Factors responsible for disintegration of Mauryan Empire

Published on 15 Oct 2025

The Mauryan Empire was one of the most powerful empires in Indian history. It was founded by Chandragupta Maurya in the 4th century BCE and reached its peak under Ashoka the Great in the 3rd century BCE. However, the empire began to decline after Ashoka's death, and it eventually collapsed in the 2nd century BCE.

Internal Factors:

Succession Issues: The lack of a clear and stable succession plan led to internal power struggles and disputes among the Mauryan rulers. The uncertain succession following Ashoka's death weakened the empire.

Example: The last Maurya king, Brihadratha was overthrown by his own army commander, Pushyamitra.

Economic Decline: The enormous expenditure on the maintenance of the huge army and payment to bureaucrats, the largest regiment of officers, created a financial crisis for the Mauryan empire.

Example: Large grants to the Buddhist monks by Ashoka made the royal treasury empty.

Administrative and Governance Challenges: Highly centralised administration under the Mauryas became a problem with the later Mauryan kings who were not as efficient administrators as their predecessors.

Example: Weak rulers, post powerful kings like Ashoka, led to a weakening of the administration and ultimately led to the empire’s disintegration.

Ashoka’s policies: Some scholars suggest that Ashoka’s policies of non-violence and pacifism led to the weakening of the empire.

Example: Since he stopped waging wars, foreign powers were once again tempted to attack the kingdom.

Religious and Social Factors: The anti-sacrifice attitude of Buddhism and Ashoka brought much loss to the Brahmanas, who lived on the gifts made to them in various kinds of sacrifices.

Example: The Sungas and the Kanvas, who ruled in Madhya Pradesh and further east on the remnants of the Mauryan empire were Brahmanas.

Decentralization and Fragmentation: After Ashoka, under the later kings, the centre’s hold over the vast empire began to disintegrate. This led to the emergence of various kingdoms.

Example: According to Kalhana, Ashoka’s son- Jalauka ruled over Kashmir independently.

External Factors:

Regional Revolts and Rebellion: During the rule of Brihadratha, there was an internal revolt led by his army chief Pushyamitra Shunga in about 185 or 186 BCE.

Example: Bana describes in Harshacharita how Shunga killed Brihadratha during an army parade

External Invasions: After Ashoka’s death, the kingdom split up into two. This led the Greek king Antiochus to attack India unsuccessfully though.

Example: Indo-Greeks, Sakas and Kushanas entry was post Mauryan disintegration

Neglect of the north-west frontier and absence of the boundary structure such as the Great Wall of China: The Chinese ruler Shih Huang Ti (247-210 BCE) constructed the Great Wall of China in about 220 BCE, to protect his empire against the attacks of the Scythians, a central Asian nomadic tribe who were in a state of constant flux.

Example: In order to escape the Scythians, the Parthians, the Shakas and the Greeks were forced to move towards India.

The combination of these factors led to the disintegration of the Mauryan Empire in the 2nd century BCE. The empire was divided into a number of smaller kingdoms, and India entered a period of political instability.