Between 200 and 1200 the Mauryan and Byzantine empires both had political leaders and noble classes that expanded empires and spread their religions. The Mauryans developed an elaborate bureaucracy that collected taxes from farming and had networks of people to spy on its own people and enforce obedience. Unlike the Mauryans, the Byzantines created a system of feudalism and used Eastern Orthodoxy to legitimize the rulership of an emperor. A large imperial army consisting of war elephants and cavalry secured power for the Mauryans, while military effectiveness led to the rise of the Carolingian empire and Vikings helped with spread of trade. The Mauryan Empire became India’s first centralized empire through Chandragupta Maurya,