Chandragupta Maurya (c. 321 - c. 297 BCE), known as Sandrakottos (or Sandrokottos) to the Greeks, was the founder of the Maurya Dynasty (4th-2nd century BCE) and is credited with the setting up of the first (nearly) pan-Indian empire. Aided by his mentor and later minister Chanakya or Kautilya (c. 4th century BCE), he set up a vast centralized empire, details of whose functioning, society, military, and economy are well preserved in Kautilya's Arthashastra.
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Definition
Timeline
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c. 350 BCE - 275 BCELife of Kautilya, Indian stateman and philosopher, chief advisor and Prime Minister of the Indian Emperor Chandragupta.
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340 BCE - 298 BCELife of Indian Emperor Chandragupta, first ruler of the Mauryan Empire.
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321 BCEDhana Nanda, king of Magadha, is killed by Chandragupta Maurya.
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c. 321 BCE - c. 298 BCEReign of Chandragupta Maurya, first ruler of the Mauryan Empire.
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c. 320 BCE - c. 180 BCEMauryan rule in the Gandhara region, beginning with Chandragupta Maurya.
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320 BCEChandragupta Maurya seizes the throne of Magadhan and expands the kingdom over northern and central India.
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305 BCEEmperor Chandragupta signs a treaty with Seleucos I, establishing borders and giving the Punjab to Chandragupta in return for 500 war elephants.
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298 BCEChandragupta voluntarily abdicates the throne in favour of his son Bindusara. Jain sources say that Chandragupta turned into an ascetic and follower of Jainism, migrated south and starved himself to death.
