Mauryan dynasty

Early Indian dynasty centred on the state of Magadha which ruled from 324 to 184 bce, although these dates and the chronology of the period as a whole are uncertain: the date of 184 is simply one of a number of guesses, and some authorities date the start of the dynasty to 313. The dynasty was founded by Candragupta who overthrew the preceding Nanda dynasty and founded a capital at Pāṭaliputra. He defeated the Greek king Seleucus Nikator in 305 and as part of the terms of a marriage treaty in 303 a Greek ambassador known as Megasthenes came to reside at his court. Megasthenes composed a detailed account of contemporary life in India which has not survived. According to Buddhist accounts, Candragupta converted to Jainism late in life and went to south India where he starved himself to death according to Jain custom (see Jainism). Candragupta was succeeded by his son Bindusāra in 297. He extended the empire to include Mysore, and by this time much of the subcontinent was under Mauryan control with the exception of Kaliṇga (present-day Orissa). Bindusāra died in 272 and was succeeded by his son Aśoka, who was consecrated in 268 (some modern authorities say 277) and who conquered Kaliṇga and consolidated the greatest Indian empire down to the time of the Moghuls and the British Raj. The name Maurya (Pāli, Moriya) derives from the word for a peacock. See also India.