The Maurya Empire (322–185 BCE) — Interactive Timeline
India’s first great empire — from Chandragupta Maurya and Chanakya to Ashoka the Great and his message of peace after Kalinga.
TL;DR: India’s first great empire — from Chandragupta Maurya and Chanakya to Ashoka the Great and his message of peace after Kalinga.
Written & reviewed by the Syllab.in Academic Team (CBSE/NCERT subject experts) · Updated
The Maurya Empire (322–185 BCE) (Class 6–12): India’s first great empire — from Chandragupta Maurya and Chanakya to Ashoka the Great and his message of peace after Kalinga. This interactive timeline covers 8 key events from 322 BCE – 185 BCE.
Why it matters: The Mauryas, Chanakya’s Arthashastra and Ashoka’s edicts are core to ancient-history questions in school and competitive exams.
The Maurya Empire (322–185 BCE) — Timeline of Key Events
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 322 BCE | Chandragupta Maurya founds the empire. With the guidance of his mentor Chanakya (Kautilya), Chandragupta overthrew the Nanda dynasty and established the Maurya Empire with its capital at Pataliputra. |
| c. 305 BCE | Victory over Seleucus. Chandragupta defeated Seleucus Nicator (a general of Alexander), gaining territory in the north-west and a marriage alliance. The Greek ambassador Megasthenes wrote “Indica” about his court. |
| c. 298 BCE | Bindusara. Chandragupta’s son Bindusara extended the empire into the Deccan, keeping the Mauryas the dominant power in the subcontinent. |
| 268 BCE | Ashoka becomes emperor. Ashoka took the throne and ruled over one of the largest empires in Indian history, stretching across most of the subcontinent. |
| 261 BCE | The Kalinga War. The bloody conquest of Kalinga (modern Odisha) horrified Ashoka. The suffering he saw led him to give up war and embrace Buddhism and non-violence (ahimsa). |
| c. 260 BCE | Ashoka’s Dhamma & edicts. Ashoka spread a moral code of “Dhamma” — tolerance, kindness and welfare — carving edicts on rocks and pillars and sending missionaries as far as Sri Lanka. |
| 232 BCE | Death of Ashoka. After Ashoka’s death the empire began to weaken as later rulers could not hold the vast territory together. |
| 185 BCE | End of the Mauryas. The last Mauryan ruler Brihadratha was overthrown by his commander Pushyamitra Shunga, who founded the Shunga dynasty. |
Quick Recap — Dates to Remember
- 322 BCE: Chandragupta Maurya founds the empire
- c. 305 BCE: Victory over Seleucus
- c. 298 BCE: Bindusara
- 268 BCE: Ashoka becomes emperor
- 261 BCE: The Kalinga War
- c. 260 BCE: Ashoka’s Dhamma & edicts
- 232 BCE: Death of Ashoka
- 185 BCE: End of the Mauryas
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