Maurya Period (322 BC -185 BC)

 Sources for Mauryan History

      Literary Sources

            Kautilya’s Arthasastra’:

 It is the most important literary source for the Mauryas.  It is a treatise on government and polity. It gives a clear and methodological analysis of political and economic conditions of the Mauryan period.

            Megasthenese’s Indica’: 

 Megasthenese was the ambassador of Seleucus Nikator in the court of Chanddragupta  Maurya. His ‘India’ is foremost among all the foreigners’ accounts for Maurya.  But its original copuy lost , and it has survived only as quotations in the text of classical Greek writers, such as Strabo, Diodotous , arrian, Plutarch and Latin writers such as Pliny and Justin.  It refers to Mauryan administration , 7 – caste system , absence of slavery and usury in India etc.

           Visakha Datta’s Mudra Rakshasa’ : 

Though it was written during Gupta Period,  it describes how Chandragupta Maurya get Chankya’s  assistance to overthrow the Nandas.  Besides this , it gives  an excellent account of the prevailing sociology- economic conditions.

           Puranas : 

Though they are a collection of legends interpreted with religious teachings , they give us the chronology and lists of Mauryan kings.

           Buddhist Literature: 

1. Indian Buddhist text Jatakas (a part of Khuddaknikaya of Suttapitaka which describes 549 stories of Buddha’s previous births) reveal a general picture of sociology- economic conditions of Mahavamsa describe the part played by ashoka in spreading Buddhism to Sri Lanka. 3. Tibetan Buddhist text Divyavadana gives information  about Ashoka and his efforts to spread Buddhism.