Economic and political achievements of the Mauryan Empire : –
- Mauryan Empire was a strong empire in economic and political terms
- financial stability through good tax system
- Incorporation of new technologies in agriculture and good irrigation system.
- Security and stability in commerce and trade
- Transportation by road and water very easy and safe
- Expansion of Empire
- security of the empire and the subjects through strong military organization
- Establishment of an ideal state
- Divine image of the king among the subjects
- Establishment of a prosperous state in every way.
Emperor Ashoka : –
🔹 After Bindusara, his son Ashoka became the emperor. He was the third ruler of the Maurya dynasty. He had been the ruler of Ujjain and Takshashila during his father’s reign. Devi(Sakyani), Asandhimitra, Padmavati, Tishyaraksha and Karuvaki were the wives of Ashoka. Ashoka had 5 children, 3 sons, Mahinda, Tivala, and Kunala. And 2 daughters, Charumathi and Sangamitra.
Asoka’s Dhamma : –
🔹 Asoka was the first ruler who inscribed his messages to his people on stone (rocks and pillars)
🔹 He used the inscriptions to proclaim his principles of Dhamma. This included, Respect to elders
- Genorosity towards Brahmanas and others sects
- Kindness to slaves and servants.
- Religious tolerance towards other religions
Contribution of King Ashoka in Indian history : –
🔹 The contribution of Emperor Ashoka to in Indian History can be understood in the following points:
- Establishment of a strong empire.
- centralized administrative system
- Strong military organization.
- Establishment of courts
- concept of an Ideal state
- Establishment of Intelligence Department
- Expansion of empire
- Establishment of Dhamma
- Increase in commercial trade
- Good tax system
- Good roads and formation of Navy
How important was the empire?
🔹 When historians began reconstructing early Indian history in the nineteenth century, the emergence of the Mauryan Empire was regarded as a major landmark. India was then under colonial rule, and was part of the British empire.
- Evidence of amazing art
- Stone sculpture (identity of the empire)
- Records like Asokan inscriptions (different from others)
- Ashoka was a great ruler.
- The Maurya Empire could last only for 150 years.
Megasthenes : –
🔹 Megasthenes was a Greek ambassador and a great historian.
🔹 Megasthenes had written a book named Indika, from this book we get information about the Maurya Empire.
🔹 Megasthenes told that there was 1 committee and 6 sub-committees for the operation of the army in the Maurya Empire.
Chiefs and kings in the south : –
🔹 Chiefdoms like Chola, Cher and Pandya emerged in South India (Tamil Nadu/Andhra Pradesh/Kerala). These states were prosperous and stable. It is mentioned in ancient Tamil Sangam texts.
🔹 Many chiefs and kings, including the Satavahanas who ruled over parts of western and central India (c. second century BCE-Second century CE) and the Shakas, a people of Central Asian origin who established kingdoms in the north-western and western parts of the subcontinent, derived revenues from long-distance trade.
Chiefs and chiefdoms : –
🔹 A chief is a powerful man whose position may or may not be hereditary. He derives support from his kinfolk. Generally, there are no regular armies and officials in chiefdoms.
functions of Chiefs and chiefdoms : –
🔹 His functions may include performing special rituals, leadership in warfare, and arbitrating disputes. He receives gifts from his subordinates (unlike kings who usually collect taxes) and often distributes these amongst his supporters.
Divine King : –
🔹 One means of claiming high status was to identify with a variety of deities. This strategy is best exemplified by the Kushanas (c. first century BCE- first century CE), who ruled over a vast kingdom extending from Central Asia to northwest India.
- The notions of kingship they wished to project are perhaps best evidenced in their coins and sculpture.
- Colossal statues of Kushana rulers have been found installed in a shrine at Mat near Mathura (Uttar Pradesh).
- Similar statues have been found in a shrine in Afghanistan as well.
- The Kushanas considered themselves godlike.
