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Kings, Farmers And Towns
Who was the founder of Mauryan dynasty in India? What was the effect of its establishment?
Founder of Mauryan Dynasty: Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of Mauryan dynasty in India. As soon as Alexander returned from India the very news of his sudden death was enough for causing the reign of lawlessness and disorder. Chandragupta Maurya, who was in search of such an occasion proceeded ahead and joined with the people who were rising their voices against Alexander. He succeeded in causing the Greeks to flee from India in 332 B.C and later defeated the ruler of Magadha and established Mayryan Empire.
Importance of the establishment of the Mauryan Rule: The establishment of Mauryan dynasty in India has a great significant in the Indian history. It will be clear from the following facts:
1. End of the rule of Alexander th Great- Chandragupta Maurya was able to seize control from the Alexander, the power to rule the parts where his rule existed.
2.Able to create huge Empire- The petty states whichever remained busy in leg-pulling one another and quarrelling among themselves got eliminated along with the establishment of Mauryan dynasty in Indian subcontinent. Chandragupta had threaded all these petty states under one empire
3. Law and order: Peace and order were restored by the Mauryan dynasty got itself established in India subcontinent. The people started considering themselves as safe. The development of art and trade was revived.
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Compare and contrast the list of things given to the Pandyan chief (Source 3) with those produced in the village of Danguna (Source 8). Do you notice any similarities or differences?
List some of the problems faced by epigraphists.
Discuss the main features of Mauryan administration. Which of these elements are evident in the Asokan inscriptions that you have studied?
This is a statement made by one of the best-known epigraphists of the twentieth century, D.C. Sircar: “There is no aspect of life, culture and activities of the Indians that is not reflected in inscriptions”. Discuss.
Discuss the notions of kingship that developed in the post-Mauryan period.
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?
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