Demetrius, who lived from 175 to 140 BCE, founded the city of Sirkap, combining Greek and Indian influences without signs of segregation between the 3rd century BCE. He is widely regarded as the author of a political treatise called the Arthashastra, a down-to-earth manual on how to rule. Sunga Empire, c. 185 BCE: The Sunga Dynasty was established following a coup by General Pusyamitra Sunga, marking the end of the Maurya Empire. He sent his only daughter, Sanghamitra, and son, Mahindra, to spread Buddhism in Sri Lanka (then known as Tamraparni). While the early part of Ashoka’s reign was apparently quite bloodthirsty, he became a follower of the Buddha’s teachings after his conquest of Kalinga on the east coast of India in the present-day states of Odisha and North Coastal Andhra Pradesh. In 305 BCE, Emperor Chandragupta Maurya led a series of campaigns to retake the satrapies left behind by Alexander the Great when he returned westward. Rulers & Politics Finally, the fragmentation of the Mauryan empire was, to some extent, a product of its very success. As always, peace encouraged prosperity, and as we have seen, the government actively sponsored agriculture and trade. Ancient History Encyclopedia Limited is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. Then, under a line of kings of the Nanda dynasty (reigned c. 424-322 BCE), the kingdom dramatically expanded, to cover a large part of northern India. Little is known of the campaign in which Chandragupta fought with Seleucus over the Indus Valley and the region of Gandhara— Discuss the effects of Ashoka the Great’s conversion to Buddhism. Royal family Sunga West Bengal 1st century BCE. Ranging from as far west as Afghanistan, and as far south as Andhra (Nellore District), Ashoka’s edicts state his policies and accomplishments. Iron implements came into wider use, which would have helped the reclamation of land for farming, and led to greater productivity for farmers. Indian relief from Amaravati, Guntur. During the peace and unity the Mauryan kings had brought ancient India, Aryan culture had spread throughout much of the sub-continent. The Edicts of Ashoka, set in stone, are found throughout the Subcontinent. Mauryan architecture in the Barabar Mounts. The system operated under the principles of the Arthashastra, an ancient Indian treatise on economic policy, statecraft, and military strategy. It stimulated the economic development of then-peripheral regions, as these were incorporated into Aryan society. Preserved in Guimet Museum. The Ashokavadana shows that the main source of Ashoka’s conversion, and the acts of welfare that followed, are rooted instead in intense personal anguish, from a wellspring inside himself rather than spurred by a specific event. Philosophy & Religion These edicts and exhortations give an insight into Ashoka’s mind. He erected rock pillars at Buddhist holy sites, but did not do so for the sites of other religions. The Mauryan Army, the largest standing military force of its time, supported the expansion and defense of the empire. Ashoka’s edicts refer to the Greeks, Kambojas, and Gandharas as peoples forming a frontier region of his empire. Greek states and Hellenic kingdoms in West Asia became trading partners. Chanakya swore revenge and vowed to destroy the Nanda Empire. The Maurya Empire was founded in 322 BCE by Chandragupta Maurya, who had overthrown the Nanda Dynasty and rapidly expanded his power westward across central and western India in order to take advantage of the disruptions of local powers in the wake of the withdrawal by Alexander the Great ‘s armies.