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The Parishad advised the king almost on all matters. The Parishad consisted of senior
ministers, intellectuals and junior ministers. Chanakya was the Chief advisor and Chief
Minister of Chandragupta Maurya.
The most striking feature of Chandragupta Maurya’s administration was the maintenance
of a huge army. The army comprised of infantry, cavalry and elephants. In addition to this,
it seems that the Mauryans also maintained navy.
art and arcHItecture In tHe mauryan empIre
The Mauryans built many palaces, stupas, Viharas and
pillars. A stupa is a domed structure of bricks and stone.
The most famous stupa is at Sanchi, near Bhopal, started by
Ashoka. It was later enlarged. There are beautiful carved
gateways on four sides. Rocks cut caves were made into
Viharas, during the Mauryan times. The best known are at Dhamejh Stupa at Sarnath
Barabar and Nagarjuna hills near Gaya in Bihar. Another unique contribution of the Mauryans
were the highly polished Ashokan pillars. The pillar was generally a single stone, weighing
about 50 tons and more than 30 feet tall. It had to be chiselled, shaped and polished. The
capital of the column was crowned with the figures of bulls and lions.
Decline of the Mauryas : Ashoka was succeeded by a series of weak rulers. As a result, the
system of administration began to collapse. In 185 BC, Brihadratha, the last Maurya ruler,
was murdered by Pushyamitra Shunga. Thus, the Mauryan dynasty came to an end. After
the Mauryas, a number of dynasties arose. Among them were the Shungas and Kanvas in
the North and the Satavahanas in the Deccan.
Now I Know :
The first empire of Indian history was the Mauryan Empire. It was founded by Chandragupta Maurya.
Chandragupta Maurya ruled his vast empire with a very efficient administrative and military system.
Ashoka adopted the role of a father to his subjects and tried to promote welfare for all.
Ashoka’s moral code of conduct called Dhamma, was meant to establish peace and harmony in society.
(Assessment of Learning Outcome)
A. Tick () the correct option :
1. Who founded Mauryan empire?
(a) Chandragupta (b) Bindusara (c) Chanakya (d) None of these
2. Chandragupta’s guide and mentor was:
(a) Ashoka (b) Bindusara (c) Bimbasara (d) Chanakya
3. Who was the first Indian king to speak directly to his subjects, through his inscriptions?
(a) Ashoka (b) Bindusara (c) Chandragupta (d) None of these
Social Studies-6 59
