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Maurya Empire

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Maurya Empire
Mauryan Empire

The Mauryan Empire was a geographically extensive and powerful empire in Ancient India. The Mauryan Dynasty from 321 to 185 BC ruled this powerful empire. It was one of the world's largest empires in its time. At it's greatest extent, the empire stretched to the north along the natural boundaries of the Himalayas, and to the eat stretching into what is now Assam (South of the eastern Himalayas). To the west, it most likely reached beyond modern Pakistan, and joining into what is now known as Afghanistan. Mauryan Empire conquered the trans-Indus region, which was under Macedonian rule. The empire then defeated the invasion led by Seleucus I, a Greek general from Alexander The Great’s army. Under Chandragupta Maurya (The founder) and his successors, both internal and external trade, and agriculture and economic activities, thrived and expanded across India thanks to the creation of a single and efficient system of finance, administration and security. After the Kalinga War (was a war fought between the Mauryan Empire under Ashoka the Great and the state of Kalinga, a feudal republic) the Empire experienced half a century of peace and security under Ashoka. Mauryan India also enjoyed an era of social harmony, religious transformation, and expansion of the sciences and of knowledge. The reason behind why this empire enjoyed an era of peace is said to be because of Ashoka The Great’s conversion to Buddhism after witnessing and participating in the bloodshed of the Kalinga War. There are not many architectural remains of the Maurya period. Remains of a hypostyle building with about 80 columns of a height of about 10 meters have been found in Kumhrar, 5 km from Patna Railway station, and is one of the very few site that has been connected to the rule of the Mauryan in that city. The most widespread example of Maurya architecture is the Pillars of Ashoka, often exquisitely decorated, with more than 40 spread throughout the sub-continent.

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