*🛡️Mauryan Period- Important Texts and Inscriptions* 💎 *Arthashastra* ♟️ *Polity/Statecraft* *♟️Author:* Chanakya *♟️Description:* Ancient Indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy, and military strategy, written in Sanskrit. *💎Natural History* *♟️Author:* Pliny *♟️Description:* Tells us about the strength of CGM’s army (600K infantry, 30K cavalry, 9K elephants) and about the flora, fauna, minerals, geography, etc., of India. *💎Milind Panha* *♟️Author:* Nagasesena *♟️Description:* Dialogue between Indo-Greek king Menander I and Nagasesena discussing Buddhism. *💎Indica* *♟️Author:* Megasthenes *♟️Description:* Survived in fragments, detailing Mauryan administration and military organization, particularly in Patliputra. *💎Vinaya Pitaka* *♟️Author:* Upali *♟️Description:* Written in Pali, deals with monastic rules for monks and nuns. *💎Abhidhamma Pitaka* *♟️Author:* (Unknown) *♟️Description:* Deals with philosophy and metaphysics. *⚜️Other Texts and Inscriptions* *💎Sutta Pitaka* *♟️Author:* Ananda *♟️Description:* Written in Pali, deals with dialogues and discourses on morality and Dharma. *💎Kalpasutra* *♟️Author:* Bhadrabahu *♟️Description:* Written in Prakrit, deals with the life stories of the last two Jain Tirthankaras. *💎Junagarh Rock* Inscription *♟️Author:* Rudradaman I *♟️Description:* Credited with the first long inscription in chaste Sanskrit, mentions repairs to the Sudershana Lake. *💎Shalihotra Samhita* *♟️Author:* Shalihotra *♟️Description:* Deals with the anatomy of horses.