Later Mauryans
Dasharatha Maurya (232BC-224BC)
He was a grandson of Ashoka and son of Tivara or Tivala, the favourite son of Ashoka.
Daharatha is described in the Vishnu Purana as the son of Suyashas. It has been suggested that Suyashas was an alternative name of Ashoka's son Tivara.
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He was probably born around 252 B.C. This was based on information provided in Mauryan inscriptions that he became king when he was only 20. He succeeded Ashoka and became king around 232 BC. He was a weak monarch and not much of an able military leader.
According to a Jain text, the provinces of Saurashtra, Karnataka, Andhra, and the Mahisha Mandala region broke away from the empire shortly after Ashoka's death, but were reconquered by Dasharatha's successor, Samprati.
Dasharatha is known to have dedicated three caves in the Nagarjuni Hills to the Ajivikas. Three inscriptions at the Gopika, Vadathi and Vapiya caves refer to him as "Devanampiya" and state that the caves were dedicated by him shortly after his accession.
For the convenience of administering the regional provinces, Dasharatha appointed three governors namely Bandhupalita, Indrapalita and Dasona.
The Mauryan Empire was shattered during Dasaratha's rule thus paving the way for the downfall of the empire. During his reign, Virasena, the governor declared himself king of Gandhara. Vidarbha also became independent. The Mahameghavahana dynasty of Kalinga in central-eastern India also carved itself out of the Mauryan Empire.
Various dynasties of the south including the Satavahana had been feudatories of the Mauryan Empire. These kingdoms are mentioned in Ashoka's edicts and were considered part of the outer circle of the Empire. The death of Ashoka began the decline of imperial power in the south. Dasharatha was able to maintain some command of the home provinces, but the distant governments, including areas in the south, broke away from imperial rule and established their independence. Epigraphic evidence indicates that Dasharatha retained imperial power in Magadha.
He had continued the religious and social policies of Ashoka. Dasharatha was the last ruler of the Mauryan dynasty to have issued imperial inscriptions
Ashoka had displayed divine support in his inscriptions; although a Buddhist ruler, he was called Devanampiya, which means "Beloved of the Gods" in Pali. The title of Devanampiya and religious adherence of the Mauryan ruler to Buddhism was continued by Dasharatha.
SAMPRATI (224 – 215 BCE)
Of the grandsons of Ashoka, the two most frequently mentioned are Samprati and Dasharatha.When Ashoka died, Samprati was too young to rule, therefore he was succeeded by another older grandson, Dasharatha. After the demise of Dasharatha, Samprati did indeed become Emperor.
He was the son of Ashoka’s blind son, Kunala. He succeeded his cousin, Dasharatha as emperor of the Mauryan Empire and ruled almost the entire present-day Indian subcontinent. Kunala was the son of Ashoka’s queen, Padmavati, but was blinded in a conspiracy to remove his claim to the throne by Ashoka’s another wife Tishyaraksha. Thus Kunal was replaced by Dasharatha as the heir to the throne. Blinded Kunala lived in Ujjain and married Kanchanamala, Samprati was born to them. Samprati was a Jain unlike his predecessors who followed Buddhism.
According to Jain text, some provinces broke away from the empire shortly after Ashoka's death but were re-conquered by Samprati, who deployed soldiers disguised as Jain monks.
Samprati is regarded for his patronage and efforts to spread Jainism in east India. He was a disciple of Jain monk Suhastisuri. He was credited with actively spreading Jainism to many parts of India and beyond, both by making it possible for monks to travel to barbarian lands, and by building and renovating thousands of temples and establishing millions of idols. He built temples at Viramgam, Palitana and Ujjain.
He was known as Jain Ashoka, as Ashoka, who promoted Buddhism.
SALISUKA (215 – 202 BCE)
He was the son and successor of Samprati Maurya. The Garga Samhita mentions him as a wicked ruler, who cruelly exploited his subjects. Although he was a follower of Jainism, he was credited as a cruel ruler by his subjects.
DEVAVARMAN (202 – 195 BCE)
He was the successor of Salisuka Maurya and a believer in Buddhist tradition.
SATADHANVAN (195 – 187 BCE)
He was son and Successor of Devavarman. He followed Jainism.
BRIHADRATHA (187 – 180 BCE)
He was the last ruler of the Mauryan dynasty. He was son of Satadhanvan. He followed Buddhism unlike his father. During his reign the Mauryan territories centered on the capital of Pataliputra, considerably had shrunk from the times of Ashoka to Brihadratha.
During his reign in 185 BC, there was a foreign invasion by Demetrius, a Greco-Bactrian ruler on the North Western part of Indian subcontinent. The weakness and bad rule of the king provoked his Commander to go against him and formed a group against the king. He was killed by his senapati Pushyamitra Shunga, during a military Parade in the Capital. By his death, the Mauryan Dynasty came to an end.