GHANDRAGUPTA MAURYA

BY

PURUSHOTTAM LAL BHARCAVA,

With a Foreword

M. A,

BY
OR.

RADHA KUMUD MOOKERJI,

M.A.,

Vidya-vaibhava, Itihau^jciuMa
Profetior

and Head of the

mVii

TIE tftttt

UNA PUBU8IC

HflUSE LT8,

PRINTED BY

R. P.

BHAKGAVA.

AT THE

Oudh

Printing Works, Charbagh, Lucknow.

PREFACE.
As a student
by the
of history
I

career of Chandragupta

have always been fascinated Maurya, one of the

greatest of kings,

conquerors and administrators the

It is indeed strange that such a world has produced. should have passed almost unnoticed great personage

by historians, for there

a

is

so far, to

my

knowledge, not

single

book

in
I

English

describing exclusively his

Achievements,

was aware of

my

up this task, yet 1 thought 1 This small monograph is the result. In

to describe, in

incompetence to take might make an attempt.

it,
I

have tried
source!

a brief compass, the

life

and career of

Chandragupta making use I could lay my hands upon.

accepted views where
contrary.
for the
1

of all the original

1

have deviated from the

found better evidence to the

For instance, I have accepted the Jain date coronation of Chandragupta as it is better
facts

supported by

than the date hitherto generally

iv

CHANDRAGUPTA
In

accepted.

some

matters, of course,
till

it is

difficult to

achieve any kind of finality

to notice, for

further evidence
case of the

comes

example

in the

history ot Magadha; in such oases I tioned the probabilities without emphasising the correct*

pre-Maurya have simply men-

ness of

my

views.

Recently, there have been controversies on

points, of
I

many

more or

less

important bearing on the subject.

in

have referred to them

1

the text where relevant,

but
text
1

would

like to

mention one of them here as the

it

was already printed when

came

to

my

notice.

refer to the controversy regarding the relation of the

Brihatkatha to the Mudrarakshasa. Mr. C. D. Chatterji,

in

a very learned article, which appeared in the Indian

I

Culture, Vol.
ticity

no

2,

has expressed doubt on the authenin the

of the statement found

Dasarupavaloka

that the Mudrarakshasa was based on the Brihatkatha,

and has shown at length that the two verses following

support of this statement are later interpolations. His arguments in support of the view that the plot of
in

the Mudrarakshasa can not have been taken from the

Brihatkatha are, no doubt, convincing. Yeti there is nothing to disprove the probability that the idea of

Chandragupta's Nanda descent Visakhadatta by the Brihatkatha.

was suggested to

Unfortunately, the book suffers from the lack of

proper diacritical marks for Sanskrit words as from a lew printing errors here and there. I hope to remedy

PREFACE
them
in

the second edition

if

and when that oomes to

did not

be published. These observations

express

will

be incomplete

if

my
1

obligation to the different persons

If it

from

whom

received inspiration and help.

be not

regarded as too personal, 1 shall, among them, place first my dear father, who goaded me to write out these
pages.

Among

those from
1

whom

received constant

encouragement,

would

like to

mention the names of

University, and Pandit

my

kind teacher Mr. K. A. S. Iyer, M.A., Head of the

Sanskrit Department,
Brijnath

Luoknow

Sharga, M. A*, LL.B. Advocate.

Mr. C. D.

Ch alter ji, M, A., lecturer in Ancient the Lucknow University, for whom
regard as

Indian History in
I

entertain high

was very kind to suggest to me work and to give me his whenever I approached him for the ungrudging help came. 1 am indebted to Dr. Rama S hanker Tripathi, M.A., Ph. D., of the Benares Hindu University, for

my

teacher,

some

original sources for the

suggesting to
useful in

me

certain papers which proved very

I

my

work.

have reserved the expression of

my esteemed teacher, Dr. Radha my Kumud Mookerji, M.A., Ph.D an authority on Ancient India, not because he deserves the least but because I
gratitude to
,

can not find adequate words for

It.

His foreword

is

perhaps more the outcome of his affection for

infinite

me
1

as

his student than the merit of the book and yet

satisfaction

feel

when

see this

humble attempt

vi

CHANDRAGUPTA
well reviewed

so

by such a high authority on

the

subject.

know Luoknow

:
;

'-PURUSHOTTAM LAL BHARGAYA M

Marsh
1
t

1935.

FOREWORD.
Mr* Purushottam
congratulation
for

Lai Bhargava
this

deserves

every

writing

nice

book

on an
It is

important period ot ancient Indian

small work dealing with
of

history.

the

life

and achievements
rulers

one of the

greatest of

India's

who had
one

achieved the singular distinction of establishing

common
that

political sovereignty over an Indian empire had extended right upto the borders of Persia.

Unfortunately, the history of such an interesting and

important

personality has

been shrouded to

some

extent in mystery for want of definite evidence and

chronological certainties.
of
his

What adds
its

to the difficulty

history

is

that

sources are so diverse.

Brahmanical, Buddhist, Jain and even Greek works

have

all

something to say and record regarding the

doings

of

Chandragupta Maurya.

Sometimes these
a strain on

sources belonging to different places and times are

equally different in their contents and
it is

scholarship to reconcile these differences and

work out
I

the way to truth through a maze of contradictions,

am

glad to say that the different problems with

is

which

the subject

bristling

have been ably tackled in this

is

book by

its

young and promising author who

his

welt

quipped for

task by his special knowledge of

Sanskrit as a Master of Arts of the

Luoknow University

CHANDRAGUPTA
has studied
in its original sources.
It is to

viit

and of Anoient Indian History and Culture which he

be hoped
that the appreciation of the work by the students of Indian history, whioh
it

undoubtedly deserves, will act

as a stimulus to the young author for continuing these

arduous researches

in further

publications enriching

Indian historical literature.

RADHA KUMUD MOOKERJt.

CONTENTS.
Chapter
I.

Page.
1

DETERMINATION OF CHRONOLOGY

11.

GROWTH OF MAGADHA
CAREER OF CHANDRAGUPTA

...

12

III.

...

27
45
69 86 99
105

IV.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE EMPIRE

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

V.
VI.

LITERATURE AND ART

...

...

Vll
VIII.

ACHIEVEMENTS OF CHANDRAGUPTA

LEGENDS OF CHANDRAGUPTA
APPENDICES INDEX
Illustrations.
...

...

...

128
182

...

...

EXCAVATIONS AT PATALIPUTRA

Frontispieo*

MAP OF INDIA

IN 800 B. C.

At end

Mudrarakshasa VII.

DETERMINATION OF CHRONOLOGY
Thanks
Sandrakottos
to Sir

William Jones'

identification of

with Chandragupta,

the

problem of

ancient Indian chronology has

become comparatively

easy to solve.

Many
in
this

other sources have since been

discovered which are capable of rendering further

valuable

aid

direction.
3

The
way

Puranas, the

Buddhist chronicles of Ceylon

and the Jain records,

in solving

when

read together, go a long

the

vexed problems of chronology.

the present writer
precise dates
it

In the

judgment of

is

possible to arrive at nearly

by reconciling the diverse chronologies

preserved in these works.

Buddhist and
calculations
of

Jain
the

authors
of

usually
the

base their

on

dates

passing

away
appear

Buddha and Mahavira

mistakes

respectively,

and despite
they

occasional
to

in other matters,

be generally correct when they date an event in terms of these epochs, which were important enough
for

them
1.

to well

remember.

Professor Geiger has,

Asiatic ttesearebea Vol. IV. pp, 10-11.

2.

Dipavansa and Mahavanga.

CHANDRAGUPTA
the

after thorough study of the problem, arrived at

conclusion that the Nirvana of Buddha took place

in

483

B.

C. 1

The

date

of

the

death

of

similarly been determined by Professor on the authority of the Parisishtaparvan Charpentier, a and other Jain works, as 468 B. shall

Mahavira has

We

accept these dates

the kings of
It is,

in

determining the chronology of

Magadha upto Chandragupta.

Puranic

at present, not possible to verify the

account of the Kings of Magadha before the time

of Bimbisara.

We,

therefore, start with that king.

The

durations of the reigns of

Magadhan

kings from
in

Bimbisara downwards

are

diversely

given

the

Ceylonese chronicles and the Puranas.

Purana, which
is

The Vayu
made

one of the oldest Puranas, seems

list,

to have the best preserved

as calculations

on

most nearly agree with the Buddhist and Jain dates. This will be presently manifest.
its

basis

Bimbisara reigned for 28 years according to the Puranic account, and inasmuch as he died 8 years
before

Nirvana of Buddha according to the Mahavansa, he must have come to the throne 36 years
the
1

Qeiper,

Mahavansa

p.

XXVIII.

Dr. Fleet also agrees

with

this date.
2.

Cambridge History of India Vol.

1 p. 156.

This date was also

suggested by Jacobi, long ago.

DETERMINATION OF CHRONOLOGY
before

C. 1 After a reign of 28 years he was succeeded by his son Ajatasatru, whose date of accession would thus be 491

Nirvana

i.

e.

in

519

B.

B.

C.

Ajatasatru

reigned

for

25 years according
his

to the

Vayu Purana and was succeeded by

was a
chapter.
real figure,

son

Darsaka, who,
Jains,

though ignored by the Buddhists and as will be shown in the

next

The
B. C.,
if

date

of

Darsaka's

accession

would be 466

we
to

accept the reign^period of

also

Ajatasatru as 25 years.

Darsaka
the

reigned

for

25 years according
therefore his successor

Vayu

Purana,

and

Udayi must have come to the Udayi ruled

for

throne

in

441
to

B.

