Err on the Side of Strength

The Maurya Empire was the largest empire in Indian history by territory. The land it controlled and influenced directly was never consolidated again until the British Empire, two thousand years later. Ashoka was the most powerful ruler of the Mauryan dynasty. But his obsession with non-violence hollowed the empire from within. The army had no territory to conquer. So it grew weak. When Ashoka died, the cracks surfaced. One after another, Mauryan rulers assumed the throne. But each failed to assert control over the territory. Feudatories were carving out their own dominions. The army had no mandate to establish sovereignty. It lacked discipline and direction. Pushyamitra Shunga was the military general serving under the last Mauryan ruler, Brihadratha Maurya. Pushyamitra summoned Brihadratha to address the army. When the king stood before his troops, Pushyamitra killed him. In full view of the assembled ranks. They did nothing. They quietly submitted to Pushyamitra Shunga, who assumed…