Sanchi: Did you mean...?

Cyrus the Great (558-530 BCE) built the first universal empire, stretching from Greece to the Indus River. This was the famous Achaemenid Empire of Persia. An inscription at Naqsh-i-Rustam, the tomb of his able successor Darius I (521-486...

The chariot was the elite arm of ancient Indian armies in the Vedic (1500 BCE – 1000 BCE) and Epic periods (described by the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, 1000-600 BCE) because of the advantages it conferred and the selection of plain ground...

In ancient India from the 6th century BCE onwards, the kingdom of Magadha (6th century BCE to 4th century BCE) made a mark for itself. Located in the eastern part of India in what is today the state of Bihar, it outshone other kingdoms and...

Forts and sieges held a key position in ancient Indian warfare. Built on considerations of strategic location, topography, and the natural advantages provided by the site, forts would be heavily supplemented with man-made fortifications...

Details of what soldiers’ arms and armour as well as soldiers themselves in action would have looked like in the 5th century BCE. In all probability, this is how the Magadhan soldiers looked. Details taken from the “War over the Buddha’s...

Details of what soldiers’ arms and armour as well as soldiers themselves in action would have looked like in the 5th century BCE. In all probability, this is how the Magadhan soldiers looked. Details taken from the “War over the Buddha’s...

Maurya ruler Ashoka's visit to the Bodhi tree, partial cast of the east gateway of Stupa 1 at Sanchi. Art of India collection in the Ethnological Museum, Berlin.

The Mallas defending the city of Kushinagara (detail from the “War over the Buddha’s Relics” image given below). Significance: It shows close details of a siege in progress, during the period of Ajatashatru, hence a visual aid to understanding...

Buddha's sermon to the Shakya clan after the miracle of Kapilavastu, Northern Gateway, Stupa 1, Sanchi.

The Edicts of Ashoka are 33 inscriptions engraved on pillars, large stones, and cave walls by Ashoka the Great (r. 268-232 BCE), the third king of the Mauryan Empire (322-185 BCE) of India. One set, the so-called Major Rock Edicts, are consistent...