Novice - Honorable Imperium: The Mauryan Empire (261 BCE)
Chair: Jianhao Cui
Crisis Director: Saksham Madaan
Email: mauryan@bruinmun.org
Committee Type: Single Delegation
Committee Profile
In this exciting and turbulent committee, delegates are dropped straight in the middle of the action of the Kalinga War, one of the most significant turning points for the Mauryan Empire. The Mauryan Empire was the first Pan-Indian empire that stretched across Northern and Central India and a little bit into Iran too. Established in 321 B.C., it began when Chandragupta Maurya filled in the power vacuum left by Alexander the Great by taking over Magadha. From there onward, he, along with the support of his advisor Chanakya, continued to gather land until they created this monumental empire that left its mark in India’s history. Eventually, his grandson Ashoka would take hold of the empire.
Ashoka the Great or Chakravartin Samrat Ashoka, was emperor of the Mauryan Empire from 268 to 232 B.C. He expanded the empire to greater heights by crushing revolutions in Ujjain and Taxila and proving his power in Southern India. Ultimately, he set his eyes on Kalinga to build a fort granting him access to greater lands beyond his reign. Having heard of his grandfather Chandragupta failing before, he wanted to test his luck. Delegates will be placed in the midst of this bloody conflict that lasted only a year. If they can make it through the war with enough tactics and strategy, they will have to face the repercussions that the empire encountered after this bloody battle. They will function as Ashoka’s cabinet guiding him through this battle, helping protect the land from foreigners, and managing internal strife. At the same time, they will assist Ashoka in the greatest about-face seen in history: his conversion to Buddhism as a consequence of the bloodshed. Not to forget the fact that they will be driving their own character arcs to gain power within one of the greatest empires India has ever seen, this committee’s twists and turns promise an exciting time for everyone.
Chair Letter
Dear delegates,
My name is Jianhao Cui, and I will be serving as your chair for Honorable Imperium: The Mauryan Empire, one of BruinMUN 2023’s novice crisis committees. I’m currently a third-year pre-law student at UCLA, double majoring in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations and Economics.
I began my MUN journey in my freshman year of college when I was looking for clubs focused on public speaking and international policy, and MUN is the club that I loved the most and stuck with. Since joining, I’ve competed at four conferences and been Crisis Director at MUNSI (UCLA’s MUN summer camp) as well as LAMUN (UCLA’s collegiate conference). This year will be my second time chairing a committee at BruinMUN, and I’m extremely excited to create the best experience possible for this committee.
Outside of MUN, my main hobbies are olympic weightlifting and cooking. I’m part of Barbarian Barbell Club, a gym outside of UCLA; next year I’m excited to be competing at collegiate nationals. Since quarantine, I’ve been cooking all the time and often spend tens of hours prepping for a single dish. Other things about me include my borderline obsession with Pokémon, being the designated tour guide for my friends since I grew up in LA, and building gundams.
The Mauryan Empire was the first large, great empire in India. Delegates in this committee will be situated at a time during the rule of King Ashoka the Great, an emperor who ushered a peaceful golden age to the empire. Dealing with the most threatening war in the empire’s history, delegates will have to navigate defeating their enemies as well as maintaining domestic stability. Balancing both the nation’s interests as well as one’s own personal gain will be key for success as a part of Ashoka’s great council.
Best wishes!
Jianhao Cui | Chair | BruinMUN 31
CD Letter
Dear Delegates,
My name is Saksham Madaan and I am so excited to be your Crisis Director for Honorable Imperium: The Mauryan Empire. I am currently a second-year Business Economics major here at UCLA, hoping to pursue a film minor on the side. After my undergraduate studies, I aim to pursue a law degree, with a focus on corporate law.
My high school lacked a proper MUN team until I left so I was a big speech and debate guy. Coming into college, I was looking for that same type of community in a club that was also centered around public speaking and political issues which is where I discovered MUN. Since then, I have fallen in love with this club and have crisis-staffed both BruinMUN and LAMUN in my freshman year. In addition to staffing, I am also on the travel team and am the Director of Technology this year for both this conference and our Model United Nations team in general.
Outside of MUN, I am a writer for the Bruin Review, an independent publication on campus, and a community representative for my floor. Some of my other hobbies include film photography, geeking over the newest MCU movie, reading manga, and consistently revamping my playlists to be objectively better than everyone else’s.
I am so excited about this committee’s topic! The Mauryan Empire was perhaps one of the most influential empires in India’s history, not to mention one of the strongest. Initially created by Chandragupta Maurya and his clever advisor Chanakya, it became the first Pan-Indian empire. As members of Ashoka’s cabinet, you will be dropped directly in the midst of one of the greatest turning points in history: the Kalinga War. It will be your responsibility to navigate the treacherous landscape placed in front of Ashoka, one of the most distinguished leaders in India’s history. I am thrilled to be your crisis director and hope I can make this the most fun committee possible.
Best of luck and have fun!
Saksham Madaan | Crisis Director | BruinMUN 31