[pdf] The Maurya Empire: The History and Legacy of Ancient India s Greatest Empire | मौर्य साम्राज्य: प्राचीन भारत के महानतम साम्राज्य का इतिहास और विरासत [pdf]
Ancient Indian History
Pictures, ancient descriptions of the empire and its rulers,
online resources, and a bibliography are all included in this study.
During the last centuries of the primary millennium BCE,
most of the Mediterranean basin and therefore the geographic region were either
directly or indirectly under the influence of Hellenism. The Greeks spread
their ideas to Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Persia and attempted to unify all of the
peoples of these regions under one government. Although a number of the
Hellenistic kingdoms proved to be powerful in their own rights especially Ptolemaic Egypt and therefore the Seleucid Empire,
which encompassed all of Mesopotamia, most of the Levant, and far of Persia
during its height no single kingdom ever proved to be
dominant. The Hellenic kingdoms battled one another for supremacy and even attempted
to say new lands, especially to the east, past the Indus River in lands that
the Greeks cited generally as India. But because the Hellenistic Greeks turned
their eyes to the riches of India, a dynasty came to power that put most of the
Indian subcontinent under the rule of 1 king.
The dynasty that came to power within the late fourth
century BCE is understood today because the Mauryan Dynasty, and although the
ruling family was short-lived and their power was ephemeral, its influence
resonated for several subsequent centuries and spread as region as China and
into the Hellenistic west. Through relentless warfare and violent machinations,
the Mauryans were able to take a land that was stuffed with disparate and
infrequently warring ethnic groups, religions, and castes and meld it into a
fairly cohesive empire. After establishing the empire, subsequent kings were
ready to focus their attention on raising the living standards of their people.
One particular Mauryan king, Ashoka, started several ambitious construction
projects and promoted the tenets of Buddhism. Thanks to its influence on
religion and what many believe was the world’s first
attempt by a government to legitimately acknowledge human rights, the Maurya
Empire continues to be a source of interest and inspiration today.
The Maurya Empire: The History and Legacy of Ancient India’s Greatest Empire examine one among antiquitys most interesting
empires. Together with pictures depicting important people, places, and events,
you may find out about the Mauryans like never before.