It is a natural phenomenon that all the empires have crumbled down by their own weight. The Mauryan Empire was no exception to this :

(1) First, the ministerial oppression was a chronic disease with the Mauryan Empire.

(2) Second, the weakness of the successors of Asoka was another important cause of the downfall of the Mauryas.

(3) Third, Hararpasad Shastri has pointed out that the Brahmanical reaction was the primary cause of the downfall of the Mauryas.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

But H.C. Roy Chaudhuri, on the other hand, suggested that in the Asoka’s edict there is nothing to offend the Brahmans. Thus the question of Brahmanical reaction may not be regarded as valid.

(4) Fourth, it was not possible for the Mauryan government to strike a balance between income and expenditure. The economic factor may be considered as the most important factor responsible for the downfall of the Mauryas.