Mauryan Empire

Empire Level 2 ★ Major power

c. 321–185 BCE

The largest empire of ancient India, founded by Chandragupta Maurya.

🗺 See on map in 260 BCE

Capital: Pataliputra
Region: Pan-Indian
Duration: 136 years
Main period: Mauryan Empire

Changing extent

c. 321 BCE — ≈ 660,000 km²: Chandragupta takes over the Nanda realm
c. 317 BCE — ≈ 1,270,000 km²: Punjab and Sindh taken from Alexander's satraps
c. 303 BCE — ≈ 3,460,000 km²: Arachosia, Gedrosia and the Paropamisadae ceded by Seleucus; western India and the Deccan held
c. 261 BCE — ≈ 3,690,000 km²: Kalinga annexed — the empire at its greatest under Ashoka
c. 220 BCE — ≈ 1,870,000 km²: Later Mauryas: Kashmir, the north-west and the far Deccan slip away
c. 200 BCE — ≈ 790,000 km²: Reduced to the Ganga valley and Malwa

Approximate extent over time (solid = latest, dashed = earlier).

At a glance

Move along the chart to read any year; click a ruler or event to open the map there.

Rulers

Chandragupta Maurya Bindusara Ashoka Dasharatha Samprati Brihadratha

Events

Extent

321 BCE300 BCE250 BCE200 BCE185 BCE

Rulers

Chandragupta Maurya Emperor
Founder; adviser Chanakya (Kautilya).
c. 321–297 BCE
Bindusara Emperor
c. 297–273 BCE
Ashoka Emperor
Kalinga War; Dhamma edicts across the empire.
c. 268–232 BCE
Dasharatha Emperor
Dedicated the Nagarjuni caves to the Ajivikas.
c. 232–224 BCE
Samprati Emperor
Later Mauryan ruler.
c. 224–215 BCE
Brihadratha Emperor
Last Maurya, assassinated by Pushyamitra Shunga.
c. 187–185 BCE

Selected rulers; gaps in the list are not gaps in the dynasty.

👑 Succession chart →

Key events

Year	Event	Place
c. 321 BCE	Chandragupta Maurya overthrows the Nandas Foundation of the Mauryan Empire with Chanakya's guidance. The Nanda dynasty ended and the Mauryan Empire was founded.	Pataliputra
c. 317 BCE	Chandragupta takes the northwest from Alexander's satraps Advised by Kautilya, Chandragupta Maurya defeated the Greek satraps Alexander had left in the northwest and joined the region to an empire stretching from the northern plains to the Deccan. Greek garrisons east of the Indus were removed.	Punjab
c. 303 BCE	Seleucid-Mauryan treaty Seleucus cedes Arachosia and Gandhara; Megasthenes sent to Pataliputra. Seleucus ceded the lands west of the Indus in return for 500 war elephants.	Northwest
c. 302 BCE	Megasthenes at Pataliputra writes the Indica Megasthenes, a Greek historian and diplomat, lived at Chandragupta Maurya’s court and wrote the Indika — lost except for excerpts quoted by later writers. He describes, for instance, a committee with six subcommittees that ran the army.	Pataliputra
c. 297 BCE	Chandragupta Maurya retires to Shravanabelagola Jain tradition.	Shravanabelagola
c. 268 BCE	Ashoka's accession Ashoka, Chandragupta’s grandson, inherited a vast empire and at first expanded it to cover almost the whole subcontinent except the far south.	Pataliputra
c. 261 BCE	Kalinga War Ashoka's conquest of Kalinga and turn to Dhamma. Kalinga was annexed and Ashoka renounced war for Dhamma.	Dhauli, Kalinga
c. 257 BCE	Ashoka's Major Rock Edicts inscribed Edicts in Prakrit (Brahmi and Kharosthi) across the empire.	Girnar
c. 250 BCE	Third Buddhist Council at Pataliputra	Pataliputra
c. 249 BCE	Ashoka visits Lumbini His pillar inscription records the visit. Lumbini's taxes were reduced to one-eighth.	Lumbini
c. 232 BCE	Death of Ashoka The Maurya empire lasted about half a century after Ashoka’s death; his successors could not hold it together, and many smaller kingdoms broke away.	Pataliputra