98-665: [REDACTED] Look up चन्द्रगुप्त in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Chandragupta may refer to: People [ edit ] Chandragupta Maurya , Indian Emperor, Mauryan Empire, 322–297 BCE Chandragupta I , Indian king, Gupta Empire, 320-335 CE Chandragupta II (died 415), also known as Chandragupta Vikramaditya, Indian emperor, Gupta Empire, 375-415 CE Arts and entertainment [ edit ] Devichandraguptam , ancient Indian drama by Vishakhadatta about Chandragupta II Chandragupta Maurya (2011 TV series) ,
196-474: A strong economy from a solid infrastructure such as irrigation, temples, mines, and roads. Ancient epigraphical evidence suggests Chandragupta, under counsel from Chanakya, started and completed many irrigation reservoirs and networks across the Indian subcontinent to ensure food supplies for the civilian population and the army, a practice continued by his dynastic successors. Regional prosperity in agriculture
294-425: A 2011 Indian historical drama Chandragupta Maurya (2018 TV series) , a 2018 Indian historical drama Chandragupta (board game) , a board wargame Chandragupta (play) , 1911 Indian drama by Dwijendralal Ray about Chandragupta Maurya Chandragupta (film) , a 1934 Indian historical film about Chandragupta Maurya See also [ edit ] Chandra Gupta (disambiguation) Topics referred to by
392-512: A Greek ambassador in his court for four years. According to Appian, Seleucus I Nicator , one of Alexander's Macedonian generals who in 312 BCE established the Seleucid Empire with its capital at Babylon , brought Persia and Bactria under his own authority, putting his eastern front facing the empire of Chandragupta. Somewhere between 305 and 303 BCE Seleucus and Chandragupta confronted each other, when Seleucus intended to retake
490-705: A council of ministers ( amatya ), with Chanakya was his chief minister. The empire was organised into territories ( janapada ), centres of regional power were protected with forts ( durga ), and state operations were funded with treasury ( kosa ). Strabo, in his Geographica composed about 300 years after Chandragupta's death, describes aspects of his rule in his chapter XV.46–69. He had councillors for matters of justice and assessors to collect taxes on commercial activity and trade goods. He routinely performed Vedic sacrifices, Brahmanical rituals, and hosted major festivals marked by procession of elephants and horses. His officers inspected situations requiring law and order in
588-455: A couple of miraculous incidents that involved Sandracottus (Chandragupta) and presents these legends as omens and portents of his fate. In the first incident, when Chandragupta was asleep after having escaped from Nandrum, a big lion came up to him, licked him, and then left. In the second incident, when Chandragupta was readying for war with Alexander's generals, a huge wild elephant approached him and offered itself to be his steed. According to
686-502: A depleted treasury, exhausted merit, and insufficient intelligence, the Nanda emperor lost. These legends state that the Nanda emperor was defeated, but allowed to leave Pataliputra alive with a chariot full of items his family needed. The Jain sources attest that his daughter fell in love at first sight with Chandragupta and married him.Though daughter is not named the source later name mother of Chandragupta's son as Durdhara . With
784-768: A different Moriya dynasty in the Deccan region in the fifth century CE. According to Upinder Singh, these poems may be mentioning Mokur and Koshar kingdoms of Vadugars (northerners) in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh , with one interpretation being that the Maurya Empire had an alliance with these at some point of time. Greek writer Phylarchus (c. third century BCE), who is quoted by Athenaeus , calls Chandragupta "Sandrokoptos". The later Greco-Roman writers Strabo , Arrian , and Justin (c. second century) call him "Sandrocottus". In Greek and Latin accounts, Chandragupta
882-480: A gradual decline beginning in the 300s, with fewer and less elaborate structures between this period and c. 600. After that, there are no traces of human activity for a thousand years, and the site seems to have been abandoned. One likely contributing factor was a shift in the course of the Ganges. As early as Faxian's visit around the year 400, he wrote that Pataliputra was one yojana (about 10 km) south of
980-552: A group of Jain monks to south India, where Chandragupta Maurya joined him as a monk after abdicating his empire to his son Bindusara. Together, states a Digambara legend, Chandragupta and Bhadrabahu moved to Shravanabelagola, in present-day south Karnataka. These Jain accounts appeared in texts such as Brihakathā kośa (931 CE) of Harishena, Bhadrabāhu charita (1450 CE) of Ratnanandi, Munivaṃsa bhyudaya (1680 CE) and Rajavali kathe . Chandragupta lived as an ascetic at Shravanabelagola for several years before fasting to death as per
1078-513: A highly efficient form of local self government . The location of the site was first identified in modern times in 1892 by Laurence Waddell , published as Discovery of the Exact Site of Asoka's Classic Capital . Extensive archaeological excavations have been made in the vicinity of modern Patna. Excavations early in the 20th century around Patna revealed clear evidence of large fortification walls, including reinforcing wooden trusses. In
