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Article: The Road to the Throne.(Ashoka, emperor of the Mauryan empire: ancient India)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Calliope
- Article date:
- January 1, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 Carus Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Emperor Ashoka ruled the Mauryan Empire in India for 37 years. He was the third ruler of the dynasty founded by his grandfather, Chandragupta Maurya, in 322 B.C. At the time, Indian rulers and warriors were expected to be vira, heroic warriors, as both Ashoka's father and grandfather had been.
Chandragupta Maurya united 17 small kingdoms in north India and created its first empire. Because the people living in this vast and diverse land were not accustomed to obeying an emperor, Chandragupta worked hard to maintain control. He imitated the policies adopted by Alexander of Macedonia and followed the advice of the Arthasastra, a text that one of his advisors had ...