Who created the Mauryan empire?

The Mauryan empire was created after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE. A man known as Chandragupta Maurya founded the empire. It started in 322 BCE, when Maurya took over Magadha in the Ganges valley. Following this takeover, he continued his conquest by capturing northern India, and expanding the size of the empire to cover most of India as a whole. The Mauryan empire was known to be highly organized, and included a standing army, as well as efficient civil services. Arguably, the most well known ruler of the Mauryan empire was the emperor Ashoka, grandson of the empire’s founder Chandragupta. History of his rule is documented on stone pillars in India that still exist today. These pillars represent some of the oldest and most original texts that document the history of India. It was the death of Ashoka in 185 BCE that led to the downfall of the Mauryan empire.