Why did the Mauryan Empire, which once stretched from modern-day Afghanistan to Bengal, collapse within fifty years of Ashoka’s death? Lucas and Luna explore this question through the lens of the empire’s final decades (232–185 BCE), examining the reigns of Ashoka’s successors—Dasaratha, Samprati, Salisuka, and the last Mauryan, Brihadratha. They analyze the administrative strain of a vast, ethnically diverse territory, the financial burden of maintaining a standing army and bureaucracy, and the growing power of regional governors. The show delves into the role of Ashoka’s own policies: his promotion of non-violence may have weakened military readiness, while his generous patronage of Buddhism strained state coffers. Key events include the loss of the northwestern provinces to the Greco-Bactrian king Demetrius, the revolt of Pushyamitra Shunga (who assassinated Brihadratha and founded the Shunga dynasty), and the empire’s fragmentation into rival kingdoms like Kalinga and the Satavahanas. Lucas and Luna also debate the economic factors—declining trade along the Uttarapatha, debasement of the silver punch-marked coinage, and the collapse of centralized tax collection. The show draws on the Arthashastra, Ashokan edicts, and later Buddhist chronicles to reconstruct a nuanced picture of decline. How much of the Mauryan collapse was due to Ashoka’s idealism, and how much to the relentless logic of imperial overreach?
