Discuss the main features of the …

The growth of Magadha culminated in the emergence of the Mauryan Empire. Chandragupta Maurya, who founded the empire (c. 321 BCE), extended control as far northwest as Afghanistan and Baluchistan, and his grandson Asoka, arguably the most famous ruler of early India, conquered Kalinga (present-day Orissa). 
Such a huge empire needed a strong administration, hence here are the main features of how the empire was administered.

1. Division of empire into five major political centres- This centres were located at very strategic location for example both Taxila and Ujjayini were situated on important long-distance trade routes, while Suvarnagiri (literally, the golden mountain) was possibly important for tapping the gold mines of Karnataka.

2. Standing army- Such a diverse and vast region needed a strong army to control and protec it. Hence as Megasthenes has shown that the Mauryan had a very strong army. And he mentions six different committee with six subcommittees for coordinating military activity. Of these, one looked after the navy, the second managed transport and provisions, the third was responsible for foot-soldiers, the fourth for horses, the fifth for chariots and the sixth for elephants.

3. Appointing royal princes as the governor of the major political centres, because being a royal princes they could be trusted.

4. During Asoka, he tried to hold his empire together by propagating dhamma, the principles of which were simple and virtually universally applicable. This, according to him, would ensure the well-being of people in this world and the next.

5. Strong means of communication along land and rivers were developed aso as to administer the vast empire.

Among the five points we see that it was his attempts to hold the empire using dhamma as means to be most prominent theme in the inscription which were inscribed on natural stones, pollished pillars.