Which ancient Indian empire was founded around 322 BCE by Chandragupta Maurya?

The ancient Indian empire founded around 322 BCE by Chandragupta Maurya was the Maurya Empire. Chandragupta established the dynasty after overthrowing the Nanda ruler Dhana Nanda in the eastern kingdom of Magadha, with the guidance of his adviser Chanakya, also known as Kautilya.

The new empire grew from the Ganges basin and eventually became one of the largest states in ancient South Asia. Chandragupta expanded westward into territories formerly controlled by the successors of Alexander the Great. According to later accounts, he reached an agreement with Seleucus I Nicator around 305 BCE, gaining territory while providing war elephants.

The Mauryan state is especially associated with centralized administration, taxation, roads, officials, and a large army. Its most famous ruler was Ashoka, Chandragupta’s grandson, who governed much of the subcontinent in the third century BCE and promoted Buddhism after the Kalinga War.

The Nanda Empire was the power Chandragupta displaced, not the empire he founded. The Gupta Empire arose centuries later, while the Kushan Empire belonged to a later period and had a different origin.