Mauryan Society and Culture

 In the Mauryan period, the social organization based on Varna and Ashrama which had begun in the Vedic age, reached a definite stage. In this period the Brahmanas regained their lost position in the society. Megathese divides the Mauryan society into seven divisions - philosophers, farmers, herdsman, artisans, soldiers, magistrate and councillors. They have been interpreted as castes because no one was allowed to marry outside his own division or change his profession.

The philosophers consisted of Brahmanas and Shramanas. The Shramanas included ascetics, monks and the followers of various sects. The philosophers did not pay tax. The farmers included the land owners, the Shudra cultivators and the labourers working on the land. The herdsmen were probably the pastoralists who comprised a significant section in the Mauryan population. The status of the artisans depended on his particular craft. For instance, metal workers were given a higher status than the weavers and potters. The soldiers were the largest class in the society.

. Besides Kshatriyas, lower castes were also appointed as infantry men, charioteers and attendants. Magistrates and councillors were an important part of the administrative system and were appointed either from the Brahmanas or the Kshatriyas.

However, the social compositions as suggested by Megasthenes might not be as simple because if we consider Brahmanical texts and Buddhist texts, we find different views regarding the caste division.

In the Mauryan Empire, women were employed in various activities. They were appointed as king’s body guards, spies and performers. Poor and widowed upper caste women, deserted wives and ageing prostitutes were provided with some work. We also have instances of a few female ascetics. Kautilya insisted that tax should be collected from the prostitutes, it suggests that they were large in number in the Empire. From the textual sources it can be assumed that the majority of women had to follow the wishes of the men in their family in a patriarchal society. 

Religious Condition of the Mauryan Empire;

Several religious sects existed in the Mauryan period. Brahmanism was an important religion during the Mauryan period. Along with this, Buddhism and Jainism began to play an important part in the religious life of the people. Some distinct religious sects namely, Ajivika, Shramanas, and Nirgrantha were also followed among some communities. The Ajivikas were the ardent followers of Mahavira Swami. They lived like the naked saints. The Shramanas were also the followers of Mahavira Swami. They were content to live on fruits picked up when they dropped on the ground. The Nirgrantha were those who had broken the worldly ties

Among these religions, Buddhism became a predominant religion under the patronage of Asoka. Still Brahmanism continued to prevail in the society. The Vedas did not completely lose its hold on the people. Kautilya praised the Vedic way of life. In the Arthasastra, we find reference to the worship of several deities. The worship of the deities consisted of prostration before the idol and offering gifts in the form of flowers and incense.

Several changes were brought about in Brahmanism in the Mauryan period. Krishna, Varuna, Indra, Agni and rivers like the Ganga and Yamuna were worshipped. Many of the devotees abandoned their homes for a life of an ascetic. A new class of religious philosophers called the Lokayatas emerged. They were opposed to the priestly class. They maintained that there existed neither paradise, nor the ultimate liberation

It appears that diverse religious ideas and practices existed in the vast Empire of the Mauryas. While Buddhism flourished remarkably. Brahmanism had retained its position. But Jainism failed to make much progress. Most importantly, religious toleration prevailed in the Mauryan period inspite of there being different religious sects.

Cultural Development of the Mauryan Empire:10M

Introduction : Under the Mauryas, great progress was made in the field of art and architecture. There were palaces, stupas, pillars, etc during the Mauryan rule. The Mauryan art and architecture mainly developed under Asoka and he is credited for being the patron of the cultural development that took place in the Mauryan period.

The palaces made during the time of Asoka were mainly made of stone. They speak of the highly developed art and architecture. Excavations at Pataliputra have discovered the ruins of these buildings. The most wonderful of these is the hundredpillard hall. The buildings, palaces and the monuments of the time of Chandragupta Maurya were mainly made of wood and had mostly perished away.

Stupas are another great form of Mauryan art. It has beautiful gateways decorated with rich sculpture. They enshrined the relics of Buddha. It is said that Asoka built 84,000 stupas in India and Afghanistan. The stupa at Sanchi is believed to be most prominent among the stupas. Hiuen-Tsang, the Chinese pilgrim, said that Asoka built stupas at many places like Taxila, Kapilavastu, Prayaga, Srinagar, 

Beautiful pillars were also constructed in the Mauryan period during the time of Asoka. The number of Asokan pillars is not definitely known. The pillars were free standing columns and were not used as support to any structure. The pillars were very magnificently polished. The four lions sitting back to back at Sanchi and Sarnath pillars show the high skill of craftsmanship that prevailed in the Mauryan age.

Rock cut caves were also found of the Mauryan period. The caves were built by cutting the rocks and their walls were polished nicely. The rock cut caves of Asoka and of his grandson Dasaratha constructed for the residence of monks are wonderful specimens of art. The Barabar hill caves, the Nagarjuni hill caves, the Sudama caves, the Karna Chauper cave, etc are the remains of the cave architecture of the Mauryan period.

The Mauryan pottery consisted of many types of wares. The black polished type found in North India is one of the most beautiful specimens of the Mauryan pottery. It has a burnished and glazed surface.

Jewellery making was also known in the Mauryan period. During the excavation at Taxila, some ornaments of the Asokan period were found. Those ornaments show the artistic skill of the goldsmiths of the Mauryan period.