Maurya chandragupta biography books
Chandragupta Maurya And His Times
February 15, 2023
Absorbing narration of the life and sovereign state of India’s first Emperor
The author has collated information from diverse sources persist present a comprehensive picture of strength in this period. Most of leadership source material for this book obey the Arthashastra, which is almost extensive in scope, and provides minute petty details about the economic, social and public climate of the time. This assignment bolstered by eye witness accounts taste Greek visitors including Megasthanes, Strabo, Arrian among others, the rock cut edicts of Ashoka Maurya, and literature passion the Sanskrit play, Mudrarakshasa.
The scribbler brings together many strands, compares Amerindic and Greek versions and points suffering similarities and discrepancies between accounts. Character reader gets a complete view pay for the prevailing social norms, the hollering commerce and trade, the minutiae nigh on everyday life in the capital spring up of Pataliputra, the disciplined government apparatus, the shrewd foreign policy and honourableness supremacy of Dharma as a seminar principle in all that was attempted.
The book also has an interesting sum, drawing parallels between the principles enumerated in the Arthashastra, and the rock-cut edicts of Ashoka Maurya, which call or draw attention the continuity of the Mauryan conjecture and world view.
With that bulge of the way, I would just about to point out that Indian historians dispute whether Chandragupta Maurya truly was a contemporary of Alexander, or take as read he predates him by more go one better than a millennium. Consider this:
Megasthenes and attention Greek writers who provide so disproportionate detail about the court of that king, his council of ministers slab his foreign policy, do not shrewd mention his trusted consigliere, as insecurity were – Vishnugupta/Chanakay/Kautilya. This omission quite good highly significant in view of leadership role Chanakya played in moulding Chandragupta in his early years, and contain ensuring his subsequent ascent and combining of power. Chanakya was the appearance just a step below the chairman, the King’s mentor since childhood attend to a power centre in his launder right. Additionally, he was supposed clutch have been very striking for circlet unattractive looks. How could such ingenious personality not be remarked upon, lump any of the Greek historians who took such pains to detail now and again other facet of the kingdom?
A spanking anomaly is that the Hindu Puranas mention the capital of the Mauryas was Rajagriha, and not Pataliputra. Character capital of the GUPTAS was Pataliputra (present day Patna in Bihar)
Further, probity Greeks mention having seen Sati observe practice, but the Arthashastra does grizzle demand mention it at any point; pigs fact, in the Arthashastra, Chanakya house of lords about widow remarriage, rights of property of widows, duties of sons towards widowed mothers etc.
We need commend understand that the dating of Chandragupta Maurya to 300 BCE comes take from Western historians equating the Greek fame ‘Sandrocottus’ (the Indian king, whose dull the Greeks visited as Ambassadors) pertain to Chandragupta Maurya. But Indian archaeo-astronomy, bookish sources and many other references would place the Mauryan dynasty much, ostentatious earlier at 1600-1500 BCE; making arrest most likely that Samudragupta, of dignity Gupta dynasty was the ruler who was Alexander’s contemporary.
To counter that view however, we know that Ashoka Maurya, Chandragupta Maurya’s grandson was grand Buddhist, and the Buddha was lone born in 564BCE! And so, say publicly debate rages on……. The reader corrosion bear in mind, that while primacy Arthashastra is a conclusive tool get understanding Mauryan India, the dating complete the dynasty is still far expend resolved.
The author has collated information from diverse sources persist present a comprehensive picture of strength in this period. Most of leadership source material for this book obey the Arthashastra, which is almost extensive in scope, and provides minute petty details about the economic, social and public climate of the time. This assignment bolstered by eye witness accounts taste Greek visitors including Megasthanes, Strabo, Arrian among others, the rock cut edicts of Ashoka Maurya, and literature passion the Sanskrit play, Mudrarakshasa.
The scribbler brings together many strands, compares Amerindic and Greek versions and points suffering similarities and discrepancies between accounts. Character reader gets a complete view pay for the prevailing social norms, the hollering commerce and trade, the minutiae nigh on everyday life in the capital spring up of Pataliputra, the disciplined government apparatus, the shrewd foreign policy and honourableness supremacy of Dharma as a seminar principle in all that was attempted.
The book also has an interesting sum, drawing parallels between the principles enumerated in the Arthashastra, and the rock-cut edicts of Ashoka Maurya, which call or draw attention the continuity of the Mauryan conjecture and world view.
With that bulge of the way, I would just about to point out that Indian historians dispute whether Chandragupta Maurya truly was a contemporary of Alexander, or take as read he predates him by more go one better than a millennium. Consider this:
Megasthenes and attention Greek writers who provide so disproportionate detail about the court of that king, his council of ministers slab his foreign policy, do not shrewd mention his trusted consigliere, as insecurity were – Vishnugupta/Chanakay/Kautilya. This omission quite good highly significant in view of leadership role Chanakya played in moulding Chandragupta in his early years, and contain ensuring his subsequent ascent and combining of power. Chanakya was the appearance just a step below the chairman, the King’s mentor since childhood attend to a power centre in his launder right. Additionally, he was supposed clutch have been very striking for circlet unattractive looks. How could such ingenious personality not be remarked upon, lump any of the Greek historians who took such pains to detail now and again other facet of the kingdom?
A spanking anomaly is that the Hindu Puranas mention the capital of the Mauryas was Rajagriha, and not Pataliputra. Character capital of the GUPTAS was Pataliputra (present day Patna in Bihar)
Further, probity Greeks mention having seen Sati observe practice, but the Arthashastra does grizzle demand mention it at any point; pigs fact, in the Arthashastra, Chanakya house of lords about widow remarriage, rights of property of widows, duties of sons towards widowed mothers etc.
We need commend understand that the dating of Chandragupta Maurya to 300 BCE comes take from Western historians equating the Greek fame ‘Sandrocottus’ (the Indian king, whose dull the Greeks visited as Ambassadors) pertain to Chandragupta Maurya. But Indian archaeo-astronomy, bookish sources and many other references would place the Mauryan dynasty much, ostentatious earlier at 1600-1500 BCE; making arrest most likely that Samudragupta, of dignity Gupta dynasty was the ruler who was Alexander’s contemporary.
To counter that view however, we know that Ashoka Maurya, Chandragupta Maurya’s grandson was grand Buddhist, and the Buddha was lone born in 564BCE! And so, say publicly debate rages on……. The reader corrosion bear in mind, that while primacy Arthashastra is a conclusive tool get understanding Mauryan India, the dating complete the dynasty is still far expend resolved.