C.

33

years

according

the

Puranas. 2

He,

therefore,

must

408 B. C. Here, fortunately, the Jain to the writings come to our help. According died 60 years after Mahavira's Parisishtaparvan, Udayi death which occurred in 468 B. C 8 Thus,
have died
in
.

1.

Buddha

died in the eighth year of

the

reign of

Ajataaatru,

whose accession synchronized with

Bimbiaara's death, which thus

Vide Mahavansa V.
for these

took place eight years before Nirvana.

2.

Vide

Vayu Purana 99 and Matsya Purana 272

references.

This work, while closing the account of Udayi's reign tayi that 60 years had elapsed since the death of Mahavlra at the time when Udayi was succeeded on tbe throne left vacant by hii
3.
t

CHANDRAGUPTA
408
B.

according to the Jains also, Udayi died in

C.
has

This
that

startling

result

sufficiently
at

establishes the fact

each of the authorities

our

disposal

preserved

much truth, which we can

period
rise

easily disentangle

from falsehood by means of comparison.

The
been

history of the

intervening
of

between

the death of

Udayi and the

the

Nandas has
to the

ill-preserved.

We
this

can,
period.

however, determine

the total length

of

According
of

Jain Parisishtaparvan a period

95 years elapsed

between the death of Udayi and the accession of The Chandragupta, and it may well be correct.
Jains
further

regard

the

Nandas

as having ruled
1
.

The during the whole of this period of 95 years Vayu Purana, on the other hand, assigns a total 3 The period of only 40 years to the Nandas.
Mahavansa
difference in
assigns
this

still
is

lesser

periodt

but the
real,

case

more apparent than

death. Although tbe

name of the successor is wrongly given as Nan da, the date of tbe transfer of power from the hands of Udayi appears to be correct. Vide Parisishtaparvan VI 243.
1

Not 155

years, as given

India* page 4-. after Mabavira's 155 yenra after the

years.
2.

by Dr. Smith in Early History of According to the Jains. Udayi died 60 years death and Chandrajrupta ascended the throne

same

event,

thus implying
years; bis sons

an interval of
12

95

Mahapadma Nanda 28
Vayu Purana
99,

years. Total 40

years. Vide

32829.

DETERMINATION OF CHRONOLOGY
as will be presently clear.
first

According
as

to Curtius the

Nanda murdered
of

his sovereign

and
to

then, under

the pretence
children,

acting
the

guardian

the

royal

usurped
ttie

supreme

authority,
1

and
If,

afterwards put
as Professor Rai

young

princes also to death.

conjectures, the
it

Chaudhury
a

murdered
his

sovereign

was Kalasoka, 3
allotted

is

clear

that

sons

have

been

separate

period
first

by the

Mahavansa
may,

solely

on the ground
in their

that the

Nanda

pretended to rule

name

for

some

time.

We

therefore, consider the whole period between the death of Kalasoka and the rise of Chandragupta as the Nanda period. Thus the period is

substantially the

same 8

as that allotted
justified

Purana.
period of

We are,
40

therefore,

by the Vayu in allotting a

this

years to

the

Nandas.

Deducting

figure from the total period of

95

years, that elapsed

Udayi and the rise of Chandragupta according to the Jains, we get 55 years as the period between the death of Udayi and the rise of the Nandas. Curiously enough if we add the reign-periods of the kings from the death of

between the death of

Udayi
1.
2.

to

the death

of

Kalasoka as given in

the

MoCrindle- Invasion of India by Alexander p. 222. Political History of Ancient India p. 164.
'

KaUwoka B >ii822yean; Nanda* 22 yean. * u Vide Mahavanaa Paricfacheda V,

Total 44 years.

CHANDRAGUPTA

Mahavansa (excluding Nagadasaka, who has been misplaced, as will be shown in the next chapter) we 1 The Vayu get almost exactly the same figure.
Purana,
like

the other Puranas,

this

knows

of only

two
of as
for

kings during

interval, assigning to

them a reign
if,

forty^two
is

and

forty-three years

respectively; but
is

probable, forty (chatvarinsat)

only a mistake
is

twenty-four (chaturvinsat) then it Puranas also recognize almost

clear

that

the

the
2

same period

having elapsed during that while there is contradiction

this interval.

The

fact

is

in details, all the

works appear to agree in regard to the total period. Thus 55 years after the death of Udayi, the

Nanda Nanda

family

came
40

to

family, accordingly,

The power. be dated may

to

rise

of the

in

353 B.C.
the

After a period of
sovereignty
B.
to

years the

Nandas passed
Chandragupta
in

of
is

Magadha

313

This

the date given by the Jains, according

whom

after

Chandragupta acquired throne 155 years the death of Mahavira or 255 years before the
This
date
is

era of Vikramaditya,
in

given, not only

in

the
1. 2.

Parisishtaparvan,*

but

also

other Jain
The exact

The exact total which we thus get is 54 years. Such corruptions in the Huranas are numerous.
of the

total according to this interpretation

Puranio text would be

53 years.
3.

Parisishtaparvan VIII 839

DETERMINATION OF CHRONOLOGY

works such as the Vicharasreni, 1 the Tithoogaliya

Payanna and the Tirthoddhara Prakirnaka. Besides being justified by the conclusions, which we have
already
arrived
at,
it

is

also

in

agreement with

immediate and suosequent events, which

we

shall

now

discuss.

Till

now
of

scholars

have been accustomed

to fix

the date

Chandragupta by guess.

As

it

has

been

proved beyond doubt that Chandragupta was a contemporary of Alexander for some time, and came to the throne after the departure of the
latter

from India,

it

is

certain that

throne at a date later than 325 B. C.

fixed

he acquired the Dr. V. A. Smith

Chandragupta's
of

322

B. C.,

as

the

date

of

accession, assuming that

his conquest
in

Magadha
Punjab

and

revolt against

Greek authority

the

occurred immediately after the death of Alexander. 2

But there

is

nothing to warrant such an assumption.

The
B. C.,

presence of

Eudemos

in the

Punjab

till

317
have

shows

that

Chandragupta could hardly

till

conquered the Punjab

1.

that

date.

Moreover,

we

According

Suhaatin, the Jain saint,

245 years after

of the Vicharasreni, converted Samprati, became Yugapradhana Mahavira's death, i. e. in 223 B. C, This date agrees

to

Merutunga, the author

who

very well with the date of Samprati , which

313 B.
2.

c. for

Chandragupta's accession.
India
4*
p.

we obtain by accepting Vide Appendix B.

Early History of

122.

CHANDRAGUPTA
prince Porus in Chandragupta's military career, in the
frontier,

do not hear a word about such a powerful

as

northwest

which

shows

that

Porus
quitted

was
India

not

alive at that time.

Now, Eudemos

an Indian prince who was, most probably, Porus. Thus, even on this ground, Chandragupta could not have conquered
after

treacherously slaying

the Punjab before

317

B.

C. Therefore, the

earliest

date of the conquest of the Punjab by Chandragupta would be 317 B. C. As for Magadha, the Jains

and the Buddhists agree

quered Magadha
frontier.
1

that

Chandragupta coru
the

after

subduing
taken

north-west
to

As

it

must have
east

a few years
the
is

reduce the

country

of the

Punjab,

date
quite

313

B. C., for the accession of

Chandragupta

plausible*

This date, moreover,

Asoka.

fits

in

with the date of

for

Chandragupta

reigned

24

years

according to the concurrent testimony of the Puranas

and the Buddhists. 1 He,

therefore,

must have been

succeeded by Bindusara in 289 B. C. There is not the same unanimity about the length of this king's reign
1.

The
!

this fact

story of Chandra gapta and the old woman, which suggest* found in the ParieishUparvan as well as in the Mahavansa-

tika. Vide
2.

Chapter VIII.
99. 831.

Vayu Parana

Mahavanga Paricheheda.

DETERMINATION OF CHRONOLOGY
but

we

shall

accept the period allotted by the

Vayu
the

Purana, as
to
it,

we

have done

in other cases.

According
Thus,
This means

Bindusara reigned

for

25

years.

date of his death would be 264 B.

that

Asoka was inaugurated king in 264 B. According to the Mahavansa, Asoka was inaugurated
in the 21 9th year after the death of

Buddha, 8 which
for

would

also give

264

B.

as

the date the

Asoka's
that

inauguration.

The

assertion of

Mahavansa

Asoka had become king four years before his formal inauguration cannot be accepted as correct, as it is
not supported by any other evidence.
to
It

seems clear
that

me

from

all

chronological

considerarions

have been any considerable interval between the death of Bindusara and the coronation
there could not

of Asoka;

and Asoka's calculation

of dates from his

abhisheka does not necessarily

by Prof. Bhandarkar, between that event and

1.

that

mean, as pointed out there was an interval

8

his father's death.

Vaju Paraaa

9, d32.

The name

of

Bindusara

is

erroneously

wiitten as Bhadraaara.

2.

MabaYaota Pancbcbeda V.
3.

Bhandarkar

Aeoka pp. 9-10.

10

CHANDRAGUPTA
There can be only one
serious objection against

this

date viz., difficulty in the synchronism of Asoka

in

with the Greek kings mentioned

his

edict.

But

on a closer examination
difficulty
exists.

we

find
of

that

no such

The

dates

the

Greek kings
"Inscriptions

referred to are thus given in Hultzch's

of Asoka":*

Antiochus

II

Theos

of Syria

261.246

B.

C.

