孔雀帝国（梵语：मौर्य राजवंश，约前324年至约前185年），即古印度摩揭陀国的孔雀王朝扩张所形成的帝国。

前325年，马其顿国王亚历山大大帝从印度河流域撤走，在旁遮普设立了总督，留下了一支军队。这时，月护王（旃陀罗笈多）率领当地人民揭竿而起，组织了一支军队，赶走了马其顿人。随后，他又推翻了难陀王朝，建了新的王朝，定都华氏城。由于他出身于一个养孔雀的家族，因此，后来人们把月护王创建的王朝叫孔雀王朝。也有一说孔雀一词来源于其梵语发音（mayūra）与月护王的母亲的名字发音相近。

月护王统治末年（前298年），人口达到1870万人，到了月护王儿子宾头娑罗统治时期，孔雀王朝已控制了印度河平原，恒河平原，孟加拉湾，德干高原以及远逹阿拉伯海的广大领域，形成了史学界传统意义上的大帝国。

The Maurya Empire, also known as the Mauryan Empire, was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in ancient India, ruled by the Maurya dynasty from 322–185 BCE. Originating from the kingdom of Magadha in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (modern Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh) in the eastern side of the Indian subcontinent, the empire had its capital city at Pataliputra (modern Patna). The Empire was founded in 322 BCE by Chandragupta Maurya, who had overthrown the Nanda Dynasty and rapidly expanded his power westwards across central and western India, alongside Chanakya's help, taking advantage of the disruptions of local powers in the wake of the withdrawal westward by Alexander the Great's armies. By 316 BCE the empire had fully occupied Northwestern India, defeating and conquering the satraps left by Alexander. Chandragupta then defeated the invasion led by Seleucus I, a Macedonian general from Alexander's army, gaining additional territory west of the Indus River.