Mauryan Empire Overview And Timeline

Exam-Oriented Q&A

Q1: Who founded the Maurya Empire and when?
Answer: Chandragupta Maurya founded the empire around 322 BCE after overthrowing the Nanda dynasty.

Q2: What text codified Mauryan governance, and who authored it?
Answer: The Arthashastra, attributed to Chanakya (Kautilya), detailed statecraft, economy, and military strategy.

Q3: Which event spurred Ashoka’s embrace of Buddhism?
Answer: The massive casualties in the Kalinga War (c. 261 BCE) prompted his conversion and subsequent Dhamma policies.

Q4: How did the Mauryan Empire facilitate long-distance trade?
Answer: Through standardized coinage (karshapana), extensive road networks, and diplomatic treaties extending to Hellenistic states.

Q5: When and how did the Maurya dynasty end?
Answer: In 185 BCE, when Brihadratha was assassinated by his general Pushyamitra Shunga, ending Mauryan rule.