War:
- Conflicts with other civilizations:
The Maurya Empire had one of the strongest militaries of its time containing four different parts of its military the Chariot, Elephant, Infantry and Archers, with over 750,000 soldiers, 30,000 cavalry, and it was reported that the Maurya Empire had over 9,000 elephants which were used at the front lines to intimidate the enemy, and they were even armored and fitted with sword attachments on their trunks. Small forts were attached on their backs where soldiers would attack from with javelins and bows or long spears, at a close range distance. The Maurya Empire also controlled a huge spy network that was depended for internal and external security.The combination of the sturdy vast military force was the essential role for the success of the Maurya Empire. Conquest of the Nanda Empire- The conquest of the Nanda Empire occurred on 322 BC. According to the legend Chanakya a Brahmin teacher (a friend of Chandragupta Maurya) traveled to Magadha a territory of the Nanda Empire and was insulted by its king Dhana Nanda, and Chanakya swore to have revenge on the king and its dynasty. The young Chandragupta was encouraged by Chanakya to devise a plan and invade Magadha. Chandragupta rounded up men around the Magadha region and other regions that were upset of the corruption of the king Dhana. The invasion was planned to be set in Pataliputra, the capital of the Nanda Empire. When the battle was announced the Magadha army was preparing and when the battle began the army was drawn out of the city, and the Mauryan spies bribed Nanda’s corrupted generals and a civil war broke throughout the kingdom, and the death occurred of the heir to the throne. The conquest of Nanda Empire was a successful war for the young developing Mauryan Empire and Nanda’s officials transferred there focuses to serve the new Mauryan Empire and Chandragupta. Seleucid-Mauryan War- The war between the Seleucid Empire and the rising Mauryan Empire, in 305 BC Chandragupta and his vast army led multiple attacks to reclaim parts of the Indus Valley which Alexander the Great once claimed. Not many records were found from the war, but according to the few artifacts found the Mauryan Empire had the better of the war. After Chandragupta gained multiple parts of the Indus Valley, the two Empires negotiated to resolve to peace, and they declared a treaty. The agreements to the treaty are that the Mauryan Empire would be granted to have the remaining regions of Alexander the Greats Indus Valley and that the Seleucid Empire would receive 500 War elephants which played a major role in the Battle of Ipsus over rival Antigonas. Later Chandragupta and Seleucid would form an alliance and Seleucid married Chandragupta’s daughter. Kalinga War- The Kalinga War was fought between Ashoka the Great and his Mauryan Army against the Kalinga, an independent ruler state in 262-261 BC. The Kalinga War is historically one of the bloodiest and deadly wars in history with over 300,000 soldiers killed or wounded. Ashoka the Great wanted to gain the Kalinga region for more territory and for economic reasons as well, like Ashoka’s grandfather tried to conquer but ended up failing due to the strong resistance. The Kalinga army wasn’t afraid to die in battle and fought to the end with valor. The myth from after the last battle that guaranteed victory for the Mauryan Empire is that after the battle of Kalinga the Daya River turned red with blood containing thousands of dead and wounded soldiers. After the war Ashoka was shocked at what he saw, corpses of horses, elephants, and limbs from dead and wounded men. Ashoka went back to the Maurya Empire with shame and grief, and it was his first and only war he was in the battle field. Key People in War: Chanakya (350-283 BC) – Chanakya was an important role for the Mauryan society, he helped the young Emperor Chandragupta to gain the power of the people, to organize the political structure, economic structure, to create plans for military defense, and to mobilize ideas to crush and gain fallen empires. He was one of the first professors at the first established university in the world, the University of Takshila in Pakistan and he was an expert in warfare, economics, and politics. These sections of expertise were very important in the rise of the Maurya Empire, in which he was credited to having an essential role in the beginning of the Empire. He was the Prime Minister and Chief advisor of Chandragupta and Bindsura. His most successful role in the Maurya Dynasty was during the Conquest of the Nanda Empire. When it started was when the Nanda Emperor insulted Chanakya and he wanted revenge. Chanakya persuaded Chandragupta to go destroy the Nanda Empire and give the Empire his revenge. He divised multiple attacks towards the Nanda Empire and he participated in the battlefield to help bring Chandragupta to his first victory and the establishment of the Maurya Empire. He wrote one of the first texts that were found by archeologists and Chanakya wrote one of the most famous books recorded in history that was rediscovered in 1904 written on palm leaves in India. The book is called Arthashastra “Science of Political Economy”. The book is about how to run an Empire effectively, information about war and war tactics, laws, prisons, taxation, and trade. Today the Government of India uses the book as a baseline to effectively run their government. There is no evidence or clues found on how Chanakya died. |