The major areas of concern for the Mauryan state were the collection of taxes as revenue to the state and the administration of justice, in addition to the maintenance of internal security and defence against external aggression

The second inscription mentions lands beyond his borders: "the Chodas (Cholas), the Pandyas, the Satiyaputa, the Keralaputa (Chera), even Tamraparni, the Yonaking Antiyoka (Antiochus), and the kings who are the neighbours of this Antioka".

1. It marked the beginning of the interaction between India and the West, which spanned many centuries to follow.
2. Greek governors and kings ruled in the north-western region of India, which introduced new styles of art and governance.

1. A centralised state required a new administrative framework to govern an extensive territory, the creation of a bureaucracy, resources of money and men for managing the administrationand the army.
2. A system of revenue administration had to be developed to raise the funds needed for the state through taxation.
3. A political formation led to the development of cities as administrative centres, distinct from villages and rural areas.
4. A large standing army was required for expanding and retaining the empire.

The most famous of Alexander's encounters was with Porus, ruler of the region between Jhelum and Beas. The two armies met in the battle of Hydaspes in which Porus was imprisoned. Later, impressed by the Porus's dignity, Alexander restored his throne on the condition of accepting his suzerainty.

Perhaps the most detailed account of the administration is to be found in the Arthasastra (though the work itself is now dated to a few centuries later). However, it must be remembered that the Arthasastra was a prescriptive text, which laid down the guidelines for good administration. If we add to this the information from Ashoka's edicts and the work of Megasthenes, we get a more comprehensive picture of the Mauryan state as it was.

The word "Hindu" appears for the first time in an inscription of Darius I at Persepolis, Iran. Darius lists "Hindu" as part of his empire. The word "Sindhu", denoting a river in general and Indus in particular, became "Hindu" in Persian. The Greeks dropped the S and called it Indu, which eventually came to be called Hindu and later India.

Archaeology is particularly important because excavations reveal the nature of urban morphology, that is, layout of the city and construction of buildings

The defining event of Ashoka's rule was his campaign against Kalinga (present-day Odisha) in the eighth year of his reign. This is the only recorded military expedition of the Mauryas. The number of those killed in battle, those who died subsequently, and those deported ran into tens of thousands. The campaign had probably been more ferocious and brutal than usual because this was a punitive war against Kalinga, which had broken away from the Magadha Empire (the Hathigumpha inscription speaks of Kalinga as a part of the Nanda Empire). Ashoka was devastated by the carnage advised and aided by Chanakya, known for political manoeuvring, in governing his empire.

Alexander's invasion led to the establishment of Greek satrapies in the north-western region of the Indian subcontinent.
1. Trade routes opened up with the West.
2. The Greek accounts of India provide valuable information but with a bit of exaggeration.
3. There were four different trade routes in use, which facilitated the movement of Greek merchants and craftsmen to India.

There are linguistic similarities between Rig Veda and Avesta. The term Aryas was also used by the ancient Persians. Accordingto Indologist Thomas Burrow,only phonetic change had occurred overtime. The Bogaz Koi (in North-East Syria) Inscription dating back to 1380 BCE records a treaty between a Hittite and a Mitanni King. It mentions the names of a few Rig Vedic gods such as Indara, Uruvna (Varuna), Mitira and Nasatiya (Ashvins). Since it supports the information gathered from other contemporary sources about Chandragupta. It is important to note from both these sources that the fame of Chandragupta had survived long after lie was gone and became imbibed in popular lore and memory.

The first is the rock inscription of Junagadh, near Gimar in Gujarat. This was carved during the reign of Rudradaman, the local ruler and dates back to 130-150 CE.
It refers to Pushyagupta, the provincial governor (rashtriya) of Emperor Chandragupta. This is of importance for two reasons:
i) It indicates the extent of the Mauryan Empire which had expanded as far west as Gujarat and
ii) It shows that more than four centuries after his death, the name of Chandragupta was still well known and remembered in many parts of the country.
iii) A second source is a literary work. The play Mudrarakshasa by Visakhadatta was written during the Gupta period, sometime after the 4th century CE. It narrates Chandragupta's accession to the throne of the Magadha Empire and the exploits of his chief advisor Chanakya or Kautilya by listing the strategies he used to counter an invasion against Chandragupta. This play is often cited as a corroborative.

1. The north-western part of India came under the control of the Persian Empire from about middle of the sixth century, the region became a centre of confluence of Persian and Indian culture.
2. The Persian contact left its impact on art, architecture, economy and administration of ancient India.
3. The cultural impact was felt most in the Gandhara region.
4. Most significant impact was the development of the Kharosthi script, used in the north-western part of India.
5. It was used by Ashoka in his inscriptions in the Gandhara region.
6. The Kharosthi script was derived from Aramaic used widely in the Achaemenid Empire of Persia.

1. The major areas of concern for the Mauryan state were the collection of taxes as revenue to the state and the administration of justice.
2. In addition to the maintenance of internal security and defence against external aggression.
3. This required a large and complex administrative machinery and institutions.
4. This bureaucratic set-up covered a hierarchy of settlements from the village, to the towns, provincial capitals and major cities.
5. The bureaucracy enabled and required an efficient system of revenue collection, since it needed to be paid out of taxes collected.
6. Equally, the very large army of the Mauryan Empire could be maintained only with the revenue raised through taxation.
7. The large bureaucracy also commanded huge salaries.
8. According to the Arthasastra, the salary of chief minister, the purohita and the army commander was 48,000 panas, and the soldiers received 500 panas. If we multiply this by the number of infantry and cavalry
9. The enormous resources needed to maintain the army and the administrative staff.