The Mauryan Empire, which formed around 321 B.C.E. and ended in 185 B.C.E., was the first pan-Indian empire, an empire that covered most of the Indian region. It spanned across central and northern India as well as over parts of modern-day Iran.
The Mauryan Empire’s first leader, Chandragupta Maurya, started consolidating land as Alexander the Great’s power began to wane. Alexander’s death in 323 B.C.E. left a large power vacuum, and Chandragupta took advantage,
gathering an army and overthrowing the Nanda power in Magadha, in present-day eastern India, marking the start of the Mauryan Empire. After crowning himself king, Chandragupta took additional lands through force and by forming alliances.
Chandragupta’s chief minister Kautilya, sometimes called Chanakya, advised Chandragupta and contributed to the empire’s legacy. In addition to being a political strategist, Kautilya is also known for writing the Arthashastra,
a treatise about leadership and government. The Arthashastra describes how a state should organize its economy and maintain power. Chandragupta’s government closely resembled the government described in the Arthashastra.
One notable aspect of the Arthashastra was its focus on spies. Kautilya recommended the king have large networks of informants to work as a surveillance force for the ruler. The focus on deception reveals a pragmatic, and borderline cynical, view of human nature.
