From the sixth to the third century BCE, North India passed through major political and social changes. Buddhism and Jainism emerged, antithetical to the mainstream Vedic religion, and minor states were merged through conquests into an empire ruled by a chakravartin or ekarat (emperor or one supreme king). Bimbisara, a contemporary of Buddha, started empire building in Magadha; it was strengthened by Ajatashatru and the Nandas, and peaked under the Mauryan Empire founded by Chandragupta Maurya.
1. Sources for the Mauryan Period
| Source | Key Facts |
|---|---|
| Mahavamsa | Comprehensive historical chronicle in Pali from Sri Lanka |
| Edicts of Ashoka | Brahmi script of the Sanchi inscriptions deciphered by James Prinsep in 1837 |
| Junagadh rock inscription (near Girnar, Gujarat) | Reign of Rudradaman, 130–150 CE; refers to Pushyagupta, provincial governor (rashtriya) of Emperor Chandragupta |
| Mudrarakshasa | Play by Visakhadatta, Gupta period; Chandragupta's accession and the strategies of Chanakya |
| Indica | By Megasthenes; original lost, parts reproduced by Greek historians |
| Arthasastra | Most detailed account of administration; a prescriptive text |