Ptolemy

11

Philadelphus of Egypt

285.247 B. C.
B.
B.

Antigonus Gonatus of Macedonia 276.239 c 300,250 Magas of Cyrene

C.

C.

Alexander of Corinth
If

c 252.244 B. C.

we assume

the correctness of the assertion that

the

the edict in

which

names

of

these

kings

are

mentioned, was engraved

reign,
all

in the 14rh

year of Asoka's
this

its

date would be 251

the kings

were
this

alive.

B. C., and at Thus there is no

date

difficulty

in

accepting

chronology,

which

reconciles

Buddhist and Jain dates with

Hindu

records.

The

chronology Bimbisara

may be

tabulated
...

as follows:

519.491 B.

A jatasatru
Darsaka

...
.-.

49 1 .466 B, C.
466.441 B.

Udayi
1.

...

44L408
has met

B.

C C
general

This

is

the view of Senart;

and

it

with

acceptance.

DETERMINATION OF CHRONOLOGY
Other kings
...

1 1

408-353 B.C.
353-313
313-289
B. B.

Nandas
Chandragupta

...

C.

...

C.

The Maurya
of the book.

chronology appears

at

the

end

II

GROWTH OF MAGADHA
There were many kingdoms and republics in The India when the founder of Buddhism lived.
most famous kingdoms of that period were Magadha,
Avanti, Kosala and Vatsa, while the most important

republican clans

were the Mallas, the

Vrijis,

the

Sakyas and the Moriyas.

well as the

The

ruling

dynasties

as

republican

clans generally belonged to

the Kshatriya class.

The

tendency of the time was

towards the growth of monarchies and the republics

were

generally

being

merged

into

the

existing

kingdoms or otherwise coming under the influence

of

monarchism. Chandragupta himself, the hero of

our story and the 'founder of the greatest Indo^Aryan

dynasty
clan, as

known

in history',

sprang from a republican

we

shall see later*

The kingdom of Magadha, which was

Brihadratha,*
the rule
of a

traditionally

founded several centuries before by a king

named

was

rapidly rising at this period under

new

dynasty whose

first

important

king was Bimbisara,

1.

The

history of India henceforth

Havell- Aryan Rule in India p. 76.

2.

This

tradittp

recorded in the

Puranas.

Brihadratha

was

the father of Jarasfiidha, famous In the Mahabbarata*

GROWTH OF MAGADHA
is

13

the

history

of

this

kingdom's growth,

which
C. and
a

culminated in the

rise of the

Maurya empire.
B.

Bimbisara began to reign about 519

established
his

capital

at

Rajagriha.

He was

as of Pradyota,

contemporary of Gautama and Mahavira, as well Prasenajit and Udayana, the rulers He Vatsa respectively. of Avanti, Kosala and
territory

conquered the neighbouring

thereby
laid the

of

Anga and

foundation of

Magadhan

imperialism.

Bimbisara was succeeded by his son, Ajatasatru, in

491

B.

C.

The

according to

was an ambitious monarch and, Buddhist accounts, removed his father

latter

from the

throne

1
.

He waged many
At

wars

with

Prasenajit, the aged king of Kosala.

last,

the latter
to

was constrained
ceding the
part of

to

conclude peace according

the

terms of which he married his daughter to Ajatasatru,

district of Kasi,

which became an

integral

Magadha. Ajatasatru defeated the and annexed Videha to his dominions.

Vrijis also,

The

son

who

succeeded Ajatasatru
to

in

466

B. C.,

was Darsaka, according

Buddhist writers do not
1

the

Puranas.
the
.

Some
and

scholars doubt his existence because

Jain

know him 2

His name,

This

is

referred to in the Pali canon as well as in the Ceyloneae

Chronicles.
2.

Thus

Professor Geigcr has remarked:

is

'Again in the Parana*

jet another

king, called Darsaka, etc.,

inserted

between Ajatanatra

14

CHANDRAGUPTA
in

however, occurs

Bhasa's

Svapnavasavadatta,

an

independent Sanskrit drama, which represents him as

a contemporary of Pradyota and
indirectly

supporting
list

him

in the

Udayana, thereby even the position assigned to of Magadhan kings by the Puranas
7
.

The

omission
is,

of

his

name by
way,
but a

Jain and Buddhist

hindrance.
the

writers
writers,
2

in

no
Asoka,

These
direct
insert

for

example,

make Samprati
the

successor

of

Puranas

Dasaratha in the middle, and no body

existence

doubts

the
his

of

Dasaratha,

it

being
hill

proved by

inscriptions in the

Nagarjuni

caves.
is

The

case
to

of Darsaka

is

also similar,

and there

no reason

doubt

his existence.

Moreover, the Jains, although

not mentioning Darsaka by name, offer a chronology

which
Even
king,

perfectly tallies
if

Puranas,

we

with the chronology of the admit the existence of Darsaka*.

the Buddhist chronicles of

Ceylon mention a
Professor Bhandarkar

named Nagadasaka, whom

identified
That

has

with
is

Darsaka.
an
error
'

But

the

learned
trans, pp.

and Udayin,

certainly

Mahavansa,

XLIV, XLV.
Mahasena Pradyota and Udayana were already ruling in 1. time of Ajatasatru according to the Buddhists, and therefore Darsaka could have been their contemporary only by being the immediate successor of Ajatasatru.
the
2.

3.

Vide the Parisishtaparayan and the Divyavadana, Vide pp. 3-4 supra.

GROWTH OF MAGADHA
Professor has maintained the position of

15

Nagadasaka

according to the chronicles,

is

little

caring that there

position.

no independent proof
while admitting

to

support that

Thus,

the identification

proposed
to reject

by Professor Bhandarkar,
the testimony of the
in

we
to

see

no reason

Puranas, Bhasa and chronology

this

assigning

position
in

king.

We
as

are,

therefore,

justified

treating

Darsaka,

the
to

immediate successor of Ajatasatru.

Bhasa, Darsaka continued

According

the foreign policy of his

alliances with
1
.

ancestors by concluding matrimonial

the neighbouring potentates

Darsaka was succeeded

in

441

B.

C, by

Udayi,
in

who was
Jain
of the

famous monarch, being celebrated

Jain and Buddhist as well as Hindu works.

The
so,

and

Buddhist writers represent him as a son

Ajatasatru,

and

it

is

possible

that

he was
of

Puranas

having made him a son

Darsaka
3

due
of

to the tendency,

common
the

to all Indian literature,

making a
is

king

son
the

of

his
8

predecessor.

Udayi

credited

by

Puranic
of

and

Jain 4

testimonies
1.

with the

foundation
is

Kusumapura
hand

Pradyota, King of Avanti,

represented as seeking the

of Padmavati, sister of Darsaka, for his

2.

own
it.

son.

3.
4.

The Divyavadana Vayu Purana 99,

is

notorious for

319.

Parisishtaparvan VI 180.

16

CHANDRAGUPTA
become
in

or Pataliputra, a city destined to

the capital of
history.

one of the

greatest

empires

known

The
year

foundation of

this city

may be

dated in

the

438 B. C, following the Puranic account, according to which this event took place in the fourth year of
Udayi's reign.
of

Udayi died

in

408

B. C., after

a reign

33

years.
his son

Udayi was succeeded by

in turn.

and grandson
son

According

to

the

Puranas, Udayi's

and grandson, who ruled after him, were named Nandivarddhana 1 and Mahanandi respectively. The
Buddhists,

however,

call

the son

and grandson

of

2 Udayi as Anuruddhaka and Munda respectively. It seems to me almost certain that both the authorities
Professor Bhandarkar identifies Nandivarddhana, son of Udayi

1.

according to the Puranas, with Nandivarddhana, one of the ten sons of Kalasoka according to the Mahabodhivansa. The identification,

however,
as the

is

too far-fetched, there being nothing

common between

the

two, except name.

This

is

not a sufficient reason for identification,

several persons of that

name Nandivarddhana was not uncommon in ancient India, name being recorded in literature* Moreover,
of the

Nandwarddhana
the
eldest

Puran&s was thn

ten
brothers

sole successor of his father,

while Nandivarddhana of the Mahabodbivansa was one

and not even

the
suggests that

among

his

who

are

represented as

simultaneous successors of their father, a fact which

none

of
2.

them
The

really ever ruled.

names

of

Anuruddhaka

and

Munda

occur in

the

Oeylonese Chronicles, the latter being mentioned in the Pali canon and

the Divyavadana also.

GROWTH OF MAGADHA
tnean the same individuals*

17

The apparent difference

the

may

either

be due

to the fact that

same name*

have been preserved by our authorities under different forms, or that each of the kings bore more names
than one, as was
not

uncommon

in

ancient India.

is

Both of these kings are shadowy figures, and nothing known about them. After Munda, the Ceylonese
chronicles place Nagadasaka
identified

who

has
the

been already
grandson of
this
line,

with Darsaka. 1 Thus

last

Udayi remains as the

king of

in

agreement with the Puranas.

The Ceylonese chronicles next place Susunaga who was followed by his son, Kalasoka. Some
scholars have identified these two with Sisunaga

and
it

Kakavama

of the Puranas.

The

latter

works,

may be
which
of

mentioned, place

these
are,

kings

considerably

before Bimbisara.

There

however, grounds on

the Ceylonese version can be supported. The Puranas make Sisunaga the destroyer of the dynasty
8

Pradyota,

whose connection
those works-

with
4

Avanti

is

also acknowledged
1.

pp.

by 1415 sapra,
Jaoobi,

As Pradyota

of

3.

Proteflsorg

Geiger and Bhandarar are tto

27:8. 6,

obiaf

among
3.

theae aeholarB.