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#17327729647031176-401: A marriage treaty, and in return received five hundred elephants. The details of the engagement treaty are not known. Since the extensive sources available on Seleucus never mention an Indian princess, it is thought that Chandragupta himself or his son Bindusara marrying a Seleucid princess, in accordance with contemporary Greek practices to form dynastic alliances. An Indian Puranic source,
1274-460: A patron of Buddhism – were Moriyas , a branch of Gautama Buddha 's Shakya noble family. These Buddhist sources attempt to link the dynasty of their patron Ashoka directly to the Buddha. The sources claim that the family branched off to escape persecution from a King of Kosala and Chandragupta's ancestors moved into a secluded Himalayan kingdom known for its peacocks. The Buddhist sources explain
1372-414: A period where intrigue and vice multiplied. Chanakya states that Chandragupta returned dharma, nurtured diversity of views, and ruled virtuously that kindled love among the subjects for his rule. Buddhist texts such as Mahavamsa describe Chandragupta to be of Kshatriya origin. These sources, written about seven centuries after his dynasty ended, state that both Chandragupta and his grandson Ashoka –
1470-573: A rival of the Alexander's successors in north-western India. He states that after Alexander's death, Chandragupta freed Indian territories from the Greeks and executed some of the governors. According to Boesche, this war with the northwestern territories was in part fought by mercenaries hired by Chandragupta and Chanakya, and these wars may have been the cause of the demise of two of Alexander's governors, Nicanor and Philip . Megasthenes served as
1568-674: A second-century text written by the Roman historian Justin . They predominantly mention the last Nanda emperor , who usurped the throne of the king before him. Justin states that Chandragupta was of humble origin, and includes stories of miraculous legends associated with him, such as a wild elephant appearing and submitting itself to him as a ride to him before a battle. Justin's text notes that Chandragupta and Chanakya defeated and removed Nanda from his throne. Megasthenes ' account, as it has survived in Greek texts that quote him, states that Alexander
1666-538: A similar effect. A catastrophic flood likely also devastated the city at some point in the late 500s. A later Jain work, the Titlhogali Painniya , records a traditional account of a disastrous flood on the Son River destroying Pataliputra at some point. This account describes this flood as happening during the month of Bhādrapada , or September, after 17 days and nights of heavy rain. The flooding on
1764-509: A state monopoly of the state. The state, however, encouraged competing private parties to operate mines and supply these centres. They considered economic prosperity essential to the pursuit of dharma (virtuous life) and adopted a policy of avoiding war with diplomacy yet continuously preparing the army for war to defend its interests and other ideas in the Arthashastra . The evidence of arts and architecture during Chandragupta's time
1862-532: Is attested to by Ashoka's inscription in Junagadh . On the same rock, about 400 years later, Rudradaman inscribed a longer text sometime about the mid second–century. Rudradaman's inscription states that the Sudarshana lake in the area was commissioned during the rule of Chandragupta through his governor Vaishya Pushyagupta and conduits were added during Ashoka's rule through Tushaspha. The Mauryan control of
1960-515: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Chandragupta Maurya Chandragupta Maurya (reigned c. 320 – c. 298 BCE) was the founder of the Maurya Empire , which ruled over a geographically-extensive empire based in Magadha (present-day Bihar ). The Magadha kingdom expanded to become an empire that reached its peak under
2058-518: Is found in Harisena 's Brhatkathakosa , a Sanskrit text of stories about Digambara Jains. The Brhatkathakosa describes the legend of Bhadrabahu and mentions Chandragupta in its 131st story. However, the story makes no mention of the Maurya empire, and mentions that his disciple Chandragupta lived in and migrated from Ujjain – a kingdom (northwest Madhya Pradesh ) about a thousand kilometers west of
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#17327729647032156-524: Is known as Sandrakottos ( Greek : Σανδράκοττος ) and Androcottus ( Greek : Ανδροκόττος ). The king's epithets mentioned in the Sanskrit play Mudrarakshasa include "Chanda-siri" (Chandra-shri), "Piadamsana" (Priya-darshana), and Vrishala. Piadamsana is similar to Priyadasi , an epithet of his grandson Ashoka . The word "Vrishala" is used in Indian epics and law books to refer to non-orthodox people. According to one theory, it may be derived from
2254-402: Is longest this city extends ten miles in length, and that its breadth is one and threequarters miles; that the city has been surrounded with a ditch in breadth 600 feet, and in depth 45 feet; and that its wall has 570 towers and 64 gates." - Arrian "The Indica" Strabo in his Geographia adds that the city walls were made of wood. These are thought to be the wooden palisades identified during
2352-410: Is mostly limited to texts such as those by Megasthenese and Kautilya. The edict inscriptions and carvings on monumental pillars are attributed to his grandson Ashoka. The texts imply the existence of cities, public works, and prosperous architecture but the historicity of these is in question. Archeological discoveries in the modern age, such as those Didarganj Yakshi discovered in 1917 buried beneath
