymen. It was around 4th century B.C.
Bharat had hardly recovered from the shock of Alexander's invasion
. The atmosphere was full of frustration and depression .The
Nanda Dynasty that ruled in Magadha was at it's peak of unpopularity.
Bharat at this time called for a leader of exceptional ability
and vision who would infuse new life into the drooping spirits
of defeated people. Fortunately , the country produced such
a leader- Chandragupta Maurya who
had already been nurtured by a Brahmin
Chanakya .
Details about the meeting of Chanakya with Chandragupta and
his vow to destroy the Nandas have been dealt with in the topic
Rise of Magadha Chanakya thus prepared and trained Chandragupta
to lay the foundation of the Mauryan Empire . There is a lot
of controversy regarding the ancestors of Chandragupta.But for
us it is enough to know that he only was the one who became
the first ' Chakravartin ' of Bharat . The first move of Chandragupta
in his mission to overthrow Nandas was to eliminate the
presence of Greeks from Bharat .Accordingly he organised and
employed recruits from different places and prepared his own
army.
With this he successfully could overthrow the Nandas also.Now
he became the king of a large empire, not only this but he also
defeated Seleucus who had emerged in Babylon after the death
of Alexander and was determined to recover Alexander's conquests
in Bharat . Seleucus' conquest was a failure and he had to loose
Kabul , Kanadhar and Gandhar to Chandragupta .A matrimonial
alliance also took place between them ,the details of which
are not known .Seleucus also sent Magasthenes as an ambassador
toChandragupta's court . Chandragupta's rule also is marked
by his conquests of western India and the Deccan . He was succeeded
by his son Bindusara .
One of the golden pages in Bharatiya history is dedicated to
king Ashoka who hails from the
Mauryan Dyansty . In the annals of the Indian emperors there
is scarcely any record comparable to that of Ashoka , both as
a person and as a ruler . Not only in Bharat but from Volga
to Japan , his name is still honored . It is very interesting
to know Ashoka through the war of succession rose to power .
He had killed all his 99 brothers to acquire the throne and
got the title of ' Chandashoka ' . He himself took up the title
' Devanam Priyadershi ' or beloved of the gods .
But the 13th year of his reign ,when he conquered the Kalinga
War proved to be magical for him . The war was a turning point
not only for him but for Magadha and Bharat also . Nearly 1,00,000
people were there slain and many times that number died . The
event produced many questions in Ashoka's mind and thereby started
a new era of peace , social progress . The era of military conquests
or ' Digvijaya ' ended and the era of spiritual conquests or
' Dharmavijaya' began . After Kalinga War, Ashoka turned into
a Buddhist and thereafter he travelled a lot throughout his
life to spread Buddhism . That however doesn't mean he became
the enemy of other religions . Development of art, architecture
during his reign also was at its excellence .
Because there are conflicting accounts with regard to the successor
of Ashoka ,it is practically impossible to give a chronology
with their regard But it can be said that the mighty Maurya
empire began to decline with the death of Ashoka . The
Downfall of the Mauryas is mentioned when Brihadatha
was assassinated by Pushyamitra .
A look at the Mauryan Empire can tell that the rulers were not
only great conquerors, but were capable administrators also
. Though monarchy was the Mauryan state resembles that of the
modern welfare state. The state realised all its responsibilities
, for the diseased , destitute , merchants , farmers , public
hygiene etc . The Mauryan social oraganisation was based on
the Varna System .
Brahmanism , was still mainly a religion of the previledged
. However during this period there was a considerable increase
in the philosophical knowledge . This was mainly because of
the Lokayatas- principle materialistic school of ancient Bharat
. They had an anti-Brahmanical tendency . There are references
to an ascetic order of Parivrajakas , and also to Ajivakas and
Nigranthas . Buddhism attained prominence during the reign of
Ashoka . Before that , it was confined to Kosala and Magadha
only .
From all this , Dr .V.A.Smith's observation becomes noteworthy
, which says "The advents of the Mauryan dynasty marks
the passage from darkness to light .Even for a historian , chronology
suddenly becomes definite . A huge empire springs into existence
unifying the innumerable fragments of distracted India . Gigantic
world wide religious movements are initiated , of which the
effects are still felt and the affairs of India are brought
into close touch with those of the outer world. "
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