Vayu Parana

99.314: ilatsya Pnrarta

||

Malaya Parana 373.

1.

18
Avanti

CHANDRAGUPTA
was
his

Bimbisara,

undoubtedly a dynasty could

unless

contemporary of have been not

destroyed
latter

by Sisunaga,

we

admit that the

came

considerably after

Bimbisara.

certain

that either Sisunaga

had nothing

to

Thus it is do with
after

the Pradyota dynasty or he

came considerably
at this

Bimbisara.
it is

If

the latter alternative be correct,

then
time

clear that the

its

kingdom of Magadha
upto
until

extended

sway

Avanti.

We

cannot,

however, be sure
support of
it.

we

get further evidence in

The
that of

next family which ruled over

the

Nandas.

The

personal

Magadha was name "of the

Nanda,

founder of this family seems to have been

which,

in

its

plural

form, became

applicable to the
the Pradyotas).
authorities

whole
It is

family, as in other cases (e. g.

the.

obvious from

fact

that

several

give the

name

of the founder simply as

Nanda, and

even the Puranic appellation Mahapadma is only an epithet, hinting at the riches of the king, as is
apparent from the Bhagavata Purana which dubs the founder in more clear terms as Mahapadmapati
(i,

e. lord of

a vast amount). 1

Mahapadma Nanda
is

had eight

sons,

whence

the family

called as that

BhagmraU p. XII.

I,

GROWTH OF MAGADHA
of the nine Nandas.
real ruler throughout
It is

19

probable, however, that the

according to

was Mahaoadma Nanda as, many authorities, all the nine Nandas

were

1 The by Chandragupta and Chanakya. Divyavadana* actually mentions only Nanda as

killed

having ruled, while Kautilya also calls the ruler 3 dethroned by him simply as Nanda. Even the Greeks

Aggramen, which agrees very well with Ugrasena, an apithet of Mahapadma Nanda according to the Mahabodhivansa. 4 It is true that the Vayu and Matsya Puranas allot a
reign of 12 years to the eight sons of Nanda, but that

give the

name

of the King of Prassiai

as

may have been due

during the
all
last

to

the

fact

that

Mahapadma
thus
fact

years

of his reign rested practically

power

in

the hands of his sons,

who were
a

considered virtual rulers during that period

suggested
his

by Dhundhiraja in the 5 commentary on the Mudra^Rakshasa.

introduction

to

This

1.

Vishnu Purana IV. Act I gloka 13.

24;

Bhagavata Purana

XII

1.

Mudra-

2.

Divyavadana pp. 310

2frrT

ff.

8.

^TOf

Artbns&Blra
4.

XV.

I.

Vayu Purana 99.829 Matgya Parana 273,

Mudra-Bakthasa (Nirnaya Sagar*)

21.

5.

p. 43, sloka

30
fefcplains

CHANORACUPTA
why
the

Greeks alto sometimes speak of

1
irt

'the king* of Prussia!'

plural.

Mahapadma Nancfet usurped the thtone of Mfcgadha about 353 B. C. According to the Puranas he was the son of the last descendant of
Bimbisara* by a Sudra
the
classical

woman, but
unanimously

the

Jains 8 and
his

writers

represent

father to have been a barber.

AH

the authorities,

however, agree that he was a low*bom and ambitious monarch. The Puranas assert that many of the

which ruled contemporaneously with the These rise. prtdecessors of Nanda, fell at his were the Maithilas, the Kasis, the dynasties
dynasties

Ikshvakus, the Kurus, the Panchalas,

the
Vitthotras,

the Surasenas,

the

Haihayas, the Asmakas and the

K&lingas,
the
5

whose dominions comprised the whole of Gangetic valley as well as western India and

Orissa.
1.

Some

of

them had already been overthrown

McCrindle- Invasion of India by Alexander p. 310.

4.

That

is

to say, Mabanandi.

3.
4.

Pariaisbtaparvan VI.

5.

MoCrindle-Invasion of India by Alexander p. 223. Mont of the territories ruled by these dynasties can b*

identified

follows.

N.

Bibar (Maitbilas)

Benares (Kasia), Oudh

Mnttra (Sanwenas), (IksbvafcnsX Agra (Kurus), Kanauj (Panebalaa). Oojrat (Haibayas) and Orissa (Kalingaa). Tbe Avanti
(Vitihotras), of tbe
territory

Asmakas

cannot

be definitely

identified,

but

it

on Avanti. probably bordered

GROWTH OF MAGADHA
by previous
to

21

kings and
rest.

it

was

left

for

Mahapadma
of

subdue the

The

conquest

Kalinga

was almost
In

certainly accomplished

by Mahapadma.
Kharavela
about

the

Hathigumpha
the

inscription, king

mentions
years

conquest
his

of

Kalinga

300

before

Nandaraja,

who

a named time king by must have been none other than

scholars

Mahapadma.

Some

have

identified

him

with a predecessor of
of

Mahapadma by
interpret
if

reading a

passage as dating the inscription in the 165th year

Muriya Kala, which they 1 But even Chandragupta.

as the era

of

the reference to the

read,
it

Maurya

era

has

been
it

correctly

is

not

necessary to interpret

as the era of

Chandragupta
inscription

and thereby place

considerably

the Nandaraja of the

before
is

Mahapadma, whose family

of

nine members

the only
tradition.

Nanda

family recognized

by can
his

all

Moreover, Chandragupta hardly be credited with the foundation of an

forms of

era in view of the fact that his grandson Asoka uses

own

regnal years.
is

It

is

more probable

that

the

era referred to
Samprati,
1.

that of Chandragupta's descendant

who
IB

ruled

about a century
K.
they

after

hi$
D.
iv

This

the opinion of Meiers.

P. Jayaswal and E.
identify

Banerji.

The

King

with
of Udayi.

whom

Nandaraja

Kandtvarddhana, son

22

CHANDRAGUPTA
who
is

famous ancestor and

actually

known

to

have founded an
that the

era.

We
India.

may,

therefore, believe

arms of

Late in the period of the

the

Mahapadma Nanda

reached upto Kalinga.

family,

Alexander
the

Great
to

invaded
the

After

subduing

countries
B.

west? he crossed the Indus in

326

C.

We

possess

condition of

Northern India
with the

a pretty vivid account of the at that time, as the

invader, as well as the

Greeks,

who came

Indians contribute to our knowledge in this case.

The
among
In the

Indus valley at this time

was

parcelled out

a number of small kingdoms and republics. extreme north-west was the kingdom of Taxi la,

ruled by king

Ambhi, who gave a good reception

it

to

Alexander, regarding

fair

opportunity for revenge

against his rival, Porus,

who was

perhaps the most

powerful king

in

the

ruled on the other side

strong
resistance
to

Punjab at that time. Porus of the Jhelum and gave a

the invader, but

was

defeated.

Alexander proceeded upto the Beas river and then made a retreat. The retreating army was confronted,

among

by the powerful republican tribes of the Malavas and the Kshudrakas, who gave a severe Mutual jealousies, however, fight to the invader.
others,
1.

Early History of India p. 20 2n,

GROWTH OF MAGADHA
proved
to

23

be

ruinous as

usual.

Alexander thus
river.

became master The whole

of the country of the

upto the Beas

Ganges valley upto Magadha

of

was under the rule Nandas were at the

time
of

the

Nanda

family.

The
at the

height of their
of

power
the

the

invasion

Alexander

Great.

Plutarch informs us that 'the kings of the Gangaridai

(Ganges
to

delta)

and the

Prassiai (Prachi)

were reported
fighting

be waiting for him with an army of 80,000 horses,

foot,
1
.

200,000
a

8000 war
of
the

chariots

and 6000

elephants'
to

They were extremly

3
.

rich and, according

passage

Kathasaritsagara,

possessed

990
very

millions of gold pieces

They

were, however,
of
their

unpopular.
the
also

The

chief

reason

unpopularity was

lowness of their origin.

of
their

They
amount

were

hated on account

heterodox

disposition.

The

possession of such a huge

of wealth also
extortion

probably

implies

great

deal of

on the

part of the

Nandas.
empire

There are reasons

built

to believe that the great

by Mahapadma Nanda showed

closing

signs of revolt

during the

period

of

his

reign

when he

rested all power in the hands of his incapable sons, The kingdom of Kalinga certainly specially Dhana.
1.
2,

Kathasaritaagara

McCrindJe-Invssion of India by Alexander p. 810. 1, IV.

24
revolted

CHANDRAOUPTA

and regained its independence, for if it had remained a part of the Nanda empire, it is unlikely that it could have escaped the iron grip of whose absence of control over it is Chandragupta,
implied in a

passage in
1
.

one of the

inscriptions

of

Asoka,

its

conqueror

Several other kingdoms might

have

similarly reasserted their independence.

Such

was
built

the

condition

of

India

when
but
the

Chandragupta came on
already

the scene.

Magadha had

up
its

a considerable
ruler

empire,

worthlessness of

and the invasion of a foreign

king had made the conditions extremely unsettled, and a deliverer was needed. Thus, there were three factors

which contributed

to the rise of the

Maurya empire.

The

first

factor consisted of the conquests effected

by the previous rulers of Magadha. The second factor was the unpopularity of the Nandas, coupled with foreign invasion. The third factor was the
If the first factor provided genius of Chandragupta. with the resources needed for building Chandragupta

a great empire, the second gave him the opportunity to rise. But, above all other things, the main cause
of the rise of the glorious J^aijrya empire
1.

was

the

In Book Edict XIII Asoka speaks of Kalinga as a

country,

previously unconqnered/ Asoka's ancestors.

which

seems

to

mean

unconquered by

GROWTH OF MAGADHA
genius of Chandragupta, without which

25
he

would

not have been able

to utilise the resources

and the

opportunity provided by

the

first

two

factors.

