The Maurya Empire is a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in ancient India, ruled by the Mauryan dynasty from 321 to 185 BCE.

Originating from the kingdom of Magadha in the Indo-Gangetic plains (modern Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bengal) in the eastern side of the Indian subcontinent, the empire has its capital city at Pataliputra (modern Patna).

The Empire is founded in 322 BCE by Chandragupta Maurya, who had overthrown the Nanda Dynasty and rapidly expands his power westwards across central and western India taking advantage of the disruptions of local powers in the wake of the withdrawal westward by Alexander the Great's Greek and Persian armies.

By 320 BCE, the empire has fully occupied Northwestern India, defeating and conquering the satraps left by Alexander.

With an area of 5,000,000 km2, it is one of the world's largest empires in its time, and the largest ever in the Indian subcontinent.

At its greatest extent, the empire stretches to the north along the natural boundaries of the Himalayas, and to the east stretching into what is now Assam.

To the west, it conquers beyond modern Pakistan, annexing Balochistan, southeastern parts of Iran and much of what is now Afghanistan, including the modern Herat and Kandahar provinces.

The Empire is expanded into India's central and southern regions by the emperors Chandragupta and Bindusara, but it excludes a small portion of unexplored tribal and forested regions near Kalinga (modern Orissa), until it is conquered by Ashoka.

Its decline begins 60 years after Ashoka's rule ends, and it dissolves in 185 BCE with the foundation of the Sunga Dynasty in Magadha.Under Chandragupta, the Mauryan Empire conquers the trans-Indus region, which is under Macedonian rule.

Chandragupta then defeats the invasion led by Seleucus I, a Greek general from Alexander's army.

Under Chandragupta and his successors, internal and external trade, agriculture and economic activities, all thrive and expand across India, due to the creation of a single and efficient system of finance, administration, and security.After the Kalinga War, the Empire experiences half a century of peace and security under Ashoka.

Mauryan India also enjoys an era of social harmony, religious transformation, and expansion of the sciences and of knowledge.

Chandragupta Maurya's embrace of Jainism increases social and religious renewal and reform across his society, while Ashoka's embrace of Buddhism has been said to have been the foundation of the reign of social and political peace and non-violence across all of India.

Ashoka sponsors the spreading of Buddhist ideals into Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, West Asia and Mediterranean Europe.

The population of the empire has been estimated to be about 50-60 million, making the Mauryan Empire one of the most populous empires of the time.

Archaeologically, the period of Mauryan rule in South Asia falls into the era of Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW).

The Arthashastra and the Edicts of Ashoka are the primary sources of written records of Mauryan times.

The Lion Capital of Asoka at Sarnath, has been made the national emblem of India.