James Prinsep was an officer in the mint of the East India Company. His contribution considered as a major turning point in early Indian history due to the following reasons:

a. He contributed in the Indian epigraphy by deciphering 2 scripts- the Brahmi and Kharoshthi.in the earliest inscriptions and coins.

b. His study of inscriptions gave a lot of information about the rulers.

c. It gave a new sense of direction to investigations into the early Indian political history as Europeans and Indian scholars used the inscriptions and texts composed in different languages tor reconstruct the lineages of major dynasties that had ruled the subcontinent.

James Princep was an officer in the mint of the British East India Company during the 1830s.
It was his discovery that gave a new direction in studying the early History India because
1. He deciphered Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts, the scripts in which Ashoka's inscription are written. Thus making available large chunks of evidences.
2. It was his disovery of Piyamdasi being Ashoka that opened up the huge Mauryan empire and discovery of Ashoka the great.
3. Through his disocovery historians began to to shift their focus to the context of political history, investigating whether there were connections between political changes and economic and social developments.

The growth of Magadha culminated in the emergence of the Mauryan Empire. Chandragupta Maurya founded the Mauryan Empire in 321 BCE. He was a powerful and prosperous ruler. He extended his control to northwest as Afghanistan and Baluchistan, and his Grandson, Ashoka the great arguably the most famous ruler of early India conquered Kalinga. Such vast and huge empire needed a strong administration. Asoka inscription mentions all the main feature of the administration of Mauryan Empire.

i) There are five major political centers they were Patilaputra,Ujjayini, Tasali, Swarnagiri and Taxila.

ii) Administrative control varied throughout the vast extent of the empire, but it was strongest near the capital and provincial centres which were located around trade routes. Strong networks of roads and communications were established to consolidate the vast empire.

iii) Army Administration was vital for protecting trade as well as vast empire according to Megasthenes there was one committee with six subcommittees for coordinating military activities ; one looked after the navy ; second managed transport and provision ; third was responsible for foot soldiers; fourth subcommittee had the responsibility for horses; fifth for chariot and sixth had the responsibility for elephants.

iv) The state also appointed officers to superintend the rivers, measure the land and inspect the sieves by which the water let out from its main canal to its branches, so that everyone can have an equal supply of it. The same officers also collected the taxes, and superintend the occupations connected to the land that is of wood cutters, carpenters etc.

v) Special officers called “Dhamma Mahamatta” were appointed to spread the message of dhamma throughout the empire. This was the most significant feature of Mauryan Empire and its administration.

The fate of Amravati stupa was different from Sanchi stupa in the following manner:

• Amravati stupa was discovered before the Sanchi stupa. Whereas Sanchi stupa was discovered in 1818 which was much late than when Amravati stupa was discovered. By that time scholars have become aware of its value and the importance to preserve things where they had been found.

• In 1796, when a local raja saw the ruins of Amravati stupa, he decided to use its stone for building a temple at the same place. Thus, the value of Amravati stupa was not recognized.

• Foreigners and other establishments took away the remains of Amravati stupa to their places. In 1854, Walter Elliot, the commissioner of Guntur (Andhra Pradesh), collected several sculpture panels and took them away to Madras. Its slabs were also taken to the Asiatic Society of Bengal at Calcutta, to the India Office in Madras and some even to London.

• As in the case of Amravati stupa, the gateways of Sanchi stupa were not taken into the museums of London. They were well preserved and were of great importance.

• When Sanchi stupa was discovered, three of its four gateways remained intact and the fourth was lying on the spot where it had fallen. The mound was also in good condition. Thus, no such harm was done to the unique piece of architecture.

Thus, all these factors indicate why Sanchi Stupa was well preserved whereas Amravati stupa stumbled.

The sources that we can use to reconstruct exciting world of ideas and beliefs include Buddhist, Jaina and Brahmanical texts, material remains etc
1. The mid-first millennium BCE is generally considered as a turning point in world history it saw the emergence of thinkers such as Zarathustra in Iran, Kong Zi in China, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle in Greece and Mahavira and Gautam Buddha among many others in India.
2. The tried to find answers to fundamental questions about the meaning of existence and the relationship between human beings and the cosmic order.
3. There were several pre-existing traditions of thought, religious belief and practice. The best known amongst there is the Vedic traditions.
4. The early Vedic tradition is known from the Rigveda, compiled between C. 1500-1000 BCE, consisting of hymns in praise of variety of deities, especially Agni, Indra and Soma. Sacrifices were performed collectively as well as individually by the people, where they prayed for cattle, sons, good health, peace, long life, rain etc.