Maurya Dynasty Part 2 | Rajvansh: Dynasties Of India | Full Episode | Ancient Indian History | Epic
Summary
TLDRThe Maurya Empire, founded by Chandragupta, expanded under Bindusar's reign, reaching its zenith under his son Ashoka. Initially a brutal ruler, known as Chandashoka, Ashoka's transformation began with the devastating Kalinga War, leading him to embrace Buddhism and promote cultural conquest. His reign saw the construction of stupas and pillars inscribed with religious doctrines. Despite Ashoka's peaceful death in 236 BC, the empire crumbled within 50 years, with the last king, Brihadrath, assassinated in 180 BC by Pushyamitra Shunga, marking the end of an era and the rise of new empires.
Takeaways
- 🏛️ Chandragupta founded the Maurya Empire, and Bindusar, his successor, expanded it significantly.
- 👑 Ashoka, Bindusar's son, inherited the empire and brought it to its zenith, leaving a lasting mark in history.
- 🌏 Under Bindusar's rule, the Mauryan Empire encompassed almost the entire Indian subcontinent.
- 🤝 Bindusar maintained diplomatic relations with Western rulers and hosted foreign ambassadors at his court.
- 👦 Ashoka was not the first choice for the throne, being the younger brother of the heir apparent, Sushim.
- 🛡️ Ashoka proved his worth by efficiently crushing a rebellion in Taxila, leading to his appointment as its governor.
- 🏰 Ashoka's rise to power involved the execution of his older brother Sushim and the elimination of other competitors.
- 👑 After ascending the throne, Ashoka initially ruled as a cruel, autocratic, and merciless king.
- 🌊 The Kalinga War was a turning point for Ashoka, leading him to abandon physical conquest in favor of cultural influence.
- 🕊️ Ashoka promoted Buddhism, building stupas, monasteries, and pillars with inscriptions of religious doctrines.
- ⏳ Ashoka's reign ended peacefully, and he donated all his possessions before his death in 236 BC.
- 📚 Ashoka's legacy was carried on by his sons, Mahendra and Kunal, and later by his grandson, Dashrath.
- 📉 Within 50 years after Ashoka's death, the Mauryan Empire collapsed, marking the end of an era.
- 🌅 The fall of the Maurya Empire paved the way for the rise of other empires such as the Shunga, Indo-Greek, and Satavahana Empires.
Q & A
Who laid the foundation of the Maurya Empire?
-Chandragupta laid the foundation of the Maurya Empire.
What significant action did Bindusar take to expand the Mauryan Empire?
-Bindusar expanded the empire by incorporating almost the entire subcontinent under its rule during his reign.
What was Ashoka's initial reputation before his transformation?
-Ashoka was initially known as a cruel, autocratic, and merciless king who derived sadistic pleasure from torturing his opponents.
How did Ashoka's reign change after the Kalinga War?
-After the Kalinga War, Ashoka abandoned the policy of physical occupation in favor of cultural conquest and promoted religious doctrines through inscriptions on stupas, monasteries, and pillars.
What was Ashoka's title before he became king?
-Ashoka was appointed the governor of Taxila after efficiently crushing a rebellion there.
What was the reason behind Ashoka's appointment as the governor of Taxila?
-Ashoka was sent to Taxila to suppress a rebellion that his elder brother Sushim failed to crush, and his success in this task led to his appointment as the governor.
Who was the intended heir to the throne before Ashoka ascended to power?
-Sushim, Ashoka's elder brother, was the heir apparent to the throne before Ashoka ascended to power.
What drastic actions did Ashoka take after his coronation?
-After his coronation, Ashoka executed his older brother Sushim and his 500 loyal officers, and subsequently had his other brothers killed to eliminate all competition.
What was Ashoka's policy towards conquered regions after the Kalinga War?
-Ashoka's policy towards conquered regions after the Kalinga War was to focus on cultural conquest rather than physical occupation.
What was the ultimate fate of the Maurya Empire?
-The Maurya Empire fell apart within 50 years after Ashoka's death, culminating in the assassination of the last Mauryan king, Brihadrath, by his commander Pushyamitra Shunga.
What empires emerged after the fall of the Maurya Empire?
-After the fall of the Maurya Empire, empires like the Shunga Empire, the Indo-Greek Empire, and the Satavahana Empire emerged.
Outlines
🏛️ Rise and Fall of the Maurya Empire
The Maurya Empire's foundation was laid by Chandragupta and expanded by his successor, Bindusar. Bindusar's reign saw the empire encompass nearly the entire subcontinent and establish diplomatic relations with Western rulers. Despite Ashoka initially not being the heir apparent, he ascended to the throne after proving his worth by quelling a rebellion in Taxila. Ashoka's early reign was marked by cruelty and autocracy, including the execution of his brothers and opposition. However, the Kalinga War led to a profound transformation in Ashoka's rule, prompting him to abandon physical conquest in favor of cultural influence, promoting religious doctrines and building religious monuments. Ashoka's legacy was furthered by his sons, Mahendra and Kunal, with the latter's blindness suggesting he did not rule, leading to his grandson, Dashrath, taking the throne. The empire's decline began shortly after Ashoka's death, culminating in the assassination of the last Mauryan king, Brihadrath, by Pushyamitra Shunga, signaling the end of the empire and the rise of new ones.
