Maurya Dynasty

The Maurya Empire was one of the world's largest empires in its time, and the largest ever in the Indian subcontinent.The Empire was founded in 322 BCE by Chandragupta Maurya with help of Chanakya, a Brahmin teacher at Takshashila. Chandragupta Maurya had overthrown the Nanda Dynasty and rapidly expanded his power westwards across central and western India taking advantage of the disruptions of local powers in the wake of the withdrawal westward by Alexander the Great's Greek and Persian armies. By 320 BCE the empire had fully occupied Northwestern India, defeating and conquering the satraps left by Alexander.

The Maurya Empire ruled by the Mauryan dynasty from 322 to 185 BCE. Originating from the kingdom of Magadha in the Indo-Gangetic plains (modern Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh) in the eastern side of the Indian subcontinent, the empire had its capital city at Pataliputra (modern Patna).