Name: ________________________________
The Mauryan Empire Reading Notes
Directions: As you read the story of the Mauryan
Empire, use the table below to take notes. These
will be your notes for the Mauryan Empire. There
will be NO PowerPoint or fill in the blank notes!
The Mauryan Empire existed from 321 B.C. to 185
B.C. and would come to be the largest in the history of India
to this day. It spanned from the Indus River Valley through
the Ganges River Valley and southward through the Deccan
Plateau.
The Mauryan Empire was founded by
Chandragupta Maurya, who unified the smaller Aryan
kingdoms into a civilization. Many competing kingdoms were spread across the northern plains.
Chandragupta first gained power in the Ganges Valley, but with his army he soon conquered much of
northern India. Over time his people moved southward into the Deccan Plateau.
The Maurya dynasty set up an efficient bureaucracy and a strong government with its capital at
Pataliputra. A bureaucracy is a system of managing government through departments that are run by
appointed officials. Officials collected taxes and oversaw the building of roads and harbors, which helped
trade to flourish. Other officials managed government-owned factories and shipyards. The empire became
very powerful and wealthy through trade. Merchants traded in silk, cotton, and elephants (among
hundreds of other things) to Mesopotamia and the eastern Roman Empire.
Another reason the empire was so powerful was its strong military. Interestingly, it was its
military strength that eventually caused a dramatic change in the empire. At first, Maurya rule was harsh.
Chandragupta was suspicious of his many enemies. A brutal secret police force reported on crime,
corruption, and dissent within his empire.
Chandragupta’s grandson Asoka ruled differently. Horrified by the brutality of a campaign to
conquer the Deccan, Asoka rejected further conquest. He turned to Buddhism, hoping to rule by moral
example rather than by violence. The fierce fighting over the Plateau struck Asoka with remorse. Asoka
sent Buddhist missionaries across India and the rest of Southeast Asia. Despite his desire to promote
Buddhism, he was tolerant of other beliefs. Asoka’s rule united his diverse people and brought peace and
prosperity. After his death, however, the empire declined, and rival kingdoms once again competed for
power.
The Maurya dynasty united much of India for the first time. Peace and prosperity resulted, and
trade flourished. The capital at Pataliputra was one of the largest and richest cities of its time. The capital
had schools and a library; learning was highly advanced. Asoka had free hospitals and veterinary clinics
established, as well as the construction of good roads. One of the most lasting contributions of the Maurya
dynasty was the spreading of the Buddhist religion throughout all of India and the rest of Southeast Asia
by means of missionary activity.
When did the Mauryan Empire exist? (the years):
What is significant about the size of the Mauryan Empire?
What were the boundaries of the Mauryan Empire? From
which geographical features did it span?
Who was the founder of the Mauryan Empire?
How did Chandragupta Maurya found the Mauryan
Empire?
What was the name of the Mauryan Empire’s capital?
What is a bureaucracy?
What did merchants trade to Mesopotamia and the
eastern Roman Empire?
What was the name of Chandragupta Maurya’s
grandson?
Why did Asoka turn to Buddhism?
How did Asoka help the spread of Buddhism?
What types of advanced buildings and infrastructure did
Pataliputra have?
What was one of the lasting contributions of Asoka and
the Mauryan Empire?