In the wake of the death of Alexander the Great in 323 bce, Chandragupta (or Chandragupta Maurya ), founder of the Mauryan dynasty, conquered the Punjab region from the southeastern edges of Alexander’s former empire. The Mauryan Empire (322 BCE - 185 BCE) supplanted the earlier Magadha Kingdom to assume power over large tracts of eastern and northern India. At its height, the empire stretched over parts of modern... Mauryan Empire: Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of Mauryan Empire, with the help of Chanakya. Read complete details about Mauryan Empire Map, History, Kings. The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia with its power base in Magadha. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya around c. 320 BCE, [h] it existed in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE.