Chandragupta Maurya (321-297 B.C.)
He was considered as the first Indian King. The Ceylonese tradition said that Chandragupta Maurya might be ascended the throne in 321 B.C. According to Hindu tradition he was the son of the last Nanda ruler by a Shudra woman Mura. According to Jaina tradition Chandragupta was a son of a village chief of the peacock or Maurya dynasty. In Divyavadana he was from a Kshatriya clan. In the Mahaparinirvana he was belonging from a ruling clan of Kshatriya clan Moriya a branch of Shakya clan of Buddha, of Piplivana. According to Justin and Plutarch Greek scholar, Chandragupta was born and led in humble life not a prince. According to Ceylonese tradition state that His father was killed in a battle belong to Moriya clan and Mura was pregnant this time. She fled to Pushpapura known as also Patliputra to save the unbirth baby. Diodorus and Curtors provide us the clear account of early days of Chandragupta Maurya. In Mudrarakshasa, he was known as Kulahin, Mauryaputra, Chandasri, Nandaputra, Vrshala, and Nandvay.
His Empire extended from Afghanistan and Baluchistan in the North-West, Narmada Vidhyachal in the South, and Bengal in the East.
According to Plutarch, Chandragupta was known as Androcotus and his region till Hindukush under him.
According to Justin, he was known as Sandrocotus and he preferred Punjab from the Greeks.
According to Philarcus, he was known as Sandrocoptus.
According to Apianus, Chandragupta married to Helena.
According to Arrian, Mauryan had least imperialistic interests due to legality. And Indian did not turn the foreigners into slaves. He said anybody can become a Philosopher.
Diodorus and Curtors give clear account about early days of Chandragupta Maurya.
Chandragupta referred as Kulahin, Mauryaputra, Chadrasri, and Nandaputra in Mudrarakshasha.
According to Markendya Purana, Mauryas as Asuras.
Formation of army
According to Mahavamsa, Chankya was raised his army with recruit of soldiers which leader was Chandragupta. Chandragupta was learned at Taxila. According to Justin, he has 6 lakh soldiers. His army was so large and well trained by Chanakya. According to Strabo Sandrokottos has 4 lakhs army and with in a camp of Chandragupta with Magasthenes consisted of 40 thousands army. Mudrarakshasa mention that the army consisted of Yavana, Shakas, Kamboja and local.
Conquest with Seleucus
According to Plutarch and Justin, Chandragupta as a youth met Alexander. Chandragupta was failed in his first attack. In his second attack in 322 B.C. Pataliputra or Pushpapura, Dhana Nanda was defeated. He married to Durdhara daughter of Dhana Nanda. The earliest epigraphic reference to Chandragupta maurya is found in Junagarh rock inscription of Rudradaman.
After the death of Alexander, Seleucus I Nicator a Macedonian general his commander in chief was put in the throne at Babylon in 312 BCE. Chandragupta defeated to Seleucus in 305 `B.C. and marries to Helena the daughter of Seleucus as a peace treaty and Greek surrendered with Herat, Kabul, Kandhar and Baluchistan. According Strabo, Chandragupta engaged a matrimonial alliance for peace and treaty. Seleucus established the Seleucid kingdom in Babylon its capital. Chandragupta sent 500 war elephants to Seleucus for help in the battle of Ipsus in 301 BCE. Seleucus sent Megasthenese as an ambassador at the court of Chandragupta Maurya. Later Antichos sent to Deimakos to Bindusara court and Dionisius was the ambassador of Ashoka court and stayed in Pataliputra.
Conquest with North-West and South region
Chandragupta may have assassinated to two Alexander Governor Nicano and Philipos and also fought with Satrapas. In Western India Chandragupta conquered Saurashtra and he appointed Pushyagupta as its Governor. He also annexed Malwa and made its capital Ujjain. According to Justin, Chandragupta was freed Punjab from the Greeks. In Punjab both men and women were fight against Alexander.
Chandragupta also conquered to South India up to Tamilnadu and Mysore and it was proved by Ashoka’s inscription. The Tamil poet Mamulanar mentioned that the Vamba Mariyar or Maurya upstarts advance to the Tinnevelly district from Konkan. According to Junagarh edict, Chandragupta maurya was conquest to Saurashtra.
Chandragupta Empite extended from the Bay of Bengal in the East to the Arabian Sea in the West and from the Himalayas in the North to certain area of peninsular India Vindhya to the South. So he was the first historical founder of India.
Infrastructure
Chandragupta Maurya built infrastructure such as irrigation, temples, mines, roads etc. it’s proved that kingdom had strong economy. According to Junagarh rock inscription of Rudradaman found in Gujurat an irrigation infrastructure built by Chandragupta and enhanced by Ashoka was repaired by Rudradaman. The inscription states that the Sudarshana Lake in the area was commissioned by Chandragupta's governed by Pushyagupta. The Mauryan control of the region is further corroborated by Ashoka's inscription on the same rock. This also suggests that Chandragupta controlled the Malwa region in Central India, which was located between Gujarat and his capital Pataliputra in Magadha.
Court
The friendship between India and Persia the court manners and ceremonies of the King was influenced by the Persian traditions. The council of minister was borrowed from Persia. Tushaspa, a Persian who was appointed as the Governor of Kathiawar. Persian women were employed as Bodyguard of the Kings. The Indo-Persian relations date back to Vedas. There were similarities between Vedas of Aryans and Avesta of Persian holy or sacred books.
Marriages
He was defeated to Dhana nanda in 322 BCE. He was married to Durdhara or Nandini daughter of Dhana nanda. She gaved birth to Bindusara. Seleucus I Nicator the general of Alexander become Emperor of Babylon and established the Seleucid Empire. He conflict with Chandragupta in 303 BCE and defeated, in a treaty of Indus, for peace, he was given married his daughter Hellena to Chandragupta Maurya. He surrendered Herat, Kabul, Kandhar and Baluchistan. Chandragupta presented him 500 war elephants as the war peace and Chandragupta helped to Seleucus to give elephants which were played the main role in the battle of Ipsus in 301 BCE to win the war.
Death
According to Jaina tradition, he takes retired from Kingship and decided to as a Jaina Digambara Monks. He renounced his Empire to his son Bindusara and followed his Jaina teacher Bhadrabahu. On the night of full moon in the month of Kartika, Chandragupta Maurya saw sixteen dreams, which were then explained to him by Acharya Bhadrabahu. He was bringing with him to Chandragupta with his groups to South India. At the age of 42, he died at 297 BCE at Shravanabelagola of Karnataka. Chandragupta meditated without eating or drinking for five weeks until he died of starvation in a practice known as Sallekhana or santhara. According to inscriptions at Shravanabelgola, Bhadrabahu died after taking the vow of Sallekhana.
No comments:
Post a Comment