Decline Of Mauryan Empire

Exam-Oriented Q&A

Q1: When did the Mauryan Empire begin its decline?
Answer: After Ashoka’s death in 232 BCE.

Q2: What internal weaknesses hastened the empire’s fall?
Answer: Weak successors and an overextended bureaucracy.

Q3: How did provincial autonomy affect the Mauryan state?
Answer: Regional governors asserted independence, reducing central cohesion.

Q4: Which external threat contributed to Mauryan decline?
Answer: Incursions and pressure from Indo-Greek kingdoms.

Q5: Who ended the Mauryan Empire, and by what means?
Answer: Pushyamitra Shunga assassinated the last Mauryan king, Brihadratha, in 185 BCE.