Discuss the role of Chandragupta Maurya in the rise of the Maurya empire and consolidation of the empire.
Discuss the role of Chandragupta Maurya in the rise of the Maurya empire and consolidation of the empire.
Evaluate the achievements of Chandragupta Maurya as a ruler and conqueror.
Discuss the rise of Maurya Empire under Chandragupta Maurya.
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Sources of information about Chandragupta Maurya:-
Chandragupta Maurya is known from the Puranas, Kautilya's Arthasastra, Visakhadatta's Mudrakshasa, Somadeva's Kathasaritsagara, Megasthenes' Indica etc. and from the works of Strabo, Plutarch, Justin etc. Evidence from Hindu legends, Buddhist and Jain texts is also quite helpful.
Genealogy:-
According to Hindu legend, this dynasty is called Maurya dynasty after Chandragupta's mother and Nandaraja's concubine Mura. Chandragupta Maurya is said to be of Nanda origin in the drama 'Mudrarakshasa' composed in the fourth century AD and later in the book 'Brihatkatha' compiled by Kshemendra. On the other hand, in the Buddhist text 'Divyavadana', he is described as of Kshatriya Moriya descent. According to the Jain text "Parisista Parvan", a Shakya clan named Moriya is the descendant of Chandragupta Maurya.
In view of the above information, modern historians consider the evidence of Buddhist texts as more reliable than legends, Puranas etc. and describe Chandragupta Maurya as Kshatriya.
Ascension :-
Historical circles differ about Chandragupta Maurya's accession to the throne. As Charpentier mentions 313 BC as the accession period of Chandragupta Maurya. Again, Stein at 318 BC, Fleet at 320 BC, Smith at 322 BC and R.K. Mukherjee describes 323 BC as the accession period of Chandragupta Maurya.
Right to throne of Magadha:-
Chanakya sent Chandragupta Maurya to Patliputra for higher education. At that time the people were enraged by the atrocities of Nandaraja Dhanananda in Patliputra. It was at this time that Chandragupta Maurya aspired to ascend the throne of Magadha. He marched to Alexander's camp hoping to obtain Greek help in ousting the Nanda dynasty. But Alexander, angered by his rash behavior, ordered his execution. Chandragupta Maurya escaped from there and met Chanakya in the forest of Vindhya mountain. Meanwhile, Chanakya was also humiliated by Nandaraj and was looking for an opportunity to take revenge. So Chanakya continued to help Chandragupta Maurya in every possible way as the goal of both was the same.
A book called Milind Pancho describes Chandragupta Maurya's campaign against Nandaraja. Having failed in the first two attempts, Chandragupta Maurya besieged Pataliputra for the third time and dethroned Nandaraja Dhanananda.
Campaign against the Greeks in North-West India -
He then ventured to overthrow the Greek rule in North West India. After Alexander's departure from India, chaos broke out in the Greek camp. So after his death this chaos took extreme form. Taking advantage of this chaos, Chandragupta Maurya declared war against the Greeks in North-West India. When the Greek general Eudimus left India in 317 BC, Greek rule ended on the north-western frontier of India.
But historians differ on whether Chandragupta Maurya first ousted Nandaraja or ended Greek rule.
On the one hand, according to Smith,
It appears probable that before he undertook the extension of the foreign garrisons, he had already overthrown …………….. the Nanda king of Magadha.
again,
Chandragupta's fight against the Macedonians, however, must have begun considerably earlier……………… Chandragupta's next task was to rid the country of the internal tyranny of king Nanda. "
[The Age of Imperial Unity]
Deccan Conquest -
There are differences of opinion about the expansion of Chandragupta Maurya's kingdom in South India. According to many, Chandragupta Maurya completed the conquest of South India; According to many, South India was conquered by the Mauryas during Bindusara's reign. But According to R.C. Roychoudhury, South India was conquered by the Nandarajas and naturally after the end of the Nanda dynasty the Deccan came under Chandragupta Maurya's empire.
War with Seleucus (305 BC) -
After Alexander's death, Seleucus, the ruler of the eastern part of his empire, arrived in the Indus region around 305 BC to re-establish Greek supremacy in India, and he was at war with Chandragupta Maurya. No details of this battle are available. However, the treaty mentioned by Strabo indicates Chandragupta Maurya's victory. According to the terms of the treaty, Seleucus gave Chandragupta Maurya the provinces of Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, Baluchistan - etc. Megasthenes was then sent by Seleucus as an ambassador to Chandragupta's Maurya court.
Commenting on the importance of this treaty, more than two thousand years earlier the first Indian emperor Chandragupta Maurya had gained possession of important frontiers - a feat not achieved by subsequent Mughal emperors and the British altogether.
Expansion of Empire -
According to Dr. R.K. to Mukherjee, Chandragupta Maurya was the ruler of a vast empire.
(i) The entire Magadha kingdom came under his empire by eliminating the Nanda dynasty.
(ii) After driving out the Greeks, he annexed North-West India including the entire Punjab.
(iii) He got Kandahar, Kabul, Herat, Baluchistan from Seleucus.
(iv) According to the Junagadh inscriptions his empire extended upto Saurashtra in western India.
(v) From the works written by the Tamil poet Manulana, it is known that up to Tirunelveli district in South India was under his empire.
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