← History Short Tricks⚡ SHORT TRICK

The Mauryan Empire - Short Trick

Kings, Ashoka, edicts, administration, taxes and sources — one sentence each

2 trick sentences6 pairs6 parts
0 / 4 learned · 0%
How to read
  • Guru Ram Each coloured word = one name in the list, shown below in the same colour
  • Panda Two colours in one word = two names
  • ➜ Order the numbered order matters · ⇄ Any order no order
1

Rulers, Treaty and Envoys

Chandragupta to Brihadratha in order, the lands Seleucus gave up, how to identify each king, and the Greek envoys.

Trick 1

The main Maurya kings

➜ first to last

Chef Bittu asked Dad for bread.

  1. 1Chandragupta Mauryac. 322/321 BC · took Pataliputra from Dhanananda · guided by Kautilya (Chanakya / Vishnugupta)
  2. 2Bindusara298–273 BC
  3. 3Ashoka273 / 269–232 BC
  4. 4Dasharathaone of Ashoka’s successors · title Devanampiya
  5. 5Brihadrathalast Maurya · killed c. 185 BC by his commander Pushyamitra Shunga

Ashoka ruled about 36–37 years; the empire began to break up almost as soon as he died (232 BC).

Trick 2

Four lands Seleucus gave up (303 BC)

⇄ Any order

Kanta helped Kabir with bananas.

  1. KandaharArachosia
  2. HeratAria
  3. KabulParopamisadae
  4. BaluchistanGedrosia

In return Chandragupta gave 500 elephants · land west of the Indus · a marriage alliance followed and Seleucus sent Megasthenes as envoy.

Pairs

Kings — how to identify them

3 sentences

Chandan walked to Shravanabelagola with Bhadrabahu.

Chandragupta Maurya=Became a Jain · went south with the saint Bhadrabahu · ended his life by sallekhana at Shravanabelagola

Bindu beat Amit.

Bindusara=Amitraghata — “slayer of foes” (Greek: Amitrochates)

Dad saw a Nagin in the cave.

Dasharatha=Gave the Nagarjuni hill caves to the Ajivikas

Bindusara made his eldest son Susima (Sumana) viceroy at Taxila and Ashoka viceroy at Ujjain · Bindusara favoured the Ajivikas.

Pairs

Foreign envoys — who sent whom

3 sentences

Megha sends a selfie to Chandan.

Megasthenes=Sent by Seleucus Nikator to Chandragupta’s court (c. 304–299 BC) — wrote Indica

Deepa served Bindu dried figs.

Deimachus=Sent by Antiochus I (Syria) to Bindusara · Bindusara asked for figs, sweet wine and a sophist

Dino flew in from Egypt on a pterodactyl.

Dionysius=Sent by Ptolemy II Philadelphus (Egypt) to Bindusara (reported by Pliny)

Deimachus and Dionysius both came to Bindusara. The sophist was not sent, since Greek law did not allow a philosopher to be sold.

2

Ashoka

The three phases of Ashoka’s life, who drew him to Buddhism, the missionaries to Sri Lanka and the Lumbini tax cut.

🔒
3

Edicts — Places and Subjects

Where the fourteen Major Rock Edicts stand, the edicts that name “Ashoka”, the pillar-edict sites, special inscriptions and what each rock edict says.

🔒
4

State, Provinces and Justice

Kautilya’s seven limbs of the state, the five provincial capitals, the four sources of law and the two courts.

🔒
5

Officers, Superintendents and Taxes

The tirthas, adhyakshas and taxes exams ask about — who did what.

🔒
6

Books and Megasthenes

The books on Mauryan history and their authors, and Megasthenes’ seven classes.

🔒

Read the full chapter for the complete notes — a trick helps you remember the list; understanding comes from the notes.