2450-528: Is the main and earliest Jain source of the complete legend of Chandragupta. It was written nearly 1,400 years after Chandragupta's death. Canto 8, verses 170 to 469, describes the legend of Chandragupta and Chanakya's influence on him. Other Digambara Jain sources state he moved to Karnataka after renouncing his kingdom and performed Sallekhana – the Jain religious ritual of peacefully welcoming death by fasting. The earliest mention of Chandragupta's ritual death
2548-567: The Greek pantheon were respected. A memorial for Chandragupta Maurya exists on the Chandragiri hill along with a seventh-century hagiographic inscription. Chandragupta's life and accomplishments are described in ancient and historical Greek, Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain texts, but they significantly vary in detail. His main biographical sources in chronological order are: The Greek and Roman texts do not mention Chandragupta directly, except for
2646-590: The Magadha and Patliputra (central Bihar). This has led to the proposal that Harisena 's Chandragupta may be a later era, different person. None of the ancient texts mention when Chandragupta was born. Plutarch claims that he was a young man when he met Alexander III during the latter's invasion of India ( c. 326 -325 BCE). Assuming the Plutarch account is true, Raychaudhuri proposed in 1923 that Chandragupta may have been born after 350 BCE. According to other Greco-Roman texts, Chandragupta attacked
2744-594: The Maurya Empire ( c. 320 –180 BCE), the Gupta Empire ( c. 320 –550 CE), and the Pala Empire ( c. 750 –1200 CE). During the Maurya period (see below), it became one of the largest cities in the world . As per the Greek diplomat, traveler and historian Megasthenes , during the Mauryan Empire ( c. 320 –180 BCE) it was among the first cities in the world to have
2842-524: The Maurya clan of Pipphalivana . The Buddhist sources also mention that " Brahmin Chanakya " was his counselor and with whose support Chandragupta became the king at Patliputra. He has also been variously identified with Shashigupta (which has same etymology as of Chandragupta) of Paropamisadae on the account of same life events. The 12th-century Digambara text Parishishtaparvan by Hemachandra
2940-587: The Nanda Empire . Eventually, they won and proclaimed Patliputra as their capital. The Buddhist and Hindu legends present different versions of how Chandragupta met Chanakya . Broadly, they mention young Chandragupta creating a mock game of a royal court that he and his shepherd friends played near Vinjha forest . Chanakya saw him give orders to the others, bought him from the hunter, and adopted Chandragupta. Chanakya taught and admitted him in Taxila to study
3038-686: The Nandas , Mauryans , Shungas and the Guptas down to the Palas . Situated at the confluence of the Ganges , Gandhaka and Son rivers, Pataliputra formed a "water fort, or jaldurga ". Its position helped it dominate the riverine trade of the Indo-Gangetic plains during Magadha 's early imperial period. It was a great centre of trade and commerce and attracted merchants and intellectuals, such as
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3136-680: The Pratisarga Parva of the Bhavishya Purana , described the marriage of Chandragupta with a Greek (" Yavana ") princess, daughter of Seleucus. Chandragupta sent 500 war elephants to Seleucus, which played a key role in Seleucus' victory at the Battle of Ipsus . In addition to this treaty, Seleucus dispatched Megasthenes as an ambassador to Chandragupta's court, and later Antiochos sent Deimakos to his son Bindusara at
3234-642: The Sanskrit language, "Pāṭali-" refers to the pāṭalī tree ( Bignonia suaveolens ), while "-putrá" (पुत्र) means "son". One traditional etymology holds that the city was named after the plant. Indeed, according to the Mahāparinibbāṇa Sutta ( Sutta 16 of the Dīgha Nikāya ), Pāṭaliputta was the place "where the seedpods of the Pāṭali plant break open". Another tradition says that Pāṭaliputra means
3332-566: The 1600s. In a fanciful 1559 book about world geography, the Italian Caius Julius Solinus briefly mentions a powerful Indian kingdom of Prasia with a capital at Palibotra. Afterwards, Sher Shah Suri made Pataliputra his capital and changed the name to modern Patna. Though parts of the ancient city have been excavated, much of it still lies buried beneath modern Patna. Various locations have been excavated, including Kumhrar , Bulandi Bagh and Agam Kuan . During
3430-499: The 3rd or 4th Century BCE. In 303 BCE, Greek historian and ambassador Megasthenes mentioned Pataliputra as a city in his work Indika. Diodorus , quoting Iambulus mention that the king of Pataliputra had a " great love for the Greeks ". The city of Pataliputra was formed by fortification of a village by Haryanka ruler Ajatashatru , son of Bimbisara . Its central location in north eastern India led rulers of successive dynasties to base their administrative capital here, from
3528-586: The Buddhist text Mahavamsa Tika , Chandragupta and Chanakya raised an army by recruiting soldiers from many places after the former completed his education at Taxila. Chanakya made Chandragupta the leader of the army. The Digambara Jain text Parishishtaparvan states that this army was raised by Chanakya with coins he minted and an alliance formed with Parvataka. According to Justin, Chandragupta organized an army. Early translators interpreted Justin's original expression as "body of robbers", but states Raychaudhuri,
