Maurya India was founded by Chandragupta Maurya. And here, once again, I would say leadership was a major factor. He was aided by his political advisor, Chanakya, who's famous in Indian history for his strategic thinking. Chandragupta Maurya, legend has it, met Alexander the Great when he came into the Indus. But once Alexander the Great left, there was a power vacuum. You could say that that power vacuum helped the Maurya Empire be founded. It's similar to the notion of having weaker neighbors once Alexander the Great left.