The Mauryan Polity c9.s6.1

c9.s6.1

Thus the organisation of the army was efficient and excellent. It was so ably managed that the first Mauryan emperor succeeded in bringing a great part of India under his control besides effecting the expulsion of the Macedonian chieftains. The latter were so much impressed with the superior force of not only Candragupta but also his successors that they sought permanent alliance with the Mauryan emperors. The superior arms again enabled Bindusāra to effect other conquests in the Dekhan and South India. They further enabled Aśoka to effectively resist the Kaliṅgas who also possessed an equally formidable force. We shall close this section with the observation of V. A. Smith: "The military organisation of Candragupta shows no trace of Hellenic influence. It is based upon ancient Indian model and his vast host was merely a development of the considerable army maintained by the kingdom of Magadha."¹