Hi

CAREER OF CHANDRAGUPTA. We have seen that Northern India was far from
being a united country at the time of the
of Alexander
the

invasion

Great.

But the

do more than achieve already bom. This heroic figure was Chandragupta. The ancestry and early life of Chandragupta is recorded in several works of ancient and metftaeval
destined
to

man who was this .unity was

times although, unfortunately,

sufficient details

are

every-where lacking.

It

has hitherto been believed

by several scholars,
works, that

on the authority of some mediaeval Chandragupta was a low-caste man and

a scion of the Nanda family. The most important of these works is a collection of stories, without any
pretensions
to
history,

known

as

the Brihatkatha

which
Its

is

preserved through

story of the death of

many Sanskrit recensions* Nanda and the re-animation

not deserving of criticism,

of his

body

is

obviously

and

its

account of the origin of Chandragupta should

also be likewise treated, being not supported

by other

old works.

The other work which calls Chandragupta a low-caste man and connects him with Nanda
is

the MudraJRakshasa,

which

is

also said

by the

CAREER OF CHANDRAGUPTA
work
led the

27

! Dasarupavaloka to be based on the Brihatkatha. This

contains

many

inaccuracies

such

as

the

assignation of high birth to

Nanda. a statement which

mother of
otherwise

commentators

to postulate that the

Chandragupta was a Sudra woman,

for

how
born.

could the
2

son of a
other

high

bom man
all

be

low

On

the

hand,
as

the

older works

recognise

Chandragupta

Kshatriya.

The

Puranas, no doubt, state that Sudra kingship began

with Nanda, but

caste

it

simply means that kings of Sudra

were not

rare from that time,

and not
for the

that all

the subsequent

kings were Sudras,

Puranas
belonged

themselves designate the Kanva kings,

to

who

one of the subsequent dynasties, as Brahmans.*

Therefore,
as a

when

the Puranas describe the

Mauryas

new

dynasty, neither connecting them with the

Nandas, nor calling them Sudras, it is clear that they recognised them as Kshatriyas, the caste to which the
king normally belonged.
c

The Kalpasutra
DaRHrupavaloka.

of the Jains

2.

Tli

Parana give

com uifciitH tors of tbe Mudra-Kakuhuaa and the Viibnu the name of Cbandragupta's grandmother or mother IB
being tbe origin
of
clear

Mura.

This nam*, so far from

to have been suggested by the Utter

word,

as

ia

Maorya, neemg from ih fact

name

that Dhnndhinija, tbe commentator of the Mudra-l<aksha*a, given tbe of the mother of the Nanda* as Sunaudn which baa been obvious-

Ij coined to rewmble the word Nanda. 3. 'These 4 Kanva Brahman* will enjoy the earth etc.* P.

(PargiUr

71)

28

CHANPRAGUPTA
that the

mentions a Mauryaputra of the Kasyapa gotra, which

shows
folk,*

Mauryas were regarded

as high class

The

Buddhist Divyavadana calls Bindusara

the son and grandson respectively of

and Asoka, a

The Buddhist Mahavansa calls Chandragupta himself as a member of (he 8 Kshatriya clan of the Moriyas, who are represented
Chandragupta,asKshatriyas.

by

the Mahavansa^tika as a Himalayan off-shoot of 4 The description of the Moriyas as a the Sakyas.
is

Kshatriya clan

confirmed by the Mahaparinibbana

of
It

Sutta, a portion

the

Pali

canon and an early

authentic work-

the Kshatriya tribes

relics of

mentions the Moriyas as one of who claimed a portion of the

{he
latter's

Buddha

after

death.

This

tradjtjon
1. 2.

was
E
n

also recorded in mediaeval inscriptions,

86. p. 28C.
(p. 370)

8.

B.

Vol

In the

Divyavadana
the

Bindusara said

to

a woman,

In

game

work

(p. 409)
:

Aeoka says

to

bis
I

queen

Tishyaraknhita

*TR **

W&T

**

^^T^f ^ft^T^ITf^'

TJi^

pas sage s arc significant.

4.

gee chapter VIII *ec. A.

B. B. E. Vol.

5.

XI

p. 134.

CAREER OF CHANDRAGUPTA
which
solar
call the

29
of the of the

Maurya

family

as a branch

race 1

usages of
times,

and Chahdragupta an abode eminent Kshatriys. a Even in

modem

we

are

aware of a Rajput clan of Moris,

himself

whom Tod
Mauryas.*

considered to be the descendants of the

Finally,

Kautilya

indirectly

suggests the noble origin of his sovereign's

family,

when he
weak,
is

lays

down

that a

high

bom

king,

though

better than a
it

Therefore,

lowborn one, though strong. 4 should be regarded as settled that

to the Kshatriya clan of the

Chandragupta belonged
Moriyas.

In the fifth century B.

C,

the

Moriyas were the

of

ruling

clan

of

the

republic

Pipphalivana.*
to

According

to the Mahavansautika,
is

which seems

be

based on truth and

a further stage, the Moriyas

supported by Jain writings at were a branch of the

Sakyas and were so called because, when driven by the attack of the Kosalan prince Virudhaka, they left
their original
1. 2.
ft.

home and
2tf>.

settled in

a place which

Ep. Ind. II

When
4,
5.

10. Bice-Mynore and Coorg from Inscription* p. of Cbitor till about 728 A. D, The Moris were the ruling wa wrested by Bappa, the founder of the BUodia tbeir

dn

territory

hoaae of Mewar.
Arthashartra Book VII I chapter
II.

30
abounded

CHANDRAGUPTA

in mayura* or peacocks. When king Nanda extended his conquests, the Moriyas too must

fiave shared the fate of other clans

and monarchies.

by the Mahavansa^tika that whose name unfortunately is Chandragupta's not mentioned, was the chief of the Moriya clan and was killed by a powerful Raja, presumably Nanda. There-after Chandragupta's mother, who was then
In
fact,

we

are

told

father,

pregnant, ran

away with

her father's relations and

lived at Pataliputra in disguise.

At by

this stage the story is

wonderfully corroborated

and the Uttradhyayanaof certain tika, which speak peacock tamers, near Pataliputra, whose chiefs daughter bore living
the Jain Parisishtaparvan

Chandragupta.
says that the

As
easy

the

Mahavansautika

expressly
lived

Moriya queen and her

it is

relations

in

disguise,

to see

that

the

best

way

of

disguising themselves was to act as tamers of peacocks, which were the most familiar objects for the

Moriyas.

Moreover, as
in

no

mention

is

made
it

of

Chandragupta's father
that
it

the Jain

version

means

presupposes certain events which, as

briefly
set

we have

seen, are

forth

in

the Mahavansauika.

Thus

it is

clear from
that the

both the

Buddhist and Jain

accounts
1.

Moriya

family

had

lost all its

Vide Chapter VII I Sec. B.

CAREER OF CHANDRAGUPTA
previous rank at the time

31

when Chandragupta was born and Justin, the Roman author, rightly observes 1 The that Chandragupta was born in humble life.
B.

date of his birth must have been about 345

at

as,

the

time of Alexander's

Indian

campaigns

in

325

B. C.,

he was only a boy,

probably not more

than 20 years of age*.

Most
spent

of the

traditions agree
in

that

Chandragupta

his

According

to

boyhood some

the

of the

stories

country of Magadha. he also lived for

ill*

some time

at the court of

King Nanda and being

to

treated plotted against

him and was obliged

be correct, as
it

flee.

This occount seems

to

is

supported

by

Justin.

There are

several stories relating to the

uncommon
boyhood.
advantage
:

intelligence of

One

of

Chandragupta even in his them may be related here with

Raja of Simhala sent to the Court of the Nandas a cage containing a lion of wax, so well
1.

"The

2.

Vide chapter VIII. "Androkottoft himnelf

etc

who was then

of

lmt a

youth

B*W

Alexander

"

M^Crindle Invasion

India

by

Alexander

311.

3. The story of DhundhtrajA, for example, emphasises the f&et that Chandragupta lived at the court of Nandti, and the same tnmg i* suggested by Justin when he says that Chandragupta

offeuded Naudas
Sec.

by

his

insolent

behaviour.

Vide

Chapter

D.

32

CHANDRAGUPTA
that
it

made
that

seemed

to

be

real.

He

added a

message
should

to the effect that

any one who could make

fierce

animal

be

run without opening the cage acknowledged to be an exceptionally

talented mart.

The

dullness of the

Nandas prevented

their understanding the double

the

meaning contained in message, but Chandragupta, in whom some little

offered
to

breath yet remained,

undertake the

task.

This being allowed, he made an iron rod red hot and thrusted it into the figure as a result of which the

wax

soon ran and the lion disappeared 1 ."

it

We may take

as

correct

that

did live for sometime at the

court

of

Chandragupta Nanda, and

being dissatisfied with him, became determined to end He soon got an opportunityhis tyrannous rule.

learned

and
the

fiery-tempered

Brahman, named

Vishnugupta Chanakya,

being invited to a religious

of

ceremony

at

court

by the

latter

which

Nanda, was ill-treated induced him to take an open

Nanda.
his
to

vow
a

to

revenge

against

then drew Chanakya

revolt.

side

Chandragupta and instigated

suppressed

They

were,

however,

and

obliged to quit the kingdom of Magadha*

Chandragupta then wandered

I.

in

the northern

Dhnndhlraja's introduction to his commentary on the Mudrt

ttaksbasa.

