ACCORDING TO RADHA KUMUD MOOKHERJI , “ THE FOUNDATION OF MAURYAN EMPIRE IS A UNIQUE EVENT IN INDIAN HISTORY ” .

ITS GLORY IS ENHANCED BY CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH IT WAS ACHIVED . IT WAS ACHIVED AGAINST FORMIDABLE DIFFICULTIES CREATED BY THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A FOREGIN RULE IN THE COUNTRY AS A RESULT OF ALEXANDER'S VICTORIOUS CAMPAIGNS IN PUNJAB DURING THE PERIOD OF TWO YEARS .

327-325 B.C. “ ACCORDING TO DOCTOR V.A SMITH , ” THE ADVENT OF THE MAURYAN DYNASTY MARKS THE PASSAGE FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT FOR THE HISTORIAN . 

CHRONOLOGY SUDDENLY BECOMES DEFINITE , ALMOST PRECISE , A HUGE EMPIRE SPRINGS INTO EXISTENCE , UNIFYING THE INUMERABLE FRAGMENTS OF DISTRACTED IDNDIA ; THE KINGS , WHO MAY BE DESCRIBED WITH JUSTICE AS EMPERORS , ARE MEN OF RENOWN , OUTSTANDING PERSONALITIES WHOSE QUALITIES CAN BE DISCERNED , ALBIT DIMELY THROUGH THE MIST OF TIME ; GIGANTIC WORLD - WIDE RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS ARE INTIATED , OF WHICH THE EFFECTS ARE STILL FELT ; AND THE EFFECTS OF THE SECULDED INDIA ARE BROUGHT INTO CLOSE TOUCH WITH THOSE OF THE OUTER WORLD ".   

IT IS RIGHTLY POINTED OUT THAT BEFORE MAURYAN EMPIRE THE DATES IN INDIAN HISTORY ARE CONTROVERSIAL . HOWEVER AFTER COMING OF THE MAURYAS CHRONOLOGY BECOMES DEFINITE . THE SYNCHRONISM OF CHANDRAGUPTA WITH SELEUCUS AND HIS IDENTIFICATION WITH SANDROCOTTUS IN GREEK LITERATURE PUT MAURYAN CHRONOLOGY ON A SOUND FOOTING . 

ASOKA IS FOUND CONTEMPORARY OF ANTIOCHOS OF SYRIA , GRANDSON OF SELECUS . MOREOVER WE POSSESS ABUNDANT MATERIAL FOR WRITING THE POLITICAL , SOCIAL , RELIGION HISTORY OF MAURYAS .

THIS MATERIAL COMES FROM INDIA AND FOREGIN SOURCES. THE ACCOUTN WE POSSESS ABOUT MAURYAN HISTORY IS NEVER EQUALLED IN RICHNESS AND DETAIL TILL WE RICH THE REGIN OF AKBAR . THE MAURYAN SYSTEM OF ADMINISTRATION WAS A MODERN ONE . THE OLD SYSTEM WAS PERFECTED AND THE,  DEPARTMENTAL SYSTEM WAS MADE TO COME IN THE WORLD . 

MEN LIKE MEGASTHENES AND DAIMACHUS LIVED AT THE MAURYAN CAPITAL AND ASOKA ALSO SENT MISSIONS FOR THE FOREGIN COUNTRIES . NATIONAL LIFE BEGAN TO DEVLOP IN MAURYAN PERIOD . A LOT WAS DONE IN THIS DIRECTION BY ASOKA . ART ALSO MADE WONDERFUL PROGRESS , OLIGARCHIES AND REPUBLICS WERE UPROOTED , THE BARRIERS BETWEEN ARYANS AND NON-ARYANS WERE BROKEN , AND THERE WAS THE CULMINATION OF INDIA'S SOCIAL SYSTEM IN THE MAURYAN PERIOD . 

SOURCES OF MAURYAN HISTORY :-

(1) KAUTILYA'S ARTHASASTRA : THE MOST IMPORTANT SOURCE FOR WRITING THE HISTORY OF THE MAURYAS IS KAUTILYA'S ARTHASASTRA . THE BOOK IS DEVIDED INTO 15 ADIKARANAS OR SECTIONS , AND 180 PRAKARANAS OR SUB-DIVISIONS . IT HAS 60,000 SLOKAS . 

(2) INDIKA OF MEGASTHENES : ANOTHER SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR MAURYAN IS THE INDIKA OF MEGASTHENES . MEGASTHENES HAS LEFT HAS LEFT A LOTS OF INFORMATION REGARDING THE CONDITION OF INDIA , IN HIS TIME . ITS UNFORTUNATE WE DON'T POSSESS THE INDIKA IN ITS ORIGINAL FORM AND ONLY A FEW EXTRACTS TAKEN FROM HERE AND THERE NY OTHER GREEK WRITERS FROM INDIKA HAVE COME DOWN TO US .