Maurya Empire, India · c. 321-297 BC

Chandragupta and the rise of the Maurya Empire

Within a few years of Alexander's retreat from India, a young leader named Chandragupta Maurya seized Magadha, pushed out the Greek garrisons and traded land for war elephants with Seleucus. Students map the birth of India's first great empire.

Teach it live New Open on the map
Length
45 minutes
Ages
12–15
On the map
3 steps, 323 BC to 300 BC
Live lesson
7 rounds, 3 on the map
Worksheet
Two A4 pages, with Classroom
You need
A projector; phones for live

Live lesson · new in Classroom

Teach it live. The class answers on their phones.

Put the board on the projector. Students join with a six-digit code, no account needed, and tap the map: where was the frontier, where did the grain come from. Their pins drop in together when you reveal, and the closest student takes the round.

€19 per month: every lesson live, every worksheet, cancel anytime. Rome at its height runs live for free.

A live lesson on the projector: the class's pins on the map around Alexandria, the closest students listed beside it A student's phone: the question and a map to tap
7 rounds
3 places to find on the map, quiz questions, a class vote and a one-line answer.
About 15 minutes
Run it as the map step, or to open the discussion. You move on with the space bar.
A report
Every answer, per student and per round, to read back or print after the lesson.
1

Introduction

5 min

Read aloud

Within a few years of Alexander's retreat from India, a young leader named Chandragupta Maurya seized Magadha, pushed out the Greek garrisons and traded land for war elephants with Seleucus. Students map the birth of India's first great empire.

By the end of the lesson, students can

  • Explain how Chandragupta Maurya built an empire after Alexander's campaign in India.
  • Locate Pataliputra and the borders of the Maurya Empire around 300 BC.
  • Describe how the Mauryas governed, using the Arthashastra and the reports of Megasthenes.
2

Explore the map

12 min

Project the map, or let students follow on their own devices. Each step opens the map at the right year and place.

a

323 BC

After Alexander

Open the map in 323 BC, the year Alexander died. Find Magadha in the east and the Empire of Alexander in the northwest. What lies between them?

Open this view on the map
b

300 BC

A new empire

Jump to 300 BC and find the Mauryan Empire. Compare it with Magadha in 323 BC. In which directions did it grow?

Open this view on the map
c

300 BC

Capital on the Ganges

Turn on Cities and Historical Events and find Pataliputra. Click "Founding of the Maurya Empire" and read it. Why is a place where rivers meet a good spot for a capital?

Open this view on the map
3

Class discussion

14 min

Pick two or three. They run from what happened to why it mattered.

  1. Chandragupta built an empire within a few years of Alexander leaving India. Why could the Greek garrisons not stop him?
  2. Seleucus gave up land in exchange for 500 war elephants. Who got the better deal?
  3. The Arthashastra advises kings to use spies everywhere. Is a ruler who spies on his people a good ruler?
  4. The Greek ambassador Megasthenes described Pataliputra for Greek readers. What might a foreign visitor notice that locals would not?
  5. Jain tradition says Chandragupta gave up his throne to become a monk. Why might a powerful ruler do that?
4

Game round

9 min

Play Alexander the Great in Rule History. Chandragupta took over the Indus lands that Alexander's garrisons left behind. After the round, discuss: which of your choices as Alexander made it easier or harder for a local ruler like Chandragupta to take over?

Open Rule History
5

Worksheet

5 min

This worksheet comes with Classroom

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