CAREER OF CHANDRAGUPTA
provinces
for

33

some

time.

According
also,

to

Plutarch,

he paid a
nothing
the
to

visit to

Alexander

although

there

is

persuade invader to attack the kingdom of Magadha, as is

indicate that his purpose

was

to

held by
in

some
that,

scholars.

curious story found both

the

Parisishtaparvan

and the Mahavansautika

relates

an old

woman
he

while wandering, Chandragupta heard saying that the cause of his failure
revolted
against

was
his

that

Magadha
that*

before
realising

conquering
northern

the outer provinces, and

mistake, he

made up

his

mind

provinces,

A bom

conquer the leader of men as he

to

was, he soon gathered sufficient

men round him

named
district,

to

help

him
ruled

in his designs

and presently secured the

chief

subordinate alliance of

Parvataka,

who
name

in

some Himalayan
in several

and whose

finds

mention

1 independent works.

Chandragupta appears to have begun his career of conquest from the Punjab, perhaps because he
could not brooke the presence of foreign garrisons in a part of his country, which he had determined
to
his
1.

unite under his

own

sway.

Alexander had made

the Punjab
the
the

own

administrative arrangements in
of

The name

Parvataka
the

Mahavansa-tika

and

Mudra-IUksba**.

occurs in the ParUishUparvao, Jacob) *n#?et

identification of this chief with a king of Nepal.

34

CHANDRAGUPTA

when he retreated. An officer, named Philip, was made satrap of the Indus basin, with the confluence
of the Punjab rivers

with the Indus as the southern

boundary

of

the

satrapy.

The

territory

of Sindh

was put in charge of Peithon, son of Agenor. King Porus was allowed to rule his own principality as
the satrap of

Alexander.
his

In

324

B.

C,

murdered by

mercenary troops
his
B.

was and Eudemos

Philip

was temporarily apppointed in death of Alexander in 323

chances
of the

place,

but the
all

C.

removed
in

arrangement being renewed.

the

At the
321

time of the second partition of

B. C.,

Empire
of

the

arrangement was continued

Peithon,
the

unaltered,

although

satrap

Sindh,
the

was

transferred to the provinces

situated to

west of

the river Indus.

intolerant

The
the

Indians were, however, growing

of

domineering foreigners, and the

of

treacherous
B.

murder

Porus by
for

Eudemos

in

317

Chandragupta and Eudemos finding the country The Greek officers too hot for him, quitted India. and soldiers, who still remained in India, were put
signal

C. was the

revolt.

headed the

revolt,

to

the sword and, by 316 B. C., Chandragupta became the unquestioned master of the Punjab. the Punjab, Having taken possession of

Chandragupta

advanced towards

the

east.

It

is

CAREER OF CHANDRAGUPTA
probable that the provinces of
valley
their

35

the

upper Gangetic
tyrannous
rule.

conquered by Mahapadma Nanda had regained

independence,
following
his

These provinces were taken by Chandragupta one

by one, although there are given by Hemachandra

not submit with ease.
of
It

indications in the account

that
all

of

them

did

must have taken a couple

the

years

to

reduce

completely
the

portion of the

Gangetic valley outside dominions.

compressed

Nanda

Chandragupta

finally attacked
B.

the
story

kingdom pf
of
is

Nanda about 314

in several

C.

The

the

war

between the Nandas and Chandragupta

works.

preserved

According
to

to the

Milindapanho,
.

the

Nanda army was commanded by Bhaddasala 1

is

The war
the nine

reported

have been a sufficiently

to several authorities,* all
in
this

serious affair.

According

Nandas were

killed

war and the

family of

Mahapadma was

exterminated.

Chandragupta, thus, became mas'er of Northern India. His ally Parvataka also died in the mearv
while,

although
of
his

the

legends
are

which

relate

to

the

manner
1

death
U7.
2U

contradictory

and

B K 3C p

See footnote

1. p.

36
untrustworthy
the only
rival

CHANDRAGUPTA
It is

clear

that

his

death

removed

who

could legitimately claim a share

in the conquests,

master place at

of

and Chandragupta became the sole His coronation took India. Pataliputra in 313 B C.
Northern
events

The
in the

assumption of MudrauRakshasa, a play which, although full of imaginary details, is probably based on events which
actually occurred
1
.

which immediately followed the authority by Chandragupta are related

We

learn

from

it

that

the son

named Malayaketu rose against of Parvataka Chandragupta, with the help of five other chiefs and an ex-minister of king Nanda named Rakshasa*
tactics of Chanakya, whom had made his prime minister, however, Chandragupta succeeded in sowing dissensions in the camp of Malayaketu, and the latter got his own allies

The

Machiavellian

murdered.
rendered
his

By
the

this

act

of

his.

Malayaketu was
intervention of

powerless,

but

on

the

friend,

ex-minister

of

Nanda, he
as

was

restored in his father's

principality

a vassal of

Chandragupta.

The Maurya
for
1.

king at

this

time naturally

became
with

secure in his north Indian

dominions.

But his zeal

satisfied

conquest could
This
is

hardly

remain

th

opinion o! Dr. Smith and Professor Htllebnmdt.

CAREER OF CHANDRAGUPTA
what he had already
the Junagarh

37
his

acquired.

He
we

pushed

conquests upto the western sea, for

inscription
of

learn from
that
1

Rudradaman
over

Chandragupta
Chandragupta
a
considerable

had
also

control

Surashtra.

seems
of

to

have

conquered
India.
all

portion

trans-Vindhyan

According to Plutarch, Chandragupta overran even if we admit statement, India, which

exaggeration,
the

of

means
portion

that

major
in

of

India *

Chandragupta conquered This tradition is

also, for

recorded

other
says

documents

the

Mahavansa
all

that

Chandragupta

ruled

over

According to Prof. Aiyangar, Jambudvipa.* Mulnamer, an ancient Tamil author, refers to the
of

advance
times.*

Mauryas upto Tinnevelly

Mysore
of

district in early

Finally, certain

inscriptions refer to

Chandragupta's
statements leave

conquest
little

room

5 All these Mysore. for doubt that Chandra*

gupta did conquer a considerable portion of the Deccan.

Chandragupta thus gained recognizance as the paramount sovereign in the whole of India. He had,
however, yet to measure strength with the greatest of
1.

2
*.
4.

Vide Appendix A* MoCrindle-TnvMion of Indin by Alexander

p.

310

M*havsit

I'arichehbcda V,

5.

Beginnings of South Indian History chapter. Rice Mysore and Coorg from Inscription*.

38
his
rivals,

CHANDRAGUPTA
Seleukos
Nikator, formerly a general of

Alexander. Seleukos conquered Babylon in 3 1 2 B.

and

six years later

assumed the
r

title

of king.

He

also

subjugated the Bactrians

and then advanced

to India,

crossing the Indus, about

305

B. C.

Shwanbeck has

shown

at length that
1

Seleukos could not proceed

much

beyond the Indus, which may be taken to mean that Chandragupta was present in the Punjab
at that

time.

It

is,

therefore,

probable

that

Chandragupta, not content with the conquest of India,

was thinking
to

of

marching towards the western regions

emulate the legendary (Hgvijaya of Raghu and other

war between Chandragupta and Seluekos was a clash between two ambitious kings.
ancient kings. Thus, the

No detailed account of the actual

But the
authors,
results,

conflict has survived.

as

mentioned
that

by

the

classical

clearly

show

Seleukos

recognized

the
to

superiority of

Chandragupta and
treaty.

was obliged

According to this gave a large part of Ariana to treaty, Seleukos in consequence of a marriage Chandragupta has Dr. Smith alliance. very ably shown*
that the large

conclude a humiliating

part of Ariana, referred to

s by Strabo

was
1.

identical
Thib
is

with the four satrapies

La as sen and Milogel.
lit*rutur< pp.

of

Aria

also the ojiuion of

2.

4 p 158 Early History o{ India McCrindle-Ancient India in ctaKsical

15 and .88

CAREER OF CHANDRACUPTA

39

(Herat) Arachosia (Kandhar) Paropanisadiae (Kabul) and Gedrosia (Baluchistan) all of which Pliny
considered as

forming

part
is

of India. *

As
to

for the
its
it.

marriage

contract,

there

no reason
of the

doubt
to

correctness because both Strabo

and Appian refer

Thus
seems

the
to

real

explanation

whole
his

treaty

be that Seleukos married

territories

daughter to

Chandragupta, giving the

of
2
.

Afghanistan

and

Baluchistan

as a sort of
in
this

royal families
friendly terms.

were,

The dowry way, drawn on

two
close

We

further learn that

presented 500
sent

elephants to Seieukos,

Chandragupta and the latter

court.

an envoy named Megasthenes to the Indian It is not recorded whether Chandragupta also
to the

sent

an envoy

Greek

court.

Thus from a homeless wanderer, twelve before, Chandragupta became the emperor of
and a
1. 2.

years
India

large part of the former Persian empire.

McCrindle Ancient India: M>ga*tbene8
This view
is

The

ad Aman

p. 158.

genet ally accepted and Reams to be correct, un the

marriage of Hindu kings with

in ancient India, the

non-Hmdu princesses was not unknown Mahabharata motioning the marriage of Arjuna

with a princeBB of the Naga tribe On the other hn&d, a vice-vert* not appear ponnble in vu-w of th* evident miccetft of the case dre
Inriian King, besidea th
fnct that
explicit,

in

that event the Greeks would

naturally have been

Asiatic marriages.

more

they aie

about Alexander *
1

40

CHANDRAGUPTA

war with Scleukos was, in all probability, the last war of Chandragupta, and he devoted the remaining
sixteen years of his reign in

consolidating his empire

efficient

and

establishing

highly

system of

administration.

