Question

How far responsible Ashoka for the down fall of Mauryan empire

Answer 1

Explanation:

Decline Of The Mauryas - why did the mauryan empire fall? ... Regarding the decline much has been written. ... Ashoka was a Buddhist in the same way as Harsha was a Budhist,

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Answer 2

Answer:

1. The Partition of the Mauryan Empire:An immediate cause for the decline was the partition of the Mauryan Empire into two halves, as dis­cussed earlier. “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 Asoka 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 later-Mauryan rulers could also not con­tinue the traditional policies of the Mauryas.

3. Asoka’s Responsibility for the Decline:Many scholars have accused Asoka as being directly responsible for the decline of the Mauryan Em­pire. H.C. Raychaudhuri maintains that Asoka’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 was the story of the expansion of Magadha from 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 Asoka did not turn complete pacifist after the Kalinga war in view of the fact that he neither demobilize the Mauryan army nor abolished capital punishment. Asoka 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 Sastri holds the view that the decline of the Mauryan empire was a result of the Brahmanical revolt on account of ban on animal sacrifics and undermining the prestige of the Brahmanas by “exposing them as false gods”.