3626-508: The Ganges. The Varāha Purāṇa , from post-Gupta times, indicates that the confluence of the Gandak and the Ganges was then about 10 km north of the present location. Since Pataliputra derived a lot of its prosperity from river-based commerce, being separated from the river probably dampened its economy. A general decline in international trade toward the end of the Gupta period would have had
3724-564: The Great and Chandragupta met, which, if true, would mean his rule started before 321 BCE. He is described as a great king, but not as great in power and influence as Porus in northwestern India or Agrammes ( Dhana Nanda ) in eastern India. As Alexander did not cross the Beas river , Chandragupta's territory probably included the Punjab region . The pre-4th century Hindu Puranic texts mostly mirror
3822-712: The Great had invaded the Northwest Indian subcontinent before abandoning his campaign in 325 BCE due to a mutiny caused by the prospect of facing another large empire, presumably the Nanda Empire centered in Pataliputra , Magadha. Chandragupta defeated and conquered both the Nanda Empire and the Greek satraps that were appointed or formed from Alexander's Empire in South Asia . Afterwards, Chandragupta expanded and secured his western border, where he
3920-556: The Great . The city also became a flourishing Buddhist centre boasting a number of important monasteries. It remained the capital of the Gupta dynasty (3rd–6th centuries) and the Pala Dynasty (8th-12th centuries). When Faxian visited the city in 400 A.D, he found the people to be rich and prosperous; they practised virtue and justice. He found that the nobles and householders of the city had constructed several hospitals in which
4018-401: The Greek royal title Basileus , but there is no concrete evidence of this: the Indian sources apply it to several non-royals, especially wandering teachers and ascetics. There are no records of Chandragupta's military conquests and the reach of his empire. It is based on inferences from Greek and Roman historians and the religious Indian texts written centuries after his death. Based on these,
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4116-403: The Greek sources. These texts do not discuss the details of Chandragupta's ancestry, but rather cover the ancestry of the last Nanda king. The Nanda king is described to be cruel, against dharma and shastras , and born out of an illicit relationship followed by a coup. The Chanakya's Arthasastra refers to the Nanda rule as against the spiritual, cultural, and military interests of the country,
4214-616: The Greek-Indian governors after Alexander's death ( c. 323 BCE ) with Seleucus I Nicator entering into a treaty with Chandragupta years later. Seleucus Nicator, under this treaty, gave up Arachosia ( Kandahar ), Gedrosia ( Makran ), and Paropamisadae ( Kabul ) to Chandragupta, in exchange for 500 war elephants. The texts do not include the start or end year of Chandragupta's reign. According to some Hindu and Buddhist texts, Chandragupta ruled for 24 years. The Buddhist sources state Chandragupta Maurya ruled 162 years after
4312-524: The Indian subcontinent except for Kalinga and Tamilakam , parts that are now Odisha , Tamil Nadu and Kerala . After unifying much of India, Chandragupta and Chanakya passed a series of major economic and political reforms. Chandragupta established a strong central administration from Pataliputra (now Patna ). Chandragupta applied the statecraft and economic policies described in Chanakya's text Arthashastra . There are varying accounts in
4410-480: The Indian subcontinent. Chandragupta expanded "roads suitable for carts" as he preferred those over narrow tracks suitable for only pack animals. According to Kaushik Roy, the Maurya dynasty rulers were "great road builders". The Greek ambassador Megasthenes credited this tradition to Chandragupta after the completion of a thousand-mile-long highway connecting Chandragupta's capital Pataliputra in Bihar to Taxila in
4508-447: The Jain authors cast doubt on Jain sources. This Digambara Jain chronology, also, is not reconcilable with the chronology implied in other Indian and non-Indian sources. Historians such as Irfan Habib and Vivekanand Jha assign Chandragupta's reign to c. 322-298 BCE. Upinder Singh dates his rule from 324 or 321 BCE to 297 BCE. Kristi Wiley states he reigned between 320 and 293 BCE. One medieval commentator states Chandragupta to be
4606-697: The Maurya court at Patna. After annexing Seleucus' provinces west of the Indus river, Chandragupta had a vast empire extending across the northern Indian sub-continent from the Bay of Bengal to the Arabian Sea . Chandragupta began expanding his empire southwards beyond the Vindhya Range and into the Deccan Plateau . By the time his conquests were complete, Chandragupta's empire extended over most of
4704-424: The Nanda king ("Nandrum" or "Nandrus") who ordered his execution. An alternative version states that it was the Nanda king who was publicly insulted by Chanakya. Chandragupta and Chanakya escaped and became rebels who planned to remove the Nanda king from power. The Mudrarakshasa also states that Chanakya swore to destroy the Nanda dynasty after he felt insulted by the king. The Roman text by Justin mentions
4802-658: The Nanda lineage was very short. Chandragupta was a son of Purva-Nanda, the older Nanda based in Ayodhya. The common theme in the Hindu sources is that Chandragupta came from a humble background and with Chanakya, he emerged as a dharmic king loved by his subjects. According to the Digambara legend by Hemachandra, Chanakya was a Jain layperson and a Brahmin. When Chanakya was born, Jain monks prophesied that Chanakya will one day grow up to help make someone an emperor and will be