We
this

personal

life

at

can glance something of his from the writings of stage

in

Megasthenes
writers, and, to

preserved

fragments

by
is

other

some

extent, from the Arthasastra of

Kautilya, the

name by which Chanakya

lived
in

famous as
palace,

an author.
Chandragupta
a very
stately

containing gilded pillars adorned with golden vines

and

silver

birds,

and furnished with

as

richly carved

tables

and

chairs of state,

well

as

basins

and

goblets of gold.

"In the Indian royal

all

palace where

the greatest of
besides

the kings of the country resides,

much

else

which
with

is

calculated
neither

to excite

admiration,

and
vie,

which

Susa

nor

Ekbatana can
In the parks

there are other

wonders

besides.

tame peacocks are kept, and pheasants

which have been domesticated; there are shady groves and pasture grounds planted with trees, and
branches which the
art of the

woodsman has
and with

deftly
soil,

interwoven; while some trees are native to the

others are brought from other parts,

their

beauty enhance the charm of the landscape.

Parrots

CAREER OF CHANDRAGUPTA
the king
their

41

are natives of the country, and keep hovering about

numbers

and wheeling round him, and vast though The be, no Indian ever eats a parrot.

Brachmanes honour them highly above all other birds because the parrot alone can imitate human
speech.

ponds

in

Within the palace grounds are artificial which they keep fish of enormous size but

quite tame.

No

one has permission

to fish for these

except the king's sons while yet in their boyhood.

the unruffled
sail their

These youngsters amuse themselves while fishing sheet of water and learning how
boats."
1

in

to

Chandragupta
palace.
ferrates

spent

his

leisure

hours in

the

The care of his person was entrusted to who were armed 2 He left his palace either
.

for performing administrative

sacrifices or for the

duties or for

offering

chase
in

8
.

When he

condescended

to

show

finest

public he was clothed in the muslin embroidered with purple and gold.
himself

When
but

when

making short journeys he rode on horseback, travelling longer distances he was mounted

1.

MeOri mile- Ancient India in CUnMcai liUtrntui* pp. Ul-142.

2.

McCnndle- Ancient
I,

India:

Megastbenes and

Atria n

p.

70

Aithaaaetra Book
3.

Chapter 21.
j. 70.

McCrindJe-Ancient India: MegMthene* and Airian

42

CHANDRAGUPTA

on an elephant. The hairvwashing ceremony of the king was performed with great splendour accompanied
with rich
presents

from nobles, as was also the

Court.

custom
sleep

in the Persian in

The

king did

not

the

day

time.

In the night

he used to

change
defeat

his

bedroom from
plots against

time to time in order to

j

any

him

Chandragupta supervised the administration of He did not allow the business to be justice himself.
interrupted even
if

he had to

sit

for the

whole day,
attend to his

and the hour arrived when he had

person.
In

to

such cases, he continued hearing cases,

while four attendants massaged

of

wood.

His busy

life

him with cylinders seems to have been the

the

cause of his abstaining from sleep during

time.

day
not

Kautilya, in fact, lays

down
8

the precept that a

king

should so divide his time-table that he

may

sleep for
It is

more than

three hours.

interesting to

leam

that the king left his palace

fact probably

to offer sacrifices also.

The

shows

that

Chandragupta was a Brahmanical Hindu at least for the greater part of his life, although he inclined towards
Jainism during his
1
3.
:t

last

days, according to Jain authors.

p.

MoCrindle- Ancient India: MeuaptbenpR and Arrian

Ibid p. 71
\nha3ftstrix llook I

70

Chap %0

CAREER OF CHANDRAGUPTA
Chandragupta was
delighted
bulls,

45

also

fond

of

sports.

He

in

witnessing

the

fights

of

elephants,

rams and rhinoceroses.

A curious entertainment

was provided by ox races. The most favourite The road along which he went for sport was chase. chase was marked with ropes, and it was death to
pass within the ropes.
the back of

He
the

shot arrows

either
1
.

from

an elephant or from a platform

led
life

Chandragupta
emperor

of

an

energetic

of a vast empire for

his

24 years

We do not
of

know much about

his
like

family

The name

one of

queens for he was, in all likelihood, a polygamist most monarchs of those times was Durdhara,
His only son whose Hemachandra 2 known to us under various forms was
.

according to

name

is

Bindusara,
Ratal iputra.

who

succeeded

him on the throne of

Chandragupta died
According
Jain and
to

in

or

about

289

B.

C
and

Rajavalikatha, Chandragupta

was a

abdicated at the time of a great famine

repaired to Mysore
inscriptions the

where he

summit
to

Belgola,
1
'2.

is

said

Mysore Kalbappu hill, at Sravan be marked with the footprints of

of the
p. 71

died.

In certain

McOnndle-Ancient Jinlm M^ga^thencn and Arrian

Vido the

44
the great

CHANDRAGUPTA
.

1 mums, Bhadrabahu and Chandragupta Bhadrabahu was a Jain leader who lived during the reign of Chandragupta. The Jain tradition, however,
is

very confused with regard to details. Hemachandra,

for

example, does not speak of the retirement of

Chandragupta and
southern
that

Bhadrabahu

together

to

the

direction.

On
3
.

the other hand, he suggests

in

Bhadrabahu died
reign

the
It

sixteenth
is

year

of
that

Chandragupta's

probable

Bhadrabahu died before Chandragupta, and that the latter too, some years after, passed away at the same
place where Bhadrabahu had died.
case, there
is

Whatever be

the

no

alternative account of the last days

Dr.

of

Chandragupta and, as
to trust the Jain 8.

Smith has contended,

we have
truth

version as being based on

I. 2.
:>.

Hies- -EpiRiaphioa Carnatica Vol

I,

p 3)

Parnisfataparvan

IX.

1112.

Oxford History of India

p.

7G.

IV

ADMINISTRATION OF THE EMPIRE

The
limits

of

the

empire

governed

by

Chandragupta are not known with absolute precision. But we can approximate to the truth by combining,
the accounts of foreign writers with the Indian literary

and epigraphic evidence.

The empire extended

in the

upto the borders of Persia

north-west as gathered
1

from the terms of the

It

treaty with Suleukos Nikator.

included the whole

in the

of

the

IndoXjangetic valley extending,

is

west

upto Kathiawar as

evident from the inscription of

Rudradaman, and
have passed
ruled
to

in the east,

upto Bengal which must

Chandragupta from
(Ganges

Nanda,

who

over Gangaradai
1
.

delta)

as well as

Prassiai (Prachi)

1.

Kalhana mentions Asoka among the kin^s

is

of

Kashmir, but as

Asoka
that
also
of

known

to have

conquered only

Kalin#\,

we may conclude

Kashmir formed part of the empire of Hindupara and probably The Mudra-Kakshasa play mentions the prince of Chandragupta.

Kashmir

among
inclusion

the

subordinate

all lea

of

Malay aketti,

who

vassal of Chandragupta. subsequently became a

2.

The

of

Bengal in

implied reader is referred

in the recently discovered

to

Mr.

the Maurya empire is alao Mahasthan inscription. The curious Jayaiwal'i article ia the Modern Heviev,

May

1933.

46

CHANDRAGUPTA

Chandragupta probably exercised some control in the Deccan also, as appears from certain Mysore
inscriptions as well as other evidences.
3

Taranath,

however, represents Bindusara as having conquered sixteen states, which must have been situated in the
south,

because

we know

for certain

that northern

Jndia

was firmly held by Chandragupta. It, therefore, means that either Chandragupta was content to
it

receive the submission of the kings of southern India

and
or

was

left for

Bindusara to annex their

did
revolt.

territories

that

what Bindusara
of

was

mostly
latter

the

suppression

a general

The
is

view

seems

more
the

tenable, and thus there

belief

nothing to

invalidate

that

Chandragupta was the

Certain
to

suzerain of a large portion of southern India.

portions
of this
region,

however,

seem

have
is

remained independent.

The kingdom

of Kalinga

described hy Megasthenes
military force,

as possessing considerable

and was probably independent before a The kingdom of Andhra, its conquest by Asoka which lay to its soufh, is also described by Megasthenes as very powerful, and it also might have
.

1.
il.

Vide

p.

37 *upra.
royal
city of

"The

the

Calm^a
,

is

called Parthalis

Over

their king

6000 > foot soldi eis, 1000 hoi semen 700 elephants, keep watch M McCrindl** Ancient India: and ward in 'procinctof war Megasthenes

*nd Arriau

p. 138.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE EMPIRE

1

47

in the time of been independent Chandragupta. The Pandya, Chola and Kerala kingdoms of the extreme

south were also

successors.
2

left

alone by Chandragupta and his

Thus, Chandragupta was the emperor

all

of

practically

India

Andhra

and

the

Tamil

proper excluding Kalinga, land and including

Afghanistan and Baluchistan.

It

should, however, be

remembered
under
the

that

all

this

vast

empire

was

not

direct

rule as

of

Chandragupta. There always been the case

lays

were protectorates
in

has

Indian history.

Kautilya

down
lands

that
in

own

"conquered kings preserved in their accordance with the policy of

be
loyal
to

conciliation

will

the
8

conquerer and

follow his

sons

and

grandsons/'
this

must have followed

In
fact,

policy

to

Chandragupta some extent.

sanghas
in

Kautilya

mentions certain
probably
still

or
the

oligarchies

which
the

existed

time of Chandragupta.
the Vrijis,
1.