- Many Kushana rulers also adopted the title devaputra, or “son of god”
Kushana rulers exemplify themselves with the high status : –
🔹 One way of claiming high status was to identify themselves among variety of deities. This was best exemplified by the Kushana rulers.
🔹 Some historians feel that Kushana rulers considered themselves as god-like since they adopted titles like deva putra or “Son of God”.
🔹 Big statues of Kushana rulers were installed in shrines. (Eg.: Mat near Mathura in Uttar Pradesh). The notion of kingship they wished to project could be seen in their sculptures and coins.
Sources to know about Gupta Empire : –
- Inscriptions
- Coins
- Literature
- Prashastis (Prayag Prashasthi of Samudra Gupta)
🔹 Histories of the Gupta rulers have been reconstructed from literature, coins and inscriptions, including prashastis, composed in praise of kings in particular, and patrons in general, by poets
major changes that took place in the countryside during the said period : –
- The main source of income of the kings was land tax.
- Rent/Tax was strictly collected.
- Measures to increase yield by subjects and rullers.
- use of canals and reservoirs for irrigation.
- increase in crop yield with the use of iron-tipped plough.
- control of zamindars of the village over the agricultural laborers and farmers.
- Increase in production with the use of techniques and irrigation system.
- Increase in the income of kings and farmers.
- Evidence of land grant by the kings.
What was the king’s image among the public?
🔹 Historian have examined stories contained in anthologies such as the Jatakas and the Panchatantra. The Jatakas were written in Pali around the middle of the first millennium CE.
🔹 One story known as the Gandatindu Jataka describes the condition of the subjects of a wicked king. These included elderly women and men, cultivators, herders, village boys and even animals. In story :
- Kings frequently tried to fill their coffers by demanding high taxes.
- To escape from this situation, people abandoned their village and went to live in the forest. (as mentioned in Jataka story).
- Strategies aimed at increasing production to meet growing demand for taxes adopted.
- Transplantation is used for paddy cultivation in areas where water is plentiful.
Strategies for increasing production : –
- plough was used to increase the yield.
- iron-tipped ploughshare was used, it also played an important role in increasing the yield.
- To increase the crop, the farming community together started creating new means of irrigation.
- Hoe agriculture in semi-arid parts of Punjab, Rajastan and hilly tracks in North-Eastern and Central parts.
- To increase the crop yield, irrigation means like ponds, wells and canals were built at many places, which played an important role in increasing the yield.
Differences in rural society : –
🔹 With the increase in production, differences arose among people engaged in agriculture.
🔹 Buddhist tradition refers to landless agricultural labourers, small peasants and large landlords.
🔹 Landlords and heads of village were more powerful and had control over farmers
🔹 Sangam texts mention large landowners or vellalar, ploughman or uzhavar and slaves or adimai.
🔹 Thus, differences in rural society were based on control over land, labour and technologies.
Land grants and new rural elites : –
🔹 From the early centuries of the Common Era, we find grants of land being made, many of which were recorded in inscriptions.
🔹 Some of these inscriptions were on stone, but most were on copper plates which were probably given as a record of the transaction to those who received the land.
🔹 The records that have survived are generally about grants to religious institutions or to Brahmanas.
🔹 Land grants were made to extend agriculture to new areas or to win allies by making grants of land. Land grants provide an insight into the relationship between peasants and the state.
Gahapati : –
🔹 A gahapati was the owner, master or head of a household, who exercised control over the women, children, slaves and workers who shared a common residence.
🔹 He was also the owner of the resources land, animals and other things that belonged to the household. Sometimes the term was used as a marker of status for men belonging to the urban elite, including wealthy merchants.
Manusmrti : –
🔹 It is one of the best-known legal texts of early India, written in Sanskrit and compiled between c. second century BCE and c. second century CE.
Agrahara : –
🔹 It was the land granted to a Brahmana who had the right to collect land revenue from the local people but was exempted from paying the same to the king.