4900-506: The North-West reach of his empire included parts of present-day Afghanistan (eastern part of Aria , and Paropamisadae ) that Seleucus I Nicator ceded to him, together with Arachosia and Gandhara , and the easternmost part of Gedrosia . These are the areas where his grandson Ashoka left the major Kandahar rock edict and other edicts in the Greek and Aramaic languages. In the west, Chandragupta's rule over present-day Gujarat
4998-521: The Son apparently caused the Ganges to overflow as well, and Pataliputra was inundated on multiple sides. The account describes widespread destruction in Pataliputra, although it also says that the city was rebuilt afterwards. A third possible contributing factor is deliberate destruction by invading Hunas in the early 500s. A thick layer of ashes found at the 80-pillar hall at Kumrahar suggests that
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#17327729647035096-485: The University of Minnesota says "we cannot pretend to have definitive answers; and perhaps, as with most art, we must recognize that there is no single answer or explanation". The circumstances and year of Chandragupta's death are unclear and disputed. According to Digambara Jain accounts, Bhadrabahu forecast a 12-year famine because of all the killing and violence during the conquests by Chandragupta Maurya. He led
5194-532: The Vedas, military arts, law, and other shastras. After Taxila , Chandragupta and Chanakya moved to Pataliputra , the capital and a historic learning center in the eastern Magadha Kingdom of India. They met Nanda there according to Hindu sources, and Dhana Nanda according to Pali -language Buddhist sources. Chandragupta became a commander of the Nanda Army, but according to Justin, Chandragupta offended
5292-528: The banks of the Ganges suggest exceptional artisanal accomplishment. The site was dated to third century BCE by many scholars but later dates such as the Kushan era (1st-4th century CE) have also been proposed. The competing theories state that the art linked to Chandragupta Maurya's dynasty was learnt from the Greeks and West Asia in the years Alexander the Great waged war; or that these artifacts belong to an older indigenous Indian tradition. Frederick Asher of
5390-521: The building may have been destroyed by fire, possibly corroborating this theory. Pataliputra seems to have recovered somewhat by the early Pala period. The Khalimpur plate of Dharmapala , from the early 800s, gives a vivid description of Pataliputra as a river port and royal encampment. It describes the crowds of boats, elephants, horses, and "limitless foot-soldiers of all the kings of Jambudvīpa assembled to render homage" to Dharmapala. B. P. Sinha interpreted this inscription to mean that Pataliputra
5488-533: The campaign was bitterly fought because the Nanda dynasty had a powerful and well-trained army. The conquest was fictionalised in Mudrarakshasa , in which Chandragupta is said to have first acquired Punjab and allied with a local king named Parvatka under the Chanakya's advice before advancing on the Nanda Empire . Chandragupta laid siege to Patliputra (now Patna ), the capital of Magadha around 322 B.C, by deploying guerrilla warfare methods with
5586-456: The capital of Magadha. The Sangam Tamil epic Akanaṉūṟu mentions Nanda kings ruling Pataliputra. Girnar fifth Major Rock Edict of Ashoka mention Patliputra: (M).They are occupied everywhere, both in Pățaliputra and in the outlying [......] and whatever other relatives of mine (there are). (N). These Mahamatras of morality [......] whether one is eager for morality [......]. (0). For
5684-631: The cities; the crime rate was low. According to Megasthenes, Chandragupta's rule was marked by three parallel administrative structures. One managed the affairs of villages, ensuring irrigation, recording land ownership, monitoring tools supply, enforcing hunting, wood products and forest-related laws, and settling disputes. Another administrative structure managed city affairs, including all matters related to trade, merchant activity, visit of foreigners, harbors, roads, temples, markets, and industries. They also collected taxes and ensured standardized weights and measures. The third administrative body overlooked
5782-533: The death of the Buddha . However, the Buddha's birth and death vary by source and all these lead to a chronology that is significantly different from the Greco-Roman records. Similarly, Jain sources composed give different gaps between Mahavira 's death and his accession. As with the Buddha's death, the date of Mahavira's death itself is also a matter of debate, and the inconsistencies and lack of unanimity among
5880-416: The defeat of Nanda, Chandragupta Maurya founded the Maurya Empire in ancient India. The Indian campaign of Alexander the Great ended before Chandragupta came into power. Alexander had left India in 325 BCE and assigned the northwestern Indian subcontinent territories to Greek governors. The nature of early relationship between these governors and Chandragupta is unknown. Justin mentions Chandragupta as
5978-465: The early Jain and Buddhist texts (the Pali Canon and Āgamas ), where it appears as the village of Pataligrama and is omitted from a list of major cities in the region. Early Buddhist sources report a city being built in the vicinity of the village towards the end of the Buddha's life; this generally agrees with archaeological evidence showing urban development occurring in the area no earlier than
