A citadel is the core fortified area of a town or city. It may be a fortress, castle, or fortified center.

Around 15% of the total population during the 17th century lived in the towns. This figure (15%) on average was even larger than the proportion of people inhabiting urban centers in Western Europe during the same period. Bernier uses the term "Camp Town" to describe these urban centers; meaning that these towns owed their permanence and were dependent on the imperial camps. He argues that these camps (towns) emerged with the move in of the imperial court and declined with the move out of the imperial courts. Furthermore, he intimated that these camps did not have a viable economic and social base but were subservient on royal patronage.

Jataka, (Pali and Sanskrit: “Birth”) any of the extremely popular stories of former lives of the Buddha, which are preserved in all branches of Buddhism. Some Jataka tales are scattered in various sections of the Pali canon of Buddhist writings, including a group of 35 that were collected for didactic purposes

• The Pallavas emerged as a formidable power in the South around the 4^th century AD and were at the height of their power in the seventh century AD. They were able to sustain their rule for about 500 years. They built great cities, centres of learning, temples and sculptures and influenced a large part of Southeast Asia in culture.
• The origins of the Pallavas are shrouded in mystery. There are several theories propounded by historians.
• Some historians say they are a branch of the Pahlavas of the Parthians who moved to the South.
• Some say they are an indigenous dynasty that arose within the Southern region and were a mix of various tribes.
• Some experts believe them to be of Naga origin who first settled around the Tondaimandalam region near Madras.
• Another theory says that they are descendent from a Chola prince and a Naga princess of Manipallavam (an island off Jaffna, Sri Lanka).
• Some others are of the opinion that the Pallavas were feudatories of the Satavahanas.
• The first Pallava kings ruled during the beginning of the 4th century AD. By the 7th century AD, there were three kingdoms in southern India vying for supremacy namely the Chalukyas of Badami, the Pandyas of Madurai and the Pallavas of Kanchipuram.

Pur is often translated as city, castle, fortress or abode.

Hoard is a stock or store of money or valued objects, typically one that is secret or carefully guarded.

Gem is a precious or semi-precious stone, especially when cut and polished or engraved.

The main factors that led to the rise of Buddhism and Jainism in India are the following:

1. Rigid Caste System: in the social hierarchy the priests were on the top and the shudras were on the bottom. The shudra or the fourth Varna people were not allowed to perform the Vedic rituals and they were banned to chant the Vedic mantras.

2. The new coinage: the traditional people opposed the use of coinage. They preferred the traditional barter system instead of coinage.  

3. Language barrier: the Vedas were written in the Sanskrit (which was a language of upper varnas), this was not the language of common people. Therefore, the third and fourth Varna people could not understand the beliefs of Vedas. Therefore, they wanted a religion which would be accessible for all Varna people.

The main tenets of Jainism are the following:

1. Truth - Satya

2. Non-violence - Ahimsa

3. Celibacy/Chastity - Brahmacharya

4. Non-stealing - Achaurya or Asteya

5. Non-attachment/Non-possession - Aparigraha

The main tenets of Buddhism are the following:

1. The Three Universal Truths;

2. The Four Noble Truths; and

3. The Noble Eightfold Path.

Chandragupta Maurya was born sometime around 340 BCE, reportedly in Patna, now in the Bihar state of India.

He was of humble origin, since nobody recorded anything about him until he founded the Mauryan Empire. 

Chandragupta was brave and charismatic – a born leader. 

The young man came to the attention of a famous Brahmin scholar, Chanakya, who began to groom Chandragupta helping him raise an army, and taught him tactics through different Hindu sutras.

Chandragupta’s new empire, at the time of it's founding, stretched from what is now Afghanistan in the west to Myanmar (Burma) in the west, and from Jammu/Kashmir in the north to the Deccan Plateau in the south. Chanakya served as the equivalent of a “prime minister” in the fledgling government.

When Alexander the Great died in 323 BCE, his generals divided up his empire so that each of them would have a territory to rule. By about 316, Chandragupta Maurya was able to defeat and incorporate all the ones in the mountains of Central Asia, extending his empire to the edge of what is now Iran, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

By the end of his reign, Chandragupta Maurya had unified almost all of the Indian subcontinent under his rule. His grandson, Ashoka, would go on to add Kalinga and the Tamils to the empire, as well.

Chandragupta became fascinated with Jainism, an extremely ascetic belief system.

In 298 BCE, the emperor renounced his rule, handing over power to his son Bindusara. Chandragupta traveled south to a cave at Shravanabelogola, now in Karntaka. There he meditated without eating or drinking for five weeks, until he died of starvation. 

Chandragupta is remembered as the unifier of India and was the first king to be depicted on an Indian Postage Stamp.