Chandragupta Maurya

Chandragupta Maurya (322BC-298BC)

He was the son of a chieftain & head of the clan called ‘Moriya’. After the chieftain was killed in a battle, his pregnant

widow was brought to Pataliputra by her brother, who was working under Dhana Nanda. She died post delivery of a

boy. The boy was named as ChandraGupta and he lived with his uncle. He spent his childhood as a cowherd, a milk man and did much work to help his uncle for his livelihood.

 

 

Chanakya was insulted & thrown out of Nanda Court. He was thinking about to take revenge for the insult & found Chandragupta on the way to Taxila. He took the boy to Taxila and trained him in military, administration and many more subjects also collected the youngsters who were against the rule of Dhana Nanda. He also convinced the ruler Parvataka of Himalaya to help him against common enemy Dhana Nanda. Thus he formed an army of strong ‘will’.

 

Chandra Gupta Maurya, with a large army attacked on Pataliputra defeated the ruler Dhana Nanda. He occupied Nanda empire, which was spread across north India bordering Greek possessions. Chanakya took his revenge on Dhana Nanda by ending his reign and remained in Pataliputra as prime minister of Chandra Gupta Maurya. Chandra Gupta married Nandini, daughter of Dhana Nanda. His prime wife was ‘Durdhara’ who gave birth to his successor.

 

 

 

Before returning to Greece, Alexander made Seleucus Nicator as viceroy of his Indian Possessions, which bordered the Maurya Empire of Chandra Gupta. After the death of Alexander, Seleucus invaded Mauryan empire with a large army. With the war plan of Chanakya, Chandra Gupta won the war, The losing army king Selucus had to sign a treaty with the victorious enemy. According to treaty, which was drafted by Kautilya Chankaya, Chandra Gupta received  Kabul, Gandhar, Herat and Balochistan.

 

Mauryan empire  covered the entire Indian subcontinent except for parts of present-day Tamil Nadu and Kerala and extended upto Balochistan. Empire’s capital was Pataliputra and provincial capitals were Taxila and Ujjain. Pushya Gupta was appointed as a Governor to rule newly annexed Western territories of Kabul, Gandhar, Herat &  Balochistan.

 

 Selucus sent the Ambassador Megasthenes to the court of Chandra Gupta & also sent a proposal of marriage with his daughter & Greek Princess Helena. Chanakya suggested Chandra Gupta to accept the marriage alliance with Greeks as the Seleucid Empire was neighbouring country and didn’t want any enmity with it, which halts the progress of Mauryan administration. Chandra Gupta Maurya married Helena, daughter of Selucus Nicator. Chandra Gupta gifted 500 elephants to Selucus. In Greek records Chandra Gupta Maurya is named as Sandrokottas and Androkottas

 

Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Ajivism flourished during the Maurya Empire. The Empire built a strong economy from a solid infrastructure such as irrigation, temples and roads. The Emperor's Chandra Gupta and Ashoka, completed the construction of roads from Pataliputra to Taxila In his last days, he renounced the throne and left to ShravanaBelagola with his Guru Bhadrabahu as the Emperor believed in Jainism. He observed Sallekhana, a tough Jain tradition of  “starve to death”.