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Mauryan empire: Quick Facts

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Facts

Date 185 BCE - c. 321

Photos

Side-by-side historical maps of the Indian subcontinent. The left map shows India around 500 BC with major kingdoms and regions labeled, such as Kamboja, Gandhara, Magadha, and Avanti. The right map depicts Ashoka's empire at its greatest extent around 250 BC, shaded in purple, covering much of northern, central, and eastern India, with marked sites of Ashokan rock and pillar edicts and the probable boundary of the empire.
Chandragupta
Ashokan pillar
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Related Topics and References

Topics
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Related Places

Flag of Bangladesh featuring a green field with a large red circle.
Bangladesh
country, Asia
Map of South Asia highlighting the historical region of Gandhara in present-day northern Pakistan, with the area marked in orange. Surrounding countries and major bodies of water such as the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal are also shown for geographic context.
Gandhara
historical region, Pakistan
Flag of India
India
country, Asia
Pakistan
Pakistan
country, Asia

Key People

Tall stone Ashoka pillar topped with a lion sculpture stands among ancient brick ruins at Vaishali, Bihar, India, with trees visible in the background.
Ashoka
emperor of India
Chandragupta
Chandragupta
emperor of India
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Chanakya
Indian statesman and philosopher
Chandragupta-Kumaradevi coin, kept in the British Museum
Chandragupta I
king of India
default image
Bindusara
Mauryan emperor