🌏 The Aftermath of the Mauryan Empire
Following Ashoka's death, the Mauryan Empire experienced a rapid decline, disintegrating within half a century. The empire's fall was marked by the public execution of its last king, Brihadrath, by his commander, Pushyamitra Shunga, in 180 BC. This act indicated a lack of support from both the army and the populace. The demise of the Maurya Empire paved the way for the emergence of new empires, including the Shunga, Indo-Greek, and Satavahana Empires, each contributing to the rich tapestry of Indian history. The narrative suggests a continuous cycle of rise and fall in the historical landscape of India, with each end signaling the beginning of a new era.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Maurya Empire
💡Bindusar
💡Ashoka
💡Kalinga War
💡Stupas
💡Pillars
💡Edict
💡Cultural Conquest
💡Chandashoka
💡Magadha
💡Buddhism
💡Ashokavadan
💡Mauryan Collapse
Highlights
Chandragupta founded the Maurya Empire.
Bindusar expanded the empire and established diplomatic relations with western rulers.
Ashoka inherited the empire and helped it reach its zenith.
Bindusar was an effective ruler with the entire subcontinent under his reign.
Ashoka was not the first choice for the throne, being younger than his brother Sushim.
Ashoka proved his worth by efficiently crushing a rebellion in Taxila.
Ashoka was appointed the governor of Taxila post the rebellion.
Ashoka's ambition led to his appointment in Ujjain and his eventual ascension to the throne.
Ashoka executed his brother Sushim and other competitors after his coronation.
Ashoka's reign began with cruelty and autocracy, earning him the name Chandashoka.
The Kalinga War was a turning point for Ashoka, leading to his transformation into a benevolent ruler.
Ashoka abandoned physical occupation for cultural conquest post the Kalinga War.
Ashoka built stupas, monasteries, and pillars to spread his religious understanding.
Ashoka died peacefully in 236 BC, having donated all his possessions.
Ashoka's sons, Mahendra and Kunal, and grandson, Dashrath, played significant roles in the empire's continuation.
The Mauryan Empire fell apart within 50 years after Ashoka's death.
The last Mauryan king, Brihadrath, was killed by his commander, Pushyamitra Shunga, in 180 BC.
The end of the Maurya Empire led to the rise of new empires like the Shunga, Indo-Greek, and Satavahana Empires.
Transcripts
Chandragupta laid the foundation of the Maurya Empire
and Bindusar, his successor expanded the empire.
After that, Bindusar's son Ashoka
who inherited this vast empire
helped it reach its pinnacle
and cemented the place
of the Maurya Empire in the annals of history.
Bindusar was an able king.
Under his reign, almost the entire subcontinent
became a part of the Mauryan Empire.
As per Greek sources,
Bindusar had diplomatic relations with the western rulers.
And there were many foreign ambassadors
in his royal court.
Bindusar was succeeded by his son, Ashoka.
But for Bindusar,
Ashoka was not the first choice to ascend the throne.
Actually, Bindusar had four sons.
His oldest son was Sushim
and Ashoka was younger than him.
Sushim was the heir apparent to the throne,
but Ashoka also wanted to become the king.
Ashoka's claim was weak because his father, Bindusar,
didn't like him much.
But coincidently,
a rebellion broke out in Taxila
and Bindusar assigned
his eldest son, Sushim, the responsibility of crushing it.
When Sushim failed to suppress the rebellion,
Bindusar sent the 18-year-old Ashoka
to Taxila to suppress the rebellion.
When Ashoka efficiently crushed the rebellion
and proved his worth,
he was appointed the governor of Taxila.
The truth is one of the reasons behind this decision
was to keep the power-hungry Ashoka away from the mainland.
After that, Ashoka was also given the responsibility of Ujjain.
But Ashoka had his eyes set on the throne of Magadha.
After Bindusar's death,
Ashoka ascended the throne with the help of senior ministers
and soon after the coronation,
he executed his older brother, Sushim,
and his 500 loyal officers.
After that, Ashoka had his other brothers killed, too,
thereby finishing every competitor of his.
That is how, soon after assuming power,
Ashoka established himself
as a cruel, autocratic, and merciless king.
Ashoka derived sadistic pleasure
in personally torturing the people opposed to him.
He had a special prison built for that.
Because of Ashoka's brutality,
he was also known as Chandashoka.
But do you know
how in the future, this cruel king became so benevolent?
The Kalinga War played an important role in Ashoka's life.
When Ashoka witnessed
large-scale death and destruction on the battlefield,
he realised
that when an independent country was conquered,
the death of countless people and their forced displacement
was extremely grievous to a good king.
He mentioned it in his 13th Edict.
After this war,
Ashoka abandoned the policy of physical occupation
in favour of cultural conquest.
During this period,
Ashoka built many stupas, monasteries and pillars,
upon which he ordered the inscription
of his understanding of religious doctrines.
In 236 BC,
Ashoka died peacefully.
As per the famous text, Ashokavadan,
before his death, Ashoka had donated everything he had.
Ashoka's older son, Mahendra,
spread Buddhism around the world
and his younger son, Kunal, sat on the throne.
But some historians suggest
that Kunal was blind
and so he couldn't ascend the throne either.
Hence Ashoka's grandson, Dashrath, ascended the throne.
After Ashoka's death, within 50 years,
the Mauryan Empire fell apart.
It is said that in 180 BC,
the last Mauryan king, Brihadrath,
was killed during an inspection of the troops
by his commander, Pushyamitra Shunga.
The fact that his public execution wasn't opposed,
suggests the king neither enjoyed his army's loyalty
nor the people's sympathy.
That is how
the sun finally set on the great Maurya Empire.
But every end leads to a new beginning.
The end of the Maurya Empire
gave rise to empires like
the Shunga Empire,
the Indo-Greek Empire
and the Satavahana Empire.
To find out more about these Indian empires,
keep watching Rajvansh.
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