Read Part I first!
Chandragupta committed Sallekhana (fasting to death) and was succeeded by his son, Bindusara. Bindusara expanded the kingdom into South India, conquesting modern-day Karnataka. He was succeeded by the famous Ashoka. He conquered many lands and crushed many revolts, but the turning point in his life came when he went to conquer Kalinga.
Though his army succeeded and Kalinga was conquered, Ashoka witnessed the death and destruction that the war caused. He began to feel regret over his actions and converted to Buddhism. He ended forced labor and built many buildings around his realm, he also worked to spread Buddhism throughout the Empire and to foreign lands.
Ashoka worked towards making good relations with his neighbors in Asia and Europe. He strengthened diplomatic ties with the greek kingdoms and is a famous figure in India as he ushered in an era of peace and harmony for the subcontinent.
Ashoka was succeeded by weaker kings that lost many of the empire’s territories. The last king, Brihadratha Maurya, was assassinated in a military parade by his general, Pushyamitra Shunga. And since he did not have any heir, the Maurya Empire ended.
The Maurya empire dominated almost all of the Indian subcontinent and ushered in a time of peace and creativity in art and literature. Chandragupta destroyed a weak and corrupt kingdom and created an arguably ‘better’ one. Great rulers like Ashoka strengthened it and spread its influence much beyond India.
