The Rise and Fall of the Mauryan Empire

Three major civilization composed the classical empire. Classical Rome, Han China, and Gupta India all thrived at one point during this era, but with success also eventually came the fall of these three empires. Taking place at different times and due to different reasons, all three started to decline and eventually were too weak to defend themselves. The fall of the Roman Empire seemed to be more complex and due the many more little problems, by they all three fell apart due to unrest and problems created that could not be solved before it was ultimately too late.

Almost 7 years into ruling, in 261 BCE, Asoka conquered Kalinga, the land neighboring the Mauryanians. In the passage, Asoka: Ruthless Conqueror, or Enlightened Ruler?, it states, “ (Doc A) Kalingas killed in battle: 100,000. Died of disease and hunger: 100,000. Driven out of country after battle: 150,000.” That is 350,000 Kalingas dead, or displaced. Asoka was being kind of ruthless in battle. Kalinga was the only land that he conquered because he had peace treaties with the rest of the countries in southern India.

The battle of his life was when he crossed over to India near the Indus River. Despite the terrain Alexander’s leadership in the army produced victory and India became a part of Macedonian Dynasty. During Alexander’s tenure as the king of the empire he respected other people’s traditions and culture although this saw the

Chau’s thesis that the rise and fall of empires was due to tolerance, inclusion, difference, and diversity is shown to be true of the Roman Empire because of the way that tolerance allowed and caused the empire to rise, enter its golden age, and fall. The Roman Empire was a “hyperpower” that lasted from 44 BCE to 476 CE. The empire contained Western, Southern, and Eastern Europe, along with North Africa; thus, there was an abundance of culture from many different conquered groups. Romans wanted to make these conquered nations provinces of Rome. The Roman Empire began (and the Roman Republic ended) with the assassination of Julius Caesar, who wanted to be a dictator. No longer a republic, the lands already ruled by Rome became part of an empire. The government became centralized with a single ruler, the emperor. However, even before the empire, during the Republic, there was also the similar feeling of wanting to conquer other nations was there.

To commence, Cyrus the Great, who ruled most of Persia during the 500s, and King Ashoka , emperor of the Maurya Dynasty from 268 to 232 BCE, both shared similar characteristics that made them great rulers, yet had their differences that made them unique in their own way. Furthermore, both Ashoka and Cyrus the Great were both knowledgeable, respectable, and tolerated by their own people, making them extraordinary leaders. Although, in comparison Ashoka was much more aggressive due to his extreme fear factor on everyone and his strong Buddhist beliefs. In comparison, Cyrus was much more lovable, understandable, and did anything possible for his people. To conclude, both King Ashoka and Cyrus the Great, were both powerful and intrepid leaders

The largest empire in its time, setting one of the first complex governing ,administrative, and taxation based societies in the world. Separated into 23 satrapies

Discuss the extent to which American hegemony led to the rise of the modern American empire.

Asoka was the powerful Indian leader of the Mauryan Empire over 2,000 years ago. He is known as the founding father of India. Asoka conquered important territory and spread popular religions across the world (BGE). Was Asoka a ruthless conqueror or enlightened ruler? Asoka was an enlightened ruler because of his strategic conquests, and giving up violence.

Ashoka was said to be one of the greatest rulers in India. Ashoka conquered a lot of land including the empire of Kalinga. After winning the war to claim Kalinga, Ashoka road his horse and looked out at the bloody battle, he then was filled with horror at the sight of war, and swore to give up violence and wars from then on, (BGE, Frey 161). But was King Ashoka a ruthless conqueror, or an Enlightened Ruler? Ashoka was an enlightened because of how he gives up violence and how he encouraged Buddhism.

Asoka occupied Kalinga in 261 BCE which in result affected many people. By conquering Kalinga, he centralized the Mauryan empire. The reason for this conquest was to strengthen and improve the economy of the empire. Kalinga is described as a “powerful maritime area” which opened up trade routes and brought in income (Doc. B). After this conquest, “Asoka ceased to indulge in wars,” proving that he conquered Kalinga for the wellness of his people rather than wanting more power (Doc. B). Thus, Asoka was a ruler for the people by trying to better the empire therefore exemplifying traits of an affable

The fall of the Western Roman Empire in the late fifth century plunged Europe into a long period of darkness and barbarism. This era until the dawn of the ‘age of discovery’ in the sixteenth century was later termed to be the ‘Middle Ages’. While this epoch of European history is labeled as ‘middle’ or even ‘dark’, it was during this time that many social, political and cultural developments took place. The obliteration of the great Roman Empire left Europe prey for disunity and continuous foreign invasion and migration. From Scotland to the alps of Sicily a prayer emerged in the ninth century, “Save us, O God, from the violence of the Northmen”. Now known as Vikings, these northmen were pagan Germanic people from Norway, Sweden and Denmark that often went on raids and harassed isolated monasteries and villages throughout the continent. Similarly peoples known as Magyars from central Europe looted settlements took captives and forced leaders to pay tribute to prevent further attacks. Muslims from North Africa already ruled most of Spain and continued northward towards central Italy and southern France. The expansion of Islam continued on into the tenth and eleven centuries during the times of the Fatimid Caliphate and the Seljuk Turks. The centuries before the first crusade were one of terror and chaos from a European or Christian perspective. People were frightened that their world was slowly coming to an end, overrun by pagans and Muslims. This fear combined with

The invasions, and attempted conquest of Alexander caused dislocations in the northwest, which aided Chandragupta Maurya to build his empire in northern India by allowing Chandragupta to pursue a long drawn out strategy of acquiring the least contented and most vulnerable of the Nandas’ client states while accurately encircling and conclusively dominating Magadba. Chandragupta’s grandson Ashoka managed to govern his large and diverse empire by possibly stealing the crown from his father; his grandfather resigned to join an ascetic religious order, the Jains. Ashoka’s military troops drove the Mauryan Empire further

In this week’s chapter, it discusses a lot about the rise and fall of the Ottoman and Safavid Empires. In many dynasties, it is critically important to have a well balanced society and economy. Anderson displays many of the reasons why these two empires were so great during their time, but evidently loss of power and control of government can be a major turning point and, eventually, led to the decline of these empires. This specific chapter focus on the systems of governance that was established in each empire.

In the year 330 Constantine founded a new imperial city in the east, which became known as Constantinople. Accompanying Diocletian's system of tetrarchy, the creation of this new city affirmed the separation of the Roman Empire into the east and the west. The Eastern Roman Empire held a series of advantages over the west both socially and economically. The Western Roman Empire was the weaker empire and a bad leadership and government along with attacks from barbarians led to the demise of the Western Roman Empire.

The capital of the Mauryan Empire was established in the City of Pataliputra. During Chandragupta's reign the city grew into one of the biggest and most beautiful cities in the world. Chandragupta Maurya, in building his Empire, astutely took advantage of the unrest and turmoil that occupied the Indian sub-continent as a result of Alexander the Great's Persian armies that had previously occupied India. During the years of his reign, Chandragupta Maurya (322 BCE 298 BCE) was able to extend his Empire from the Himalayas in the North, to the West beyond modern Pakistan, and to the South almost to the tip of the Indian subcontinent. Under Chandragupta, the Empire was able to establish both internal and external trade, develop an agricultural base, put in