Ashoka and the Decline of the Mauryas.
Authored by Romila Thapar.
Over the course of a century numerous theories have been proposed by scholars and historians explaining the abrupt disintegration of what was ancient India’s largest empire ruled by a single family of regents who subjugated and governed diverse cultures, religions and people under one umbrella without exhibiting any sign of weakness or decay – till like all empires of antiquity theirs too succumbed and rather too quickly.
In her book Ashoka and the Decline of the Mauryas, a new edition published in 2012, Professor Romila Thapar contest the views put forward in Buddhist literature and by noted historians – ranging from pacifist policies, religious strives and invasions – with the suggestion that one of the principal causes perhaps lay with the every nature of Mauryan administration that brought about its eventual downfall after the division of the empire.
Written in an academic style the book, known for its detailed look at Mauryan rule, has been a recommended one for educational pursuits in India – penned by an author recognized as one of the country’s distinguished historians. Thapar is also a co-winner of the Klug Prize for humanity and is known to have twice declined India’s highest civilian award, the Padma Bushan, on the ground the award was non-academic.
