Empires rise and fall but the nation survives. India has survived as a great nation because unity in diversity has become an inherent feature of our country built over thousands of years. One of the most important pillars of this unity is the political unification, the present one being a gift of the British rules though the pre-independence British Empire was much larger. But long before the British Empire, India had witnessed great empires at different phases of its history; for example during the reigns of Ashoka, Samudragupta, Harshavardhana, Akbar, and Aurangzeb etc. But when did the first great Indian Empire arise?
During the pre-Christian era some great civilizations had flourished in India but they had their geographical and political limitations. Thereafter arose some well-organized and better governed states but they were very small independent kingdoms. It was only after Alexander’s invasion that India saw the growth of its first ever large empire, under the adventurous leadership of Chandragupta Maurya. Initially Chandragupta was the Commander-in-Chief of the army of Nanda dynasty who were then ruling South Bihar in Eastern India. For some reason or other, Chandragupta attempted a revolt but was unsuccessful. He fled away and met Alexander the Great seeking his co-operation. When Alexander left India putting behind one of his generals in charge, Chandragupta again approached and got the help of this general. He became the ruler of Punjab and Bihar. A great political thinker of those times, Chanakya, also helped Chandragupta in his mission since he had also to settle scores with the Nanda dynasty. Thus the seeds of the first great Indian Empire were sown in around 321 B.C. and the rule of the great Maurya dynasty began. Later he extended his empire from the mouth of river Ganges in the east to the mountains of Hindukush between modern Pakistan and Afghanistan. This was the first really large and powerful centralized state in India.
After empire building Chandragupta concentrated on defence and public administration. He maintained an elaborate spy network and an efficient bureaucracy. Though there was autocratic government at the top yet democracy prevailed at the village level.
Later, Ashoka the Great became the third ruler of this great empire under whose reign the empire was further extended to the whole of India except the Deep South and south-east. The state progressed and flourished in all fields.