Maurya Empire

India’s first great unification, whose emperor Ashoka carved his repentance into rock across the realm.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Chandragupta Maurya seized the Gangetic heartland in the power vacuum after Alexander.
• Kautilya’s Arthashastra, tied to his court, is a strikingly cold-eyed manual of statecraft.
• After the bloody Kalinga war, Ashoka embraced Buddhism and broadcast edicts on pillars and rock faces.

Specifications & Metrics

• ERA: 322 – 185 BC
• REGION: Indian subcontinent