A map illustrating the rise and expansion of the Mauryan empire, the first pan-Indian empire that covered most of India and parts of present-day Iran. Chandragupta Maurya, the first ruler, seized the opportunity created by the power vacuum of Alexander the Great’s death to consolidate and expand the territory, while three generations later, emperor Ashoka turned to Buddhism and left his mark on history by inscribing numerous edicts (many of them encouraging peace and nonviolence) in stone.
