The Maurya Empire was founded in the Magadha region under the leadership of Chandragupta Maurya and his mentor Chanakya. Chandragupta was brought from Chanakya to Taxila and taught statehood and governance. Chandragupta recruited and annexed local military republics such as the Yaudheyas, which had opposed the Alexander Empire. The Maurya Army quickly rose to become the leading regional power in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent. The Mauryan army then conquered the satraps founded by the Macedonians. [46] The ancient Greek historians Nearchus, Onesictrius and Aristobolus provided much information about the Maurya Empire. [47] Greek generals Eudemus and Peithon ruled the Indus Valley until about 317 BC. J.-C. Chandragupta Maurya (with the help of Chanakya, who was now his advisor) fought and expelled the Greek governors, then brought the Indus Valley under the control of his new seat of power in Magadha.

[26] The important provinces were directly subordinate to the Kumaras (princes); However, the total number of provinces is not known. Historians theorize that the organization of the empire was compatible with the vast bureaucracy described by Kautilya in Arthashastra: an elaborate civil service governed everything from communal hygiene to international trade. The expansion and defense of the empire was made possible by one of the world`s largest armies during the Iron Age. [107] According to Megasthenes, in addition to partisans and companions, the empire had an army of 600,000 infantry, 30,000 cavalry, 8,000 chariots, and 9,000 war elephants.[107] [108] A huge spying system collected information for internal and external security purposes. After refraining from aggressive war and expansionism, Ashoka nevertheless continued to maintain this great army to protect the empire and establish stability and peace in West and South Asia. [ref. needed]. Although large parts are under the control of the Maurya Empire, the dissemination of imperial information and messages is limited, as many parts are inaccessible and far from the empire`s capital.

[109] The main features of the Maurya administration: The empire was divided into four provinces (Ujjain, Taxila, Kalinga, and Suvarnagiri) and Pataliputra was the administrative center. These provinces were further subdivided into smaller units and administered accordingly under Rajukas, Nagarika and Gopa. Provincial and local administration: important officials: Pradeshika: modern district judges, Sthanika: tax collector under Pradeshika, Durgapala: governor of the fortress, Antapala: governor of the border, Akshapatala: general accountant, Lipikaras: scribe, gopas: responsible for accountants, etc. When Ashoka embraced Buddhism in the second half of his reign, he made significant changes in his style of government, including the protection of wildlife, and even abandoned royal hunting. He was the first leader in history to advocate for wildlife protection measures and even had rules written into stone edicts. The edicts proclaim that many followed the king`s example in renouncing the slaughter of animals; One of them said proudly:[128] He (Seleucus) crossed the Indus and made war on Sandrocottus [Maurya], the king of the Indians, who lived on the banks of that river until they reached an agreement and entered into a matrimonial relationship. Thus, Jainism became a vital force under Maurya rule. Chandragupta and Samprati are credited with the spread of Jainism in South India. Hundreds of thousands of temples and stupas were reportedly built during their reign The empire lost many territories under Dasharatha, which were later reconquered by Kunala`s son Samprati. After Samprati, the Mauryas slowly lost many territories. In 180 BC, Brihadratha Maurya was killed by his general Pushyamitra Shunga during a military parade without heirs.

Therefore, the great Maurya empire eventually ended and led to the Shunga empire. An influential and significant Greek population was present in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent under Ashoka`s rule, possibly remnants of Alexander`s conquests in the Indus Valley region. In Ashoka`s rock edicts, some of which are inscribed in Greek, Ashoka says that the Greeks were converted to Buddhism in its rule: Magadha, the center of the empire, was also the cradle of Buddhism.