Style and culture under the Mauryan emperors, the first imperial dynasty of India, flourished ca. 321 BCE - ca. 232 BCE. Particularly noted for sculpture and stone-cut architecture. Earlier sculpture had generally been made of wood but during the Maurya period stone became the preferred medium. The oldest surviving Indian architecture is from the Maurya period, rock-cut cave chambers for monks. The most notable Mauryan works are from the Ashoka period; to specifically designate the style and culture particular to the reign of Ashoka, use "Ashoka."
