List of 10 Top & Bottom Expensive Cities

The Economist Intelligence Unit's Worldwide Cost of Living ranking is based on price data that are adjusted for recent exchange-rate movements. The price of housing, generally the largest cost of living, is not included as this tends to be provided by the company and does not factor in adjusting the salary of the expatriate employee.

Top ten locations surveyed (2014)

Rank	City	Country
1	Singapore	Singapore
2	Paris	France
3	Oslo	Norway
4	Zurich	Switzerland
5	Sydney	Australia
6	Caracas	Venezuela
7	Geneva	Switzerland
8	Melbourne	Australia
9	Tokyo	Japan
10	Copenhagen	Denmark

Bottom ten locations surveyed (2014)

Rank	City	Country
1	Mumbai	India
2	Karachi	Pakistan
3	New Delhi	India
4	Kathmandu	Nepal
5	Damascus	Syria
6	Algiers	Algeria
7	Bucharest	Romania
8	Panama City	Panama
9	Jeddah	Saudi Arabia
10	Riyadh	Saudi Arabia

Maurya Empire

Mauryan Empire मौर्यसाम्राज्यम्(Sanskrit) मौर्यसाम्राज्य(Hindi)
←  ←  322 BC–185 BC  →  →  →  →
Maurya Empire at its maximum extent (Dark Blue), including its vassals (Light Blue).
Capital		Pataliputra (Modern day Patna)
Languages		Old Indic Languages(e.g. Magadhi Prakrit,Other Prakrits, Sanskrit)
Religion		Hinduism Buddhism Jainism Ājīvika
Government		Absolute Monarchy as described in theArthashastra
Samraat (Emperor)
-	320–298 BC	Chandragupta Maurya
-	298-272 BC	Bindusara
-	268-232 BC	Ashoka
-	232-224 BC	Dasaratha
-	224–215 BC	Samprati
-	215–202 BC	Salisuka Maurya
-	202–195 BC	Devavarman
-	195–187 BC	Satadhanvan
-	187–185 BC	Brihadratha
Historical era		Antiquity
-	Established	322 BC
-	Disestablished	185 BC
Area		5,000,000 km²(1,930,511 sq mi)
Currency		Panas
Today part of		Afghanistan  Bangladesh  Bhutan  China  India  Iran  Kyrgyzstan  Maldives  Myanmar    Nepal  Pakistan  Sri Lanka  Tajikistan  Turkmenistan  Uzbekistan

Outline of South Asian history History of Indian subcontinent
7000–3000 BC: Stone Age
3000–1300 BC: Bronze Age
1700–26 BC: Iron Age
21–1279 AD: Middle Kingdoms
1206–1596: Late medieval age
1526–1858: Early modern period
1505–1961: Colonial period
Other states (1102–1947)
v t e

The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in ancient India, ruled by the Mauryan dynasty from 322 to 185 BCE. Originating from the kingdom of Magadha in the Indo-Gangetic plains (modern Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh) in the eastern side of the Indian subcontinent, the empire had its capital city at Pataliputra (modern Patna). The Empire was founded in 322 BCE by Chandragupta Maurya, who had overthrown the Nanda Dynasty and rapidly expanded his power westwards across central and western India, taking advantage of the disruptions of local powers in the wake of the withdrawal westward by Alexander the Great's Greek armies. By 320 BCE the empire had fully occupied Northwestern India, defeating and conquering the satraps left by Alexander.

The Maurya Empire was one of the world's largest empires in its time, and the largest ever in the Indian subcontinent. At its greatest extent, the empire stretched to the north along the natural boundaries of the Himalayas, and to the east stretching into what is now Assam. To the west, it conquered beyond modern Pakistan, annexing Khorasan, Balochistan, south eastern parts of Iran and much of what is now Afghanistan, including the modern Herat and Kandahar provinces. The Empire was expanded into India's central and southern regions by the emperors Chandragupta and Bindusara, but it excluded a small portion of unexplored tribal and forested regions near Kalinga (modern Odisha), until it was conquered by Ashoka. Its decline began 60 years after Ashoka's rule ended, and it dissolved in 185 BCE with the foundation of the Sunga Dynasty in Magadha.

