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Kings, Farmers And Towns
Describe briefly how the Mauryan empire was regarded as a major landmark in history.
There are reasons why Mauryan Empire is considered landmark in the Indian history
(I) Huge Empire- Mauryan empire was huge , it stretched till Afghanistan and Balochistan in northwest to Bengal in east, and to central and southern India.
(ii) Taxation: The Maurya period constitutes a landmark in the system of taxation in ancient India. Kautilya mentions many taxes to be collected from peasants, artisans and traders.
(iii) Coins: It seems that the punch-marked silver coins, which carry the symbols of the peacock, and the hill and crescent, formed the imperial currency of the Mauryans.
(iv) Art and Architecture: The Mauryas made a remarkable contribution to art and architecture. They introduced stone masonary on a wide scale. Megasthenes states that the Maurya palace at Patliputra was as splended as that in the capital of Iran.
(v) Huge Buildings: Fragments of stone pillars and stupas indicating the existence of a 80 pillars hall has been discovered at Kumrahar on the outskirts of modern Patna.
(vi) Polish Work: The polished pillars were set up throughout the country which shows that technical knowledge involved in their polishing and transport had spread far and wide.
(vii) Organised Administrative machinery and army: On the one hand Mauryan created for the first time a well-organised state machinery which appeared in army, the heart of the empire. On the other hand conquests opened the doors for trading and missionary activities.
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To what extent were agricultural practices transformed in the period under consideration?
Compare Maps 1 and 2, and list the Mahajanapadas that may have been included in the Mauryan Empire. Are any Asokan inscriptions found in these areas?
Collect newspapers for one month. Cut and paste all the statements made by government officials about public works. Note what the reports say about the resources required for such projects, how the resources are mobilised and the objective of the project. Who issues these statements, and how and why are they communicated? Compare and contrast these with the evidence from inscriptions discussed in this chapter. What are the similarities and differences that you notice.
Collect five different kinds of currency notes and coins in circulation today. For each one of these, describe what you see on the observe and the reverse (the front and the back). Prepare a report on the common features as well as the differences in terms of pictures, scripts and languages, size, shape and any other element that you find significant. Compare these with the coins shown in this chapter, discussing the materials used, the techniques of minting, the visual symbols and their significance and the possible functions that coins may have had.
What is meant by Janapada?
What were the Mahajanapadas? Name a few important Mahajanapadas.
Which Mahajanapada emerged as the strongest one? Name any three of its important rulers.
What was the early capital of Magadha? Tell its one feature. In the 4th century BCE, which city was made the capital of Magadha?
Who was Chandragupta Maurya? Upto where he extended his control of the empire?
Who was Asoka? Which famous state he annexed into Mauryan empire?
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