Maurya Dynasty - Maurya

An ancient Indian dynasty (c. 317-c. 180 BC). This dynasty inherited the territory of the Magadha Kingdom, which had been expanding since the 6th century BC, and was the first dynasty to unify and rule India. In the Chinese translation of Buddhist scriptures, it is called the Peacock Dynasty. After Alexander the Great's invasion of northwestern India (327-325 BC), around 317 BC, Chandragupta the First (reigned c. 317-c. 296 BC) defeated the Nanda Dynasty of Magadha and established a new dynasty with its capital in Pataliputra (today's Patna). Aiming to complete a unified Indian state, he claimed the whole of northern India as his territory, then drove out the Greek forces that Alexander the Great had left on the northwestern Indian border and advanced into Afghanistan. There he confronted Seleucus I of the Seleucid Empire, but negotiated a peace agreement to cede the southern half of Afghanistan to him.

Chandragupta's reign lasted 24 years, during which he built an unprecedentedly large empire. The conquest of South India may have begun during his time, but was completed by his son Bindusara. The third king was the famous Ashoka (reigned 268-232 BCE), who inherited a vast territory and conquered Kalinga in his ninth year on the throne. Reflecting on the tragedy of this war of conquest, he became more devoted to Buddhism and set forth a political philosophy based on universal ethics (dharma), which he himself worked tirelessly to realize, ordering his officials to ensure that the people thoroughly adhered to ethics. However, after his death, this political philosophy was lost and the empire went into decline. The names of six kings who followed him are recorded in documents, but little is known about their achievements. Around 180 BCE, the general Pushyamitra of the Shunga family seized the kingship, and the dynasty was destroyed.

This period is the first clearly dated period in Indian history, and there are many more ruins and artifacts remaining than in the previous period. There are also valuable documents about the ruling system and socio-economy, such as the travelogue of Megasthenes, an envoy of the Seleucid Empire, and the Arthashastra (Practical Treatise) by Kautilya, the Prime Minister of the Mauryan Empire. According to these documents, the territory of this dynasty was centered on the middle Ganges basin, where agricultural production was highly developed at the time, and it controlled other developed regions and the transportation routes connecting them. The pillars of power of the dynasty were the army and the bureaucracy, and in Megasthenes' description, the army consisted of four forces: infantry, cavalry, charioteers, and elephants, as well as a navy and transport unit, and the system was well-established. The bureaucracy was divided into the capital and the provinces, and the duties of local officials were wide-ranging, including administration, justice, taxation, management of irrigation facilities and roads, and supervision of agricultural technology. This gave them strong control over the peasants and controlled trade, commerce, and handicrafts. Under the unified rule of this dynasty, various regions within the territory were developed and they developed significantly by absorbing the advanced culture of the middle Ganges basin. As the dynasty declined after Ashoka, new powers rose to power in each region against the backdrop of this development. Buddhism spread rapidly under Ashoka's patronage, and monasteries were established in various places. According to legend, the Buddhist scriptures were compiled during Ashoka's time.

[Toshio Yamazaki]

"King Ashoka and His Times" by Genichi Yamazaki (1982, Shunjusha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

古代インドの王朝（前317ころ～前180ころ）。紀元前6世紀から拡大してきたマガダ王国の領土を継承して、インドを初めて統一支配した王朝。漢訳仏典では孔雀(くじゃく)王朝という。アレクサンドロス大王の北西インド侵入（前327～前325）のあと、前317年ごろ、初代チャンドラグプタ（在位前317ころ～前296ころ）はマガダ国のナンダ朝を倒して、パータリプトラ（今日のパトナ）に都して新王朝を建設した。彼はインド統一国家の完成を目ざして、北インド一帯を領土とし、ついでアレクサンドロス大王が北西インド辺境に残したギリシア人勢力を駆逐し、アフガニスタンに進出した。そこでセレウコス朝のセレウコス1世と対峙(たいじ)したが、和議によってアフガニスタン南半を割譲させた。

　チャンドラグプタの統治は24年に及んだといわれ、その間に未曽有(みぞう)の大帝国を建設した。南インド征服は彼のときに始められたのであろうが、それは彼の子ビンドゥサーラによって達成されたのであろう。第3代が有名なアショカ（在位前268ころ～前232ころ）であって、彼は広大な領土を継承したうえ、即位9年目にカリンガを征服した。彼はこの征服戦争の悲惨さを反省して、仏教にいっそう帰依(きえ)するとともに、普遍的倫理（ダルマ）に基づく政治を理念として掲げて、彼自身がその実現に精力的に努力し、官吏に命じて人民の倫理遵守の徹底を期せしめた。だが彼の死後には、この政治理念は失われ、帝国は衰運に傾いた。そのあとには6人の王の名が文献に伝えられているが、彼らの事績はほとんど知られず、前180年ごろ将軍シュンガ家プッシャミトラが王権を奪い、この王朝は滅びた。

　この時代は、インド史で初めて明確な年代が知られる時代であり、現存碑文はこのときから始まり、遺跡も遺物もその前代よりもはるかに多く残っている。また、セレウコス朝の使節メガステネスMegasthenesの旅行記、マウリヤ朝の宰相カウティリヤの『アルタ・シャーストラ（実利論）』といった支配体制や社会経済についての貴重な資料がある。それらによれば、この王朝の領土は、当時農業生産がきわめて発展していたガンジス中流域を中心として、その他の開発された諸地域とそれらを結ぶ交通路を支配した。王朝の権力の支柱は軍隊と官僚であって、メガステネスの記述では、軍隊は歩兵、騎兵、車兵、象兵の4軍からなり、ほかに水軍と輸送の部隊があって、その体制が整備されていた。官僚は都と地方に分かれ、地方官吏の職務は行政、司法、徴税、灌漑(かんがい)施設と道路の管理、農業技術の監督と多方面に及んだ。これによって農民を強力に支配し、貿易、商業と手工業を管理した。この王朝の統一支配のもとで領域内の各地方は開拓が進み、ガンジス中流域の高度の文化を摂取して著しく発展した。アショカのあとのこの王朝の衰退に伴って、各地方では、この発展を背景として新しい勢力が台頭する。仏教はアショカの庇護(ひご)のもとで急速に広がって、各地に僧院がつくられた。伝承によれば、アショカのときに仏典結集(けつじゅう)が行われたという。

［山崎利男］

『山崎元一著『アショーカ王とその時代』（1982・春秋社）』

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例