MAJOR political centres in the Mauryan empire INCLUDING the capital Pataliputra and the provincial centres of Taxila, Ujjayini, Tosali, and Suvarnagiri. The third BUDDIST council was held at Pataliputra.Kautilya's Artha-shastra was the most important literary source for the Maurya's.Chandragupta Maurya is the founder of the Mauryan dynasty.Ashoka was the most famous Mauryan ruler and he was the first ruler who tried to take his message to the people through inscriptions.Mauryan empire started declining due to the invasions, DEFECTIONS by southern princes after the death of Ashoka. Vaishali was the capital of Vrijji mahajanapada.Indraprastha was the capital of the Pandavas.Kushinagar was the capital of the MALLA Republic.