Short notes on Mauryan Dynasty - Indian History

Mauryan Dynasty short notes - Indian History

• Asoka held the Third Buddhist Council at his capital in Pataliputra.
• Asoka spread Buddhism in Srilanka and Nepal.
• Asoka is also called as the ‘Constantine of Buddhism’.
• IV the major rock Edict of Asoka tells about the practice of Dharma.
• XIII major rock edict of Asoka deals, with the conquest of Kalinga.
• Chandragupta Maurya founded Maurya Dynasty, and under him the whole of northern India was united.
• Megasthenes, who wrote Indica, was the Greek Ambassador to Chandragupta’s court.
• Division of society into 7 classes during Mauryan period has been mentioned by Megasthenes.
• Chandragupta Maurya was the first Indian ruler who introduced large number of Silver coins (Punch marked coins) in India.
• Kautilya also known as Chankya was the Prime Minister of Chandragupta Maurya. He wrote Arthasasthra, a teatise on statescraft. His real name as Vishnu Gupta.
• Mahapadma Nanda was the founder of Gupta.
• Mahapadma Nanda was the founder of Nanda Dynasty.
• The capital of Maurya Dynasty was Pataliputra.
• Ashoka’s personal religion was Buddhism. King Devanampiya Tissa of Ceylon was his first convert.
• The last king according to most historians was Brihadratha who was assassinated by his Senapati Pushymitra and founded anew dynasty known as ‘Sunga dynasty’.
• The royal highway between Taxila and Pataliputra was the ancestor of the Grand Trunk Road today. Asokan inscriptions were composed mainly in prakrit language and in Brahmi Script.
• Megasthense was a Greek ambassador to the court of Chandragupta Maurya.
• The play Mudraraksha was written by Visakhadhatta. Rock cut architechture in India made a beginning in Asoka’s reign.
• Vaishali was the capital of Sisunga dynasty. Sisunga dynasty was the first every dynasty founded in India by Sisunga.
• Peshwar (Purushapur) was the capital of Kanishka of Kushana dynasty.
• Prayg (Allahabad) was the capital of Guptas.
• Stanika, in Mauryan administration refers to tax collector.
• The emblem of the Indian Republic has been adopted from the four lion capital of one of the Ashoka’s pillars which is located at Sarnath.
• The first Indian ruler to issue gold coins was Kushanas.
• The most famous ruler of Kushana dynasty was Kanishka.
• Kanishka began Saka era in 78 AD. The first month of the saka era is Chaithra and the last month is Phalguna.
• The famous Indian Physician Charaka, Buddhist lawyer Nagarjuna and a Buddhist monk Ashvaghosha lived in the court of Kanishka.
• Ashvaghosha wrote Buddhacharita and Sariputra Prakarma.
• Kanishka patronized, Gandhara school of Art and Mahayana form of Buddhism. He also held the fourth Buddhist council in Kashmir.
• Kanishka is rightly called the ‘Second Ashoka’.
• Kanishka was also a great patron of art and Sanskrit literature.
• Rashtrakuta dynasty was founded by Dantidurga.
• Krishna I, a Rashtrakuta ruler built the famous rock, cut Kailas temple at Ellora.
• The last Rashtrakuta ruler was Amoghavarsha IV.
• Pallavas were the great builders of South India.
• The capital of Pallavas was at Kanchipuram.
• Mamallapuram temple was built by pallavas.
• Pallavas were also known for architechture.
• ‘Seven Pagodas’ were built by a Pallava ruler Narasimhavarman.
• Satavahana dynasty was founded by Simukha.
• The most important ruler of Satavahana dynasty was Gautamputra Satakarni.
• The two common structures of Satavahanas were the temple called Chitya and the monastery called Vihara.
• Satavahanas mostly issued lead coins.
• The official language of the satavahanas was Prakrit.