What type of government did the Mauryan empire have? How was power passed through generations?

The Mauryan Empire, which existed from 322 BCE to 185 BCE in ancient India, had a monarchical form of government. It was ruled by a king who held absolute power.

Power in the Mauryan Empire was typically passed through generations within the ruling dynasty. The first Mauryan king, Chandragupta Maurya, established the dynasty and passed the throne to his son, Bindusara. This pattern continued with Bindusara passing the throne to his son, Ashoka. However, it is important to note that succession was not always smooth, and there were instances of power struggles and conflicts among family members for the throne. Also, in exceptional cases, a king was known to adopt a worthy successor. Overall, the Mauryan Empire followed a hereditary system of passing power to the next generation.