The causes for the downfall of the Mauryan Empire (Mauryan Empire broke up 50 years after the death of Ashoka 232 B.C.)
There is something almost dramatic in the way in which the
Mauryan Empire declined and disappeared after the death of Ashoka. The decline
was complete within half a century after the death of Ashoka. The reasons given
by historians for such a rapid decline are as conflicting as they are
confusing. Some of the very obvious and other controversial causes for the decline
of the Mauryan empire are described as follows:
1. The partition of the Mauryan Empire – An immediate cause
for the decline was the partition of the Mauryan Empire into two halves. ‘Had
the partition not taken place, the Greek invasions of the north-west could have
been held back for a while. The partition of the empire disrupted the various
services as well’.
2. Weak later Mauryan rulers – The succession of weak Mauryan
rulers after Ashoka completely disrupted the Mauryan Administration. The
weakness of these rulers can be imagined from the fact that as many as six
rulers could rule only 52 years over the Eastern part of the Empire and finally
the last Mauryan King was assassinated by his own commander-in-chief Pusyamitra
Sunga. These weak late Mauryan rulers could also not continue the traditional
policies of the Mauryas.
3. Ashokas responsibility for the decline – Many scholars
have accused Ashoka as being directly responsible for the decline of the Mauryan
Empire. H. C. Raychaudhari maintains that Ashoka’s pacifist policies were
responsible for undermining the strength of the empire. He says, ‘From the time
of Bimbisara to Kalinga War the History of India the story of the expansion of
Magadh form a tiny state in South Bihar to a gigantic empire extending from the
foot of the Hindukush to the borders of the Tamil country. After the Kalinga
war ensued a period of stagnation at the end of which the process is reversed. The
Empire gradually dwindled down in extent till it sank to the position from which
Bimbisara and his successors had raised it’. However, Raychaudhuri’s view does
not seem to be tenable because Ashoka did not turn complete pacifist after the
Kaling War in view of the fact that he neither demobilized the Mauryan army nor
abolished capital punishment. Ashoka only gave up the imperialist policy and
preached non violence after the Kalinga War. Such practical Pacifism could not
have been responsible for the decline of the Mauryan Empire.
Harprasad Shastri holds the view that the decline of the Mauryan
Empire was the result of the Brahmanical revolt on account of ban on animal sacrifices
and undermining the prestige of the Brahmanas by ‘exposing them as false gods’.
But Shastri’s views are merely hypothetical because first, Brahminism itself
stresses nonviolence and secondly, Ashoka only banned the unnecessary slaughter
of certain animals on certain auspicious days. Then again Ashoka’s frequent
requests in his edicts for due respect to Brahmanas and Sramanas hardly points
to his being anti Brahmanical in outlook.
4. Pressure on Mauryan Economy – D. D. Kosambi has
expressed the opinion that there was considerable pressure on Mauryan economy under
the later Mauryas. This view is based on the increase of taxes of taxes and debasement
of later Mauryan punch marked coins. But contrary to the above, the foreign
accounts and the material remains of the period give a picture of an expanding
economy.
5. Highly centralized administration – Prof. Romila Thapar
is of the view ‘The machinery of the Mauryan administrative system was so
centralized the an able ruler could use it both to his own advantage and that
of his people. To the same degree it could become harmful to both under a weak
ruler who would lose its central control and allow forces of decay to
disintegrate and wreck it. The weakening of the central control under the later
Mauryas led automatically to a weakening of the administration. The division of
the Mauryan empire after the death of Ashoka must have given further blow to
the centralized Mauryan administration under the weak later-Mauryan rulers, leading
to the decline and disintegration of the Mauryan Empire.
Other factors of importance contributing to the decline of
the Mauryan empire have been described as Brahmanical revolt against the pro Buddhist
policies of Ashoka and his successors, oppressive provincial governments and people’s
revolt against Mauryan oppression, lack of representative institutions and
national unity in Mauryan India. But except for the first two causes – Ashokas weak
successors and division of the Mauryan Empire after Ashoka’s death – the other causes
described above have weaknesses in their argument and therefore, cannot be
called as positively responsible for the decline of the Mauryan Empire.
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