25 Facts About Maurya

1.

The Maurya Empire was centralized by the conquest of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, and its capital city was located at Pataliputra.

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2.

The Maurya dynasty built a precursor of the Grand Trunk Road from Patliputra to Taxila.

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3.

Some later authors, such as Dhundiraja and an annotator of the Vishnu Purana, state that the word "Maurya" is derived from Mura and the mother of the first Maurya king.

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4.

Maurya had to flee in order to save his life and went to Taxila, a notable center of learning, to work as a teacher.

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5.

Maurya was impressed by the young Chandragupta and saw royal qualities in him as someone fit to rule.

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6.

Maurya's army mutinied at the Beas River and refused to advance farther eastward when confronted by another army.

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7.

Maurya Empire was established in the Magadha region under the leadership of Chandragupta Maurya and his mentor Chanakya.

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8.

Maurya then refined his strategy by establishing garrisons in the conquered territories, and finally besieged the Nanda capital Pataliputra.

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9.

Maurya had a Greek ambassador at his court, named Deimachus.

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10.

Maurya is said to have lived as an ascetic at Shravanabelagola for several years before fasting to death, as per the Jain practice of sallekhana.

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11.

Maurya is attested by the Buddhist texts such as Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa ; the Jain texts such as Parishishta-Parvan; as well as the Hindu texts such as Vishnu Purana.

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12.

Maurya sent out missionaries to travel around Asia and spread Buddhism to other countries.

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13.

Maurya undertook a massive public works building campaign across the country.

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14.

Maurya remains an idealized figure of inspiration in modern India.

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15.

Maurya was succeeded by Dasharatha Maurya, who was Ashoka's grandson.

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16.

Kunala Maurya was blind and hence couldn't ascend to the throne; and Tivala, son of Kaurwaki, died even earlier than Ashoka.

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17.

In 180 BCE, Brihadratha Maurya, was killed by his general Pushyamitra Shunga in a military parade without any heir.

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18.

Chandragupta Maurya established a single currency across India, and a network of regional governors and administrators and a civil service provided justice and security for merchants, farmers and traders.

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19.

Maurya is believed to have built as many as 84,000 stupas across India, such as Sanchi and Mahabodhi Temple, and he increased the popularity of Buddhism in Afghanistan and Thailand.

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20.

Greatest monument of this period, executed in the reign of Chandragupta Maurya, was the old palace at Paliputra, modern Kumhrar in Patna.

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21.

Maurya was the first ruler in history to advocate conservation measures for wildlife and even had rules inscribed in stone edicts.

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22.

Plutarch reports that Chandragupta Maurya met with Alexander the Great, probably around Taxila in the northwest:.

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23.

Maurya crossed the Indus and waged war with Sandrocottus [Maurya], king of the Indians, who dwelt on the banks of that stream, until they came to an understanding with each other and contracted a marriage relationship.

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24.

Maurya ruled an area south of the Hindu Kush, possibly in Gandhara.

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25.

Maurya crossed the Caucasus and descended into India; renewed his friendship with Sophagasenus the king of the Indians; received more elephants, until he had a hundred and fifty altogether; and having once more provisioned his troops, set out again personally with his army: leaving Androsthenes of Cyzicus the duty of taking home the treasure which this king had agreed to hand over to him.

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