# Largely, the population was agriculturists and lived in villages. The state helped people to bring new areas under cultivation by cleaning the forest. But certain types of forests were protected by law.

# A number of crops like rice, coarse grains (kodrava), sesame, pepper, and saffron, pulses,

# Ashoka established the idea of paternal kingship.
# He regarded all his subjects as his children and believed it the king’s duty to look after the welfare of the subjects.
# Through his edicts, he said everybody should serve parents, revere teachers, and practice ahimsa and truthfulness.
# He

# The battle with Kalinga fought in 265 BC was personally led by Ashoka and he was able to vanquish the Kalingas.
# Whole cities were destroyed and more than a hundred thousand people were killed in the war.
# The horrors of war disturbed him so much that he decided to shun violence for the rest o

# Ashoka was not the eldest son of Bindusara and so was not the heir presumptive.
# Bindusara wanted his elder son Susima to be crowned the next king.
# But Ashoka was trained in military and weapons and showed great skills as an administrator when he was made the governor of Ujjain.
# In the war

# Son of Mauryan Emperor Bindusara and Subhadrangi. Grandson of Chandragupta Maurya.
# His other names were Devanampiya (Sanskrit Devanampriya meaning Beloved of the Gods) and Piyadasi.
# Considered one of India’s greatest emperors.
# He was born in 304 BC.
# His reign lasted from 268 BC to 23

The decline of the Maurya Dynasty was rather rapid after the death of Ashoka/Asoka. One obvious reason for it was the succession of weak kings. Another immediate cause was the partition of the Empire into two. The Mauryan Empire began to decline after the death of Ashoka in 232 BC.

Chanakya
# Teacher of Chandragupta Maurya, who was also his Chief Minister.
# He was a teacher and scholar at Taxila. 
# Other names are Vishnugupta and Kautilya.
# He was also a minister in the court of Bindusara.
# He is credited to be the master strategist behind the usurping of the Nanda th

# Son of Chandragupta.
# He ruled from 297 BC to 273 BC.
# Also called Amitraghata (Slayer of foes) or Amitrochates in Greek sources.
# Deimachus was a Greek ambassador at his court.
# He had appointed his son, Ashoka as the governor of Ujjain.
# Bindusara is believed to have extended the Maury

# Chandragupta’s origins are shrouded in mystery. The Greek sources (which are the oldest) mention him to be of non-warrior lineage. The Hindu sources also say he was a student of Kautilya of humble birth (probably born to a Shudra woman). Most Buddhist sources say he was a Kshatriya.
# It is gen

In Ancient India, many significant empires evolved. One of them was the Mauryan empire. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya, the Mauryan empire was an important dynasty in our history. 
# The last of the Nanda rulers, Dhana Nanda was highly unpopular due to his oppressive tax regime.
# Also, post-Alexa