IGNOU HISTORY NOTES : Modern India -DISINTEGRATION OF THE EMPIRE

IGNOU HISTORY Study Notes for IAS, UPSC Exams

Modern India 1857-1964

DISINTEGRATION OF THE EMPIRE

Structure

22.0 Objectives

22.1 Introduction
22.2 Successors of Asoka
22.3 Other Political Factors for Disintegration
22.4 Asoka and His Problems
22.5 Economic Problems
22.6 Growth of Local Polities
22.6.1 Major Kingdoms
22.6.2 Local Kingdoms
22.7 Let Us Sum Up
22.8 Key Words
22.9 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises

22.0 OBJECTIVES

After reading this Unit you should be able to explain:

to what extent Asoka's successors are held responsible for the disintegration of the empire,
how various other political factors are viewed as contributing to the weakening of the empire,
how Asoka's policies in general are considered responsible for the decline of the empire,
the economic problems that the Mauryan empire believed to have faced, and
the emergence of local polities in both north and south India following the decline of the Mauryan rule.

22.1 INTRODUCTION

Mauryan rule was the first experiment in imperial government in India. Chandragupta Maurya, Bindusara and Asoka were successful in establishing the imperial authority of the Mauryas over a large number of Janpadas or Kingdoms, and they yere able to introduce a new concept in the governance of a large territory. However, the imperial authority of the Mauryas began to weaken with ae death of Asoka (232 B.C.) and finally collapsed in 180 B.C. What brought the disintegration of the Mauryan empire is a very complicated question and it cannot be explained by any single factor. There are more than one factors which led to the disintegration of . the Mauryan emljire. In this Unit we have first discussed the responsibility of Asoka's successors for the disintegration of the empire. Then we have dealt with Asoka's policies, economic problems of the Mauryan statand the collapse of the administration of the Mauryas. Finally the growth of local polities has also been taken into consideration in explaining the process of disintegration of the Mauryan empire.

22.2 SUCCESSORS OF ASOKA

It is generally believed that Asoka died in 232 B.C. However, the Mauryan rulers continued to rule for about half a century after his death. Several literary texts like the Puranas, the Avdanas and the Jain accounts give different details of Asoka's successors. The apparent confusion.in a41 these accounts may be due to the fact that