THE FIRST EMPIRES, 322 - 183 B.C.

• Kingdoms and Empires
  • Why India could not sustain an empire
  • Empire when Punjab, Indus, Ganges Valleys and the Southern peninsula united
    • Punjab
      • Aryan heartland
      • Added to Persian Empire by Cyrus and Darius (522-488 BC)
      • Province of Gandhara; city of Taxila
    • Ganges valley
      • Magadha conquers other kingdoms 550 BC
      • Nanda dynasty, 400-330 BC
• The Macedonian/Greek Conquest
  • Alexander the Great in the Indus Valley, 327-325 BC
  • Kautilya/Chanakya and Chandragupta Maurya defeat Seleucus 306 BC and found Mauryan Empire
  • The Arthashastra
• Mauryan Empire
  • Megesthenes 302 BC
  • Chandragupta as Emperor
  • Bindusara 297-272 BC
• Ashoka 268-232 BC
  • Greatest emperor of ancient world?
  • Career
    • Taxila and Ujjain
    • Mahindra and Sanghamitra
    • Third Buddhist Council
    • Public works, trade
  • Internal Administration
  • Policy of Dhamma: Fifth Rock Edict – Dhamma-Mahamattas
• Decline of Mauryas
• Sources for reconstructing Mauryan history
  • Megesthenes
  • Buddhist chronicles form China, Tibet and Sri Lanka
  • 14 rock edicts and 7 pillar edicts

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