Mahavira (c. 540-468 BCE) and Buddha (c. 563-483 BCE) were contemporaries living during the 6th century BCE.

Both founded major religious movements that challenged Vedic Brahminism.

Both attained spiritual enlightenment and established monastic orders that continue to exist.

The Mauryan Empire's decline after Ashoka (c. 232 BCE) resulted from imperial overextension, administrative difficulties in controlling such a vast territory, and succession disputes.

Ashoka's successors lacked his capabilities.

This led to the rise of regional powers like the Sungas, Anuradhapura kingdom in Sri Lanka, and the Indo-Greeks, fragmenting centralized authority.

The Saraswati is mentioned most frequently in the Rigveda (approximately 65 times) and is described as a mighty river.

It is depicted as flowing from the mountains to the ocean.

The Saraswati is now believed to be a dried-up river.

While the Sutlej and other rivers are mentioned, Saraswati holds prominence in Vedic texts as a river of great importance.

Amatyas were high-ranking civil administrators and ministers in the Mauryan Empire, as described in Kautilya's Arthashastra.

They held important administrative positions under the emperor and were responsible for various aspects of governance.

While they may have had overlapping roles in taxation and justice, their primary function was as senior civil administrators and advisors to the emperor.

Samudragupta (c. 335-380 CE) is often called the 'Napoleon of India' due to his extensive military campaigns across the subcontinent, as documented in the Allahabad Pillar inscription.

While Chandragupta I (c. 320-335 CE) established the empire and Chandragupta II expanded it, it was Samudragupta whose reign is particularly marked by numerous conquests.

Hunnic invasions occurred later, in the 5th century CE, contributing to the decline.

Mahavira (c. 599-527 BCE), the 24th and last Tirthankara of Jainism, was a contemporary of Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha, c. 563-483 BCE).

Both were reformers in North India during the 6th century BCE and both rejected Vedic authority.

Ashoka lived much later (c. 268-232 BCE), Kanishka in the 1st-2nd century CE, and Adi Shankara in the 8th century CE.