The Decline of the Mauryas

Decolonizing the 'Great Debates' in International Relations Theory: A Perspective on History, Approaches and Methods

“…The very reason why Kautilya's, "Arthashastra" was written was due to the fact that he was "the theorist of the politico-economic basis of the Mauryan state" [20] and "the general policy of the Arthashastra and that of the Mauryan state were very similar. " [20].…”

“…The very reason why Kautilya's, "Arthashastra" was written was due to the fact that he was "the theorist of the politico-economic basis of the Mauryan state" [20] and "the general policy of the Arthashastra and that of the Mauryan state were very similar. " [20]. Similarly when the realists came up with their version of the theory and its ramifications, it was essentially a form of response in scathing criticism against the idealists, after the failure to prevent World War II through an institutional framework such as the 'League of Nations' [13].…”

Finding history: the locational geography of Ashokan inscriptions in the Indian subcontinent

“…In South Asia, the first stone inscriptions occur in the third century BC, coincident with the appearance of the Mauryan polity in the northern Gangetic plain (Allchin & Norman 1985; Thapar 1997 [1961], 2004 [2002], 2006; Falk 2006). The inscriptions are known as Major and Minor Rock Edicts and consist of repetitive copies of texts attributed to the Mauryan leader Ashoka ( c .…”

“…Afterwards, now that Kalinga was annexed, the Beloved of the Gods very earnestly practised Dhamma, desired Dhamma, and taught Dhamma. On conquering Kalinga the Beloved of the Gods felt remorse, for, when an independent country is conquered the slaughter, death and deportation of the people is extremely grievous to the Beloved of the Gods, and weighs heavily on his mind (Thapar 1997 [1961]: 255).…”

Leadership insights from the top: exploring leadership through the narratives of CEOs in India

“…Historically, India has been the seat of civilizations, empires and monarchies, notable mentions being the Harappan Civilisation which flowered in the north western parts as early as 2600 BC, Chandragupta Maurya whose rule epitomised imperial monarchy in c 321 BC and whose descendant Asoka (c268-231 BC) embraced Buddhism and is credited with the early dissemination of Buddhism in South and even South Eastern Asia (Thapar, 2002;Kossambi, 1965;Sharma, 2010;Singh & Lahiri, 2010;Wood, 2008). In these early times, the rise of monarchy was matched by a highly advanced system of education offered by the ancient universities of Takshila, Nalanda, Odantapuri, Vikramashila, Kanchipuram, Madurai and Shravan Belgola among others (Bhasham, 1967;Thapar, 2002).…”