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#17327729647036076-565: The east, to as far westward as Afghanistan below the Hindu Kush , as well as making inroads into Central India and as far south as the northern Deccan ; however, beyond the core Magadha area, the prevailing levels of technology and infrastructure limited how deeply his rule could penetrate society. In contrast to the Jain legends which developed 900 years later, contemporary Greek evidence states that Chandragupta did not give up performing
6174-522: The epithet maurya comes from these peacocks, or Mora in Pali (Sanskrit: Mayura ). The Buddhist texts are inconsistent; some offer other legends to explain his epithet. For example, they mention a city named "Moriya-nagara" where all buildings were made of bricks colored like the peacock's neck. The Maha-bodhi-vasa states he hailed from Moriya-nagara, while the Digha-Nikaya states he came from
6272-562: The excavation of Patna. "At the confluence of the Ganges and of another river is situated Palibothra, in length 80, and in breadth 15 stadia . It is in the shape of a parallelogram, surrounded by a wooden wall pierced with openings through which arrows may be discharged. In front is a ditch, which serves the purpose of defence and of a sewer for the city." - Strabo , "Geographia" Aelian , although not expressly quoting Megasthenes nor mentioning Pataliputra, described Indian palaces as superior in splendor to Persia 's Susa or Ecbatana : "In
6370-604: The famed Chanakya , from all over India. Two important early Buddhist councils are recorded in early Buddhist texts as being held here, the second session of the Second Buddhist council in the reign of Ashoka , 35 years after the first session held in Vaisali and the Third Buddhist council . Jain and Hindu sources identify Udayabhadra , son of Ajatashatru , as the king who first established Pataliputra as
6468-404: The following purpose has this rescript on morality been written [......]. -Major Rock Edict No.5, Girnar, E. Hultzsch translation During the reign of Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE, it was one of the world's largest cities, with a population of about 150,000–400,000. The city is estimated to have had a surface of 25.5 square kilometers, and a circumference of 33.8 kilometers, and
6566-482: The former interpretation to posit that Chandragupta had a Shudra background. However, historian Radha Kumud Mukherjee opposed this theory, and stated that the word should be interpreted as "the best of kings". The same drama also refers to Chandragupta as someone of humble origin, like Justin. According to the 11th-century texts of the Kashmiri Hindu tradition – Kathasaritsagara and Brihat-Katha-Manjari –
6664-448: The former satrapies each of the Indus. The confrontation ended with a marriage-alliance, on terms of Seleucus ceding territories lying next to the Indus as recorded by Strabo , and receiving five hundred war elephants. The Maurya Empire received Paropamisadae ( Gandhara ), Arachosia ( Kandahar ), and the easternmost part of Gedrosia ( Balochistan ). According to Strabo, Seleucus Nicator gave these regions to Chandragupta along with
6762-514: The foundation of the city of Pataliputra at the confluence of two rivers, the Son and the Ganges . He shifted his capital from Rajgriha to Pataliputra due to the latter's central location in the empire. It became the capital of major powers in ancient India, such as the Shishunaga Empire ( c. 413 –345 BCE), Nanda Empire ( c. 460 or 420 – c. 325 BCE ),
6860-574: The help of mercenaries from conquered areas. Historian P. K. Bhattacharyya states that the empire was built by a gradual conquest of provinces after the initial consolidation of Magadha. According to the Digambara Jain version by Hemachandra, the success of Chandragupta and his strategist Chanakya was stopped by a Nanda town that refused to surrender. Chanakya disguised himself as a mendicant and found seven mother goddesses ( saptamatrikas ) inside. He concluded these goddesses were protecting
6958-416: The historic, legendary, and hagiographic literature of various Indian religions about Chandragupta's rule, but Allchin and Erdosy' are suspect; they state, "one cannot but be struck by the many close correspondences between the (Hindu) Arthashastra and the two other major sources the (Buddhist) Asokan inscriptions and (Greek) Megasthenes text". The Maurya rule was a structured administration; Chandragupta had
7056-419: The legends written centuries later are inconsistent. Buddhist texts such as Milindapanha claim Magadha was ruled by the Nanda dynasty, which, with Chanakya's counsel, Chandragupta conquered to restore dhamma . The army of Chandragupta and Chanakya first conquered the Nanda outer territories before invading Pataliputra. In contrast to the easy victory of Buddhist sources, the Hindu and Jain texts state that
7154-488: The military, its training, its weapons supply, and the needs of the soldiers. Chanakya was concerned about Chandragupta's safety and developed elaborate techniques to prevent assassination attempts. Various sources report Chandragupta frequently changed bedrooms to confuse conspirators. He left his palace only for certain tasks: to go on military expeditions, to visit his court for dispensing justice, to offer sacrifices, for celebrations, and for hunting. During celebrations, he