Under Chandragupta, the Mauryan Empire conquered the trans-Indus region, which was under Macedonian rule. Chandragupta then defeated the invasion led by Seleucus I, a Greek general from Alexander's army. Under Chandragupta and his successors, internal and external trade, agriculture and economic activities, all thrived and expanded across India thanks to the creation of a single and efficient system of finance, administration, and security.

After the Kalinga War, the Empire experienced half a century of peace and security under Ashoka. Mauryan India also enjoyed an era of social harmony, religious transformation, and expansion of the sciences and of knowledge. Chandragupta Maurya's embrace of Jainism increased social and religious renewal and reform across his society, while Ashoka's embrace of Buddhism has been said to have been the foundation of the reign of social and political peace and non-violence across all of India. Ashoka sponsored the spreading of Buddhist ideals into Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, West Asia and Mediterranean Europe.

The population of the empire has been estimated to be about 50 - 60 million making the Mauryan Empire one of the most populous empires of all time.

Archaeologically, the period of Mauryan rule in South Asia falls into the era of Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW). The Arthashastra and the Edicts of Ashoka are the primary sources of written records of Mauryan times. The Lion Capital of Asoka at Sarnath has been made the national emblem of India.

Chandragupta

Chandragupta Maurya (340 BC – 298 BC) was the founder of the Mauryan Empire and the 

Chandragupta Maurya
Samraat (Emperor)Mauryan Emperor
Statue of Chandragupta Maurya at the Birla Mandir, Delhi
Reign	322BC - 298BC
Titles	Samraat Chakravartin
Born	340 BC
Birthplace	Pataliputra (Patna), Bihar, India
Died	298 BC
Place of death	Shravanbelgola, Karnataka, India
Predecessor	Dhanananda of Nanda Dynasty
Successor	Bindusara
Consort	Durdhara
Issue	Bindusara
Dynasty	Maurya

first emperor to unify India into one state. He ruled from 322 BC until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favour of his son Bindusara in 298 BC.
Chandragupta Maurya is a pivotal figure in the history of India. Prior to his consolidation of power, most of South Asia was ruled by small states, while the Nanda Dynasty dominated the Gangetic Plains. Chandragupta succeeded in conquering and subjugating almost all of the Indian subcontinent by the end of his reign. His empire extended from Bengal and Assam in the east, to Afghanistan and Balochistan, eastern and south-east Iran in the west, to Kashmir in the north, and to the Deccan Plateau in the south. It was the largest empire yet seen in Indian history.
After unifying India, Chandragupta and his chief advisor Chanakya passed a series of major economic and political reforms. He established a strong central administration patterned after Chanakya’s text on politics, the Arthashastra (English: Economics and Political Science). Mauryan India was characterised by an efficient and highly organised bureaucratic structure with a large civil service. Due to its unified structure, the empire developed a strong economy, with internal and external trade thriving and agriculture flourishing. In both art and architecture, the Mauryan empire constituted a landmark. There was a growth in culture which derived its inspiration from the Achaemenids and the Hellenistic world. Chandragupta's reign was a time of great social and religious reform in India. Buddhism and Jainism became increasingly prominent.

Silver punch mark coin of the Maurya empire, with symbols of wheel and elephant. 3rd century BCE.

In foreign Greek and Latin accounts, Chandragupta is known as Sandrokottos and Androcottus. He became well known in the Hellenistic world for conquering Alexander the Great's easternmost satrapies, and for defeating the most powerful of Alexander's successors, Seleucus I Nicator, in battle. Chandragupta subsequently married Seleucus's daughter to formalize an alliance and established a policy of friendship with the Hellenistic kingdoms, which stimulated India's trade and contact with the western world. The Greek diplomat Megasthenes, who visited the Mauryan capital Pataliputra, is an important source of Mauryan history. 
Chandragupta was influenced to accept Jainism by the sage Bhadrabahu; he abdicated his throne to spend his last days at the Shravana Belgola, a famous religious site in southwest India, where he fasted to death. Along with his grandson, Ashoka, Chandragupta Maurya is one of the most celebrated rulers in the history of India and is also known as Samraat Chakravartin. He has played a crucial role in shaping the national identity of modern India, and has been lionised as a model ruler and as a national hero.

(Chandragupta extended the borders of his empire towards Seleucid Persia after his conflict with Seleucus c. 305 BCE.)