State

Maurya Empire

Also known as Mauryas, Mauryan

The Maurya Empire was the first state to unite most of the Indian subcontinent, founded by Chandragupta Maurya around 321 BCE. Under Ashoka it reached its greatest extent, and Ashoka's edicts promoted dhamma and Buddhist ethics. It had a centralised administration described in the Arthashastra and declined after Ashoka's death, ending around 185 BCE.

Maurya Empire
Image: Joshua Jonathan · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 5 profiles

Maurya EmpireFoundation, Socioeconomy, Military, Governance, Impact, Decline, SummarySeleucid EmpireFoundationKingdom of MagadhaImpact, DeclineSatavahana dynastyFoundation, SummaryChalukyas of BadamiFoundation, Military

Mentioned in 8 state histories

PanchalaKingdom of AvantiKingdom of VatsaKingdom of KalingaAssakaMatsyaAnuradhapura KingdomShunga Empire

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Maurya Empire. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/maurya-empire
MLA
“Maurya Empire.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/maurya-empire. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Maurya Empire.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/maurya-empire.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Maurya Empire’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/maurya-empire (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