7252-439: The north-west where he studied. The other major strategic road infrastructure credited to this tradition spread from Pataliputra in various directions, connecting it with Nepal , Kapilavastu , Dehradun , Mirzapur , Odisha , Andhra , and Karnataka. Roy stated this network boosted trade and commerce, and helped move armies rapidly and efficiently. Chandragupta and Chanakya seeded weapon manufacturing centres, and kept them as
7350-499: The original expression used by Justin may mean mercenary soldier, hunter, or robber. Greco-Roman writer Plutarch stated, in his Life of Alexander , that the Nanda king was so unpopular that had Alexander tried, he could have easily conquered India. After Alexander ended his campaign and left, Chandragupta's army conquered the Nanda capital Pataliputra around 322 BCE with Chanakya's counsel. Historically reliable details of Chandragupta's campaign into Pataliputra are unavailable and
7448-684: The people itself the Palibothri, - nay, even the whole tract along the Ganges. Their king has in his pay a standing army of 600,000 foot-soldiers, 30,000 cavalry, and 9000 elephants : whence may be formed some conjecture as to the vastness of his resources." Megasthenes , in Indica The city prospered under the Mauryas and a Greek ambassador, Megasthenes , resided there and left a detailed account of its splendour, referring to it as "Palibothra": " Megasthenes says that on one side where it
7546-402: The poor of all countries, the destitute, the crippled and the diseased can get treatment. They could receive every kind of help gratuitously. Physicians would inspect the diseases, and order them food, drink, and medicines. When Xuanzang visited Pataliputra in the year 637, he found the city in ruins. He wrote that the old city had been completely deserted for many years, and all that was left
7644-505: The power behind the throne. Chanakya believed in the prophecy and fulfilled it by agreeing to help the daughter of a peacock-breeding community chief deliver a baby boy. In exchange, he asked the mother to give up the boy and let him adopt him at a later date. The Jain Brahmin then went about making money through magic, and returned later to claim young Chandragupta, whom he taught and trained. Together, they recruited soldiers and attacked
7742-543: The practice of sallekhana , according to the Digambara legend. In accordance with the Digambara tradition, the hill on which Chandragupta is stated to have performed asceticism is now known as Chandragiri hill , and Digambaras believe that Chandragupta Maurya erected an ancient temple that now survives as the Chandragupta basadi . According to Roy, Chandragupta's abdication of throne may be dated to c. 298 BCE, and his death between 297 BCE and 293 BCE. His grandson
7840-558: The region is further corroborated by the inscription on the rock, which suggests that Chandragupta controlled the Malwa region in Central India, located between Gujarat and Pataliputra. There is uncertainty about the other conquests that Chandragupta may have achieved, especially in the Deccan region of southern India. At the time of his grandson Ashoka's ascension in c. 268 BCE, the empire extended up to present-day Karnataka in
7938-462: The reign of his grandson, Ashoka the Great , from 268 BCE to 231 BCE. The nature of the political formation that existed in Chandragupta's time is not certain. The Mauryan empire was a loose-knit one with large autonomous regions within its limits. Historical facts about Chandragupta's origins and early life are obscure and shrouded in legends. Prior to his consolidation of power, Alexander
8036-561: The rites of sacrificing animals associated with Vedic Brahminism ; he delighted in hunting and otherwise leading a life remote from the Jain practice of ahimsa or nonviolence towards living beings. Chandragupta's reign, and the Maurya Empire, set an era of economic prosperity, reforms, infrastructure expansions, and tolerance. Many religions thrived within his realms and his descendants' empire. Buddhism , Jainism and Ājīvika gained prominence alongside Vedic and Brahmanistic traditions, and minority religions such as Zoroastrianism and
8134-519: The royal residences in India where the greatest of the kings of that country live, there are so many objects for admiration that neither Memnon 's city of Susa with all its extravagance, nor the magnificence of Ecbatana is to be compared with them. (...) In the parks, tame peacocks and pheasants are kept." - Aelian in " De Natura Animalium " Under Ashoka, most of wooden structure of Pataliputra palace may have been gradually replaced by stone. Ashoka
8232-460: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Chandragupta . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chandragupta&oldid=1243769159 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Human name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
8330-511: The son of Pāṭali , who was the daughter of a certain Raja Sudarsan. As it was originally known as Pāṭali-grāma (" Pāṭali village"), some scholars believe that Pāṭaliputra is a transformation of Pāṭalipura , " Pāṭali town". Pataliputra was also called Kusumapura (city of flowers). The Pataliputra is mentioned in early Buddhist text Mahaparinibbana Sutta but no mention of Pataliputra in written sources prior to
8428-423: The son of one of the Nanda's wives with the name Mura. Other sources describe Mura as a concubine of the king. Another Sanskrit dramatic text Mudrarakshasa uses the terms Vrishala and Kula-Hina (meaning - "not descending from a recognized clan or family") to describe Chandragupta. The word Vrishala has two meanings: one is the son of a shudra ; the other means the best of kings . A later commentator used
