Mauryan Administration & Post-Mauryan Era

4. Mauryan Administration and Architecture

The Mauryan Empire possessed a highly centralized and incredibly well-organized administrative framework, unparalleled in ancient Indian history. The King was the supreme authority, assisted by a council of ministers (Mantriparishad).

Key Features

• Espionage: The state maintained a massive, highly efficient network of spies (Gudhapurushas) employed to monitor public sentiment and state officials.
• Economy: The state heavily controlled economic activities. Agriculture was the primary backbone. The state collected steep land revenue (usually 1/6th of produce) and maintained monopolies over mining, liquor, and arms.
• Architecture & Art:
  • Pillars: The crowning achievement was the majestic, monolithic, highly polished Ashokan sandstone pillars. The most famous is the Sarnath Pillar with a brilliant capitol featuring four roaring lions back to back (which is now the National Emblem of India).
  • Stupas: To propagate Buddhism, Ashoka dramatically expanded stupa architecture. He is credited with building 84,000 stupas, the most famous survivor being the great Sanchi Stupa (MP).
  • Caves: The highly polished rock-cut Barabar caves (in Bihar) were excavated during Ashoka's reign and donated specifically to the monks of the Ajivika sect.

5. The Post-Mauryan Period (c. 185 BCE - 300 CE)

Following Ashoka's death (232 BCE), the massive Mauryan Empire rapidly fragmented due to weak successors, vast geographical expanse causing communication breakdown, and financial crisis due to massive military and bureaucracy costs. In 185 BCE, the last Mauryan king, Brihadratha, was assassinated by his own commander-in-chief, Pushyamitra Shunga, marking the end of the dynasty.

The Post-Mauryan period witnessed the rise of smaller indigenous kingdoms in the east and south, and a massive influx of foreign invaders from Central Asia into the fragmented north and west.

A. The Indigenous Dynasties

• The Shunga Dynasty (c. 185 BCE - 73 BCE): Pushyamitra Shunga founded the dynasty. They were staunch Brahmanas. They revived Vedic sacrifices (horse sacrifice) but also paradoxically patronized Buddhist art (repairing Sanchi and constructing the Bharhut stupa gateway).
• The Kanva Dynasty (c. 73 BCE - 28 BCE): Overthrew the Shungas, reigning briefly in Magadha.
• The Satavahanas (Andhras) (c. 1st C. BCE - 3rd C. CE): They established a massive empire over the Deccan plateau, essentially serving as a cultural bridge connecting northern and southern India.
  • Key Ruler: The greatest was Gautamiputra Satakarni, who aggressively expanded the empire and defeated the Shakas.
  • Features: They were prominent patrons of Buddhism (excavating magnificent Chaityas like Karle and Viharas in Maharashtra) despite being orthodox Brahmanas. They were uniquely known for granting extensive, tax-free land grants to Brahmanas, and for issuing coins predominantly in Lead (and potin).

B. The Foreign Invasions (from Central Asia)

1. The Indo-Greeks (Bactrian Greeks):

   • They were the very first foreign power to invade India following the Mauryan decline. The most famous king was Menander (Milinda), whose philosophical conversations with the Buddhist monk Nagasena are preserved in the classic text Milinda Panho (Questions of Milinda).
   • Key Contribution: They were the very first rulers to issue exclusively gold coins in India with clearly identifiable portraits and names of kings.

2. The Shakas (Scythians):

   • Nomadic tribes from Central Asia who pushed out the Greeks. The most famous ruler was Rudradaman I. He is widely celebrated for issuing the very first long inscription entirely in chaste Sanskrit at Junagadh (Gujarat) regarding the repair of the ancient Sudarshana lake.

3. The Parthians (Pahlavas):

   • They originally came from Iran and had a brief rule.

4. The Kushanas:

   • A branch of the Yuezhi nomadic tribe from Central Asia. Their empire stretched massively from Central Asia down to Varanasi.
   • Kanishka: The greatest Kushana king. He famously started the Saka Era in 78 CE (now the official national calendar of India). He heavily patronized Mahayana Buddhism and organized the Fourth Buddhist Council in Kashmir. He controlled the highly lucrative Silk Route. During his reign, distinct schools of sculptural art (Gandhara and Mathura) flourished remarkably.

C. Schools of Art

• Gandhara School: Flourished in the northwest (Peshawar) under heavy Greco-Roman artistic influence. Buddhas were depicted mostly in a spiritual state with wavy hair, halos, and heavy Greek-style drapery (folds). Primarily carved in bluish-grey sandstone or stucco.
• Mathura School: Flourished entirely indigenously in UP. Produced magnificent images of Buddha, Jaina Tirthankaras, and Hindu gods. Buddhas were often depicted in a delighted, smiling mood with a shaved head. Carved almost exclusively in distinctive spotted red sandstone.
• Amravati School: Flourished in the south (Andhra) under Satavahana patronage. It specialized in highly detailed, complex, multi-figured narrative panels depicting Jataka tales, carved using gorgeous white marble.