The Maurya Empire

ancient history · South Asia · Iron Age · empires

Founded by Chandragupta. Around 320 BCE, a clever leader named Chandragupta Maurya started this huge empire in a region called Magadha. It became one of the most powerful kingdoms in ancient Asia.

Famous ruler Ashoka. The most famous Mauryan emperor was Ashoka, who left behind carved stone messages called edicts that told people about his rules and beliefs. These ancient stones are still standing today.

Spread across South Asia. The Maurya Empire was geographically enormous, controlling huge areas of what is now India and surrounding lands. It was one of the biggest empires of its time.

Special pottery style. During Mauryan times, people made a distinctive kind of shiny black pottery called Northern Black Polished Ware. Archaeologists use this pottery to identify when and where Mauryan people lived.

Lost and rediscovered. Much of what we know about the Mauryas comes from writings by an ancient Greek traveler named Megasthenes, whose records were preserved in Roman texts centuries later.