8526-591: The south, so the southern conquests may be attributed to either Chandragupta or his son Bindusara. If the Jain tradition about Chandragupta ending his life as a renunciate in Karnakata is considered correct, it appears that Chandragupta initiated the southern conquest. Maurya with his counsellor Chanakya together built one of the largest empires ever on the Indian subcontinent . Chandragupta's empire extended from Bengal to central Afghanistan encompassing most of
8624-626: The subcontinent. Two poetic anthologies from the Tamil Sangam literature corpus – Akananuru and Purananuru – allude to the Nanda rule and Maurya empire. For example, poems 69, 281 and 375 mention the army and chariots of the Mauryas, while poems 251 and 265 may be alluding to the Nandas. However, the poems dated between first-century BCE to fifth-century CE do not mention Chandragupta Maurya by name, and some of them could be referring to
8722-445: The town people. The townspeople sought the disguised mendicant's advice on how to end the blockade of the army surrounding their town. Hemacandra wrote Chanakya swindled them into removing the mother goddesses. The townspeople removed the protective goddesses and an easy victory over the town followed. Thereafter, the alliance of Chandragupta and Parvataka overran the Nanda empire and attacked Pataliputra with an "immeasurable army". With
8820-456: Was Dharmapala's capital, but A. S. Altekar disputed this, saying that the inscription only refers to Pataliputra as a skandhāvāra , or camp, where Dharmapala stayed while on a campaign or tour. While Pataliputra is mentioned in contemporary sources, archaeologists have not found any evidence from the Pala period at Pataliputra. At least at Kumrahar, there are no traces of human settlement until
8918-404: Was Emperor Ashoka who is famed for his historic pillars and his role in helping spread Buddhism outside of ancient India. Pataliputra Pataliputra ( IAST : Pāṭaliputra ), adjacent to modern-day Patna , Bihar , was a city in ancient India , originally built by Magadha ruler Ajatashatru in 490 BCE, as a small fort ( Pāṭaligrāma ) near the Ganges river. Udayin laid
9016-416: Was a small walled town by the bank of the Ganges, home to no more than about 1,000 people. According to Rajeshwar Prasad Singh, this small town had probably been built after the old city's destruction, as opposed to being a surviving part of the old town. Xuanzang wrote that most of the city's old historic buildings had been destroyed, and only their foundation walls remained. One building he noted in particular
9114-526: Was an old stupa that was said to be the first of the 84,000 stupas built by Ashoka. Its foundation had sunken into the ground so that only the ornamental top of the dome was visible, and even that was in precarious condition, he wrote. Of the Kukkuṭārāma monastery on the southeast side of the city, only the foundation remained. Pataliputra's decline had probably begun well before Xuanzang's time. At least at Kumrahar, archaeological evidence seems to suggest
9212-511: Was confronted by Seleucus I Nicator in the Seleucid–Mauryan war . Chandragupta was considered to have gained the upper hand in the conflict and annexed satrapies up to the Hindu Kush . Instead of prolonging the war, both parties settled on a marriage treaty . Chandragupta's suzerainty —extended through military conquests and diplomatic treaties—spanned further than any previous Indian ruler: across North India , from modern day Bengal in
9310-439: Was in the shape of a parallelogram and had 64 gates (that is, approximately one gate every 500 meters). Pataliputra reached the pinnacle of prosperity when it was the capital of the great Mauryan Emperors , Chandragupta Maurya and Ashoka. "They surpass in power and glory every other people, not only in this quarter, but one may say in all India, their capital being Palibothra, a very large and wealthy city, after which some call
9408-546: Was known to be a great builder, who may have even imported craftsmen from abroad to build royal monuments. Pataliputra palace shows decorative influences of the Achaemenid palaces and Persepolis and may have used the help of foreign craftmen. Which may be the result of the formative influence of craftsmen employed from Persia following the disintegration of the Achaemenid Empire after the conquests of Alexander
9506-579: Was one of the required duties of his state officials. The strongest evidence of infrastructure development is found in the Junagadh rock inscription of Rudradaman in Gujarat, dated to about 150 CE. It states, among other things, that Rudradaman repaired and enlarged the reservoir and irrigation conduit infrastructure built by Chandragupta and enhanced by Asoka. Chandragupta's empire also built mines, manufacturing centres, and networks for trading goods. His rule developed land routes to transport goods across
9604-486: Was well-guarded, and on hunts, he was surrounded by female guards who were presumed to be less likely to participate in a coup conspiracy. These strategies may have resulted from the historical context of the Nanda emperor who had come to power by assassinating the previous emperor. During Chandragupta's reign and that of his dynasty, many religions thrived in India, with Buddhism , Jainism and Ajivika gaining prominence along with other folk traditions. The empire built
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