What are two Literary Sources of the Mauryan Period?
Name the two literary sources of the Mauryan period. What do they tell us about the administration of the Mauryas?
What are two Literary Sources of the Mauryan Period?
The Mauryan Empire started from Magadha and was founded in 321 BC by Chandragupta Maurya. Mudrarakshasha, written by Vishakadatta, beautifully summarizes the rise of Chandragupta Maurya with the help of Chanakya. Chandragupta Maurya patronized Jainism. Pataliputra was the capital of the Mauryan Empire.
The sources for the evidence of the Mauryan dynasty were of two types: they are literary and archeological sources. The literary sources are:
1. Indica was written by Magasthenes. It explains the military administration, social aspects, and administration of the dynasty.
2. Arthashastra by Kautilya. It is a collection of 15 books. It says about the king and his council of ministers, civil and criminal law, diplomacy, and war.
Then the second source was archeological sources, which contain;
1. Edicts- Rock edicts of Ashoka, Kalinga edicts, and minor rock edicts.
2. Pillar edicts- Ashokan pillar at Rummindei, Lumbini pillar, in Nepal. It shares about Ashoka’s travel to Buddhist holy places.
– Written by Jyothi Krishna Prakash
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