These were the Lichchhavis,

the

Mai las,

Madras,
Htill

the

Kukuras,

"Next come the Andruae a

DJOIO powerful ra<*, which

possesses
towers,

numerouH
and which

villages,

and thirty towna defended by walls and supplies its king with an wrmy of 100,000

infantry,

2000 cu\airy

and 1000

elepbauU"

McCrindlo- Ancient

India: Megasthenos and Arrian p 141. Asoka mentions these kingdoms as independent in hit edict*. 2.
3.

Artbasastta Book Vli

Chap

lf>.

48
the

CHANDRAGUPTA
Kurus and the Panchalas, whose presidents or
Rajas,

consuls were called

Surashtras

and the Kambhojas and

1

who had no

Raja.

The

Rajas of these

oligarchies probably also acted as the representatives

of Chandragupta,

while those
to

corporations
in

which

had no Raja had

officer

be put

charge of a special

who was
with

called Rashtriya,

and was probably

2
.

identical

KautilyaY
of

Rashtrapala

The
of

Junagarh

inscription

Rudradaman
as

mentions

Pushyagupta,

the
in
in

Vaisya,

the

Rashtriya

Chandragupta

Surashtra which, at that time,

the

had

no

Raja,

but

time

of

Asoka we hear of a

Yavana Raja, acting on behalf of Asoka, from which it would appear that at that time Surashtra had adopted the institution of Rajaship. 8 Besides the oligarchies, there were also some kingdoms which
.

were

ruled

by

their

own

Rajas.

Megasthenes
it

mentions several
difficult to

such

kingdoms,
of them.

although

is

identify

many

Moreover,

it is

not easy to understand from his writings alone as

to

which

of

the

kingdoms he mentions were protected

Yetj as

and which were independent.

we know

the approximate extent of Chandragupta's dominions

1.

Artlwaastr* Book
Ibid Book

Xf Chap.
8.

1.

S.

Chap.

Vide Appendix A.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE EMPIRE

we may
were
protected
situated

49

be pretty certain that the kingdoms which

within
its

boundaries
essence
of
Dr.

were
this

only

states.

"The

imperial

system," to

sum up in the words of "was thus a recognition Mookerji,

at the

Radha Kumud
autonomy
itself

of local

expense of the authority of the central govern-

ment,

which was physically

its

unfit

to

assert

except by

enforced affiliation to the

pre-existing

1 system of local government/'

We

have

ample
of the

material

for

describing

the

administration

has rightly observed that "more

policy of India as
it

Maurya empire and Dr. Smith is known about the was in the Maurya age than can

be affirmed on the subject concerning any period intervening between that age and the reign of

Akbar eighteen centuries

is

later/'

The

chief source

the

account

left

by the

Greek

ambassador
tells

Megasthenes. much about the methods of administration,

The

Arthasastra of Kautilya

us.

many

of

which must have been

followed by
to

although the work seems

The

edicts of

Asoka and

Chandragupta,. be largely theoretical. the ancient works dealing

with Hindu polity are also helpful in adding to our

information about the administration of that period.
1.

Dr. Kadba

Kumud

Mookerji

Local

Government

in

Ancient

India P. 10
2,

Asoka, the Buddhist Emperor of India p. 84.

50

CHANDRAGUPTA
The
king

was
in his

the head of the administration

and

powers, having to perform military, judicial, legislative as well as executive functions

wasabsolute

which we

shall deal

with as occasion

arises.

It

must,

however, be remembered that the autocracy of the

king in ancient India
institutions

was always

limited
it

by popular

which

the state thought

safe to recognise.

Mr. Jayaswal has shown at length that the and Janapadas mentioned in Sanskrit Pauras literature were really popular assemblies representing
citizens

and

villagers,

and had considerable powers. 1

kinds of
all

Kautilya mentions 18
officials*

Amatyas
the

who

supervised

or high branches of

administration,

and were probably identical with the Mahamatras of Asoka. Megasthenes seems to refer

lo these very officers as comprising the seventh division

of Indian population. king, no doubt, from

They were appointed by the among men who had popular

backing, as Kautilya expressly says that "whatever pleases himself he shall not consider as good, but

whatever pleases
good."
8

his

subjects

he

shall

consider as

The appointment

of these

Amatyas was

the chief
1. g, 3.

executive function of the king.

Bindn
Ibid

Polity-Part II pp 70-108. Artbaaastra Book I chapter 12.

Book

chapter 19.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE EMPIRE

The
king

51

was

assisted

by a Parishad or assembly

of councillors,

which was a sort of parliament. 1 This body must have consisted of a large number of members. The highest officers of the state were the chief ministers, who were not more than four; 8 and
the
ablest

of

whom

probably
to

ministership,

which rank seems

prime acquired have been enjoyed

by Chanakya. The salary of a chief minister was 48,000 panas per annum.* The value of a pana, 4 according to Dr. Smith, was not far from a shilling.

The
and

military administration

was very elaborate

king had
also
this
is

efficient.

We have said that the

and

military functions to perform,

fact that according to

clear from the

left

Megasthenes the king

the Senapati
or

his

palace to lead the army in the time of war.*

officer of the
irvchief,

The highest
commander*
chief

army was

who

got a salary

equal

to

that of a

minister.*

leam from Megasthenes that there was a war office for military administration. There was a commission of thirty members divided into
regular
1. 2.

We

Arthasaslra Book
Ibid

chapter 15,
15.
3.

3.
4.

Book I chapter Ibid Hook V chapter

5.

6.

Early History of India* p. 149* McCrindle- Ancient India: Megasthene* and Arrian p. 70. Arthacastra Book V chapter S.

52
six

CHANDRAGUPTA
boards,

each

consisting
to refer to

of

five

members. 1

Kautilya also seems

these

boards

when

he says that each department shall be officered by many chiefs. 2 Each board had probably a superintendent, who seems to have been identical with the Adhyaksha of Arthasastra.

The
worked
probably

first

board

was
with

in

charge
the

of navy,

and

in

cooperation with
identical

admiral

who was
of

the

Navadhyaksha

Arthasastra.

duties relating
to

all the performed such as hiring of ships ships passengers, collecting toll from merchants! arrest

This
to

officer

of suspicious persons
8

pirates.

and destruction of hinsrikas or The ships were maintained by the state,

restricted to rivers but

and were not

ventured to sea.

These regulations

clearly

show

that there
times.

was a

considerable ocean traffic in

Maurya

The second
commissariat

board was in

charge

of

transport
in

and army

service,

and worked

cooperation with the superintendent of bullock trains

who was

probably identical with the Go'dhyaksha of 4 The bullock trains were used for Arthasastra.

X.

MoCrindle Ancient India

Ibid Ibid

Megasthenes and Arrian

4,

p. 88.

2.
8.

Arthasastra Book II chapter

4.

Book Book

II chapter 28.
II

chapter 29.

ADMINISTRATION OF THF EMPIRE

transporting engines
of war,

53

food for the

soldiers,

provender for

cattle

and other

military requisites.

The

third

board

was

in

charge
to

of infantry,

whose superintendent appears

Pattyadhyksha.
l

have

been
is

the

The
2

size of the

infantry

given

by
that

both

Pliny

and Solinus, 8 but

In

unfortunately
fact,

they greatly disagree.

view of the

however,

Asoka had

to

offer

a very severe fight before

likely

that

he could conquer Kalinga, it does not seem the Mauryas really maintained such a
as

huge
It,

infantry

Pliny

would lead us

to

believe.

therefore, appears that the additional zero of Pliny

is

only a copyist's mistake, as observed by Prof. Rhys 4 and Solinus is correct when he says that Davids,
the
Prassian
infantry

consisted of

60000

soldiers.

Arrian

has

preserved

an account of the

wny

in

which the Indians

for

in those times

equipped themselves
"carry a

war

"The foot made of equal

This they
it

soldiers",we are
length

told,

bow

with the

man who
the

bears it

rest

upon
left

the ground,
foot

and pressing against

arrow,

with

their

thus
far

discharge

having drawn the string

they use
1
2. 3.
4.

backwards: for the shaft

is little short of being three yards long, and A rthasAStra Book if chapter 33 McCrin die- Ancient India: MegMthene* and Arrian p. 141.
p.

Ibid p. 161.

Buddhist India

266.

54
there
is

CHANDRAGUPTA
nothing which can
resist

an Indian archer's
nor any stronger
left

shot, neither shield nor breastplate,

defence,

if

such

there be.

carry bucklers

made

of

hand they undressed oxJiide, which are

In their

not so broad as those

as long.

who

carry them, but are about

are equipped with javelins instead of wear a sword, which is broad in the bows, but blade, but not longer than three cubits, and this r
all

Some

when

they engage both hands, to fetch

in close

fight,
lustier

they wield with

down a
was

blow/' 1

The
whose

fourth board

in

charge of cavalary,
to

superintendent

appears

have

been the

Asvadhyaksha.*
state that the

The Greek

authors unanimously

30000.

Chandragupta numbered Each horseman was equipped with two lances and with a shorter buckler than that carried
cavalry force of

8 The horses of Kambojaand by the foot soldiers. Sindhu were regarded as the best. 4

The
elephants

fifth

board was in

charge

of

the

war

whose superintendent was probably the

Hastyadhyaksha.*

The

elephants in possession of

Chandragupta
1.
2. 8.
4.
5.

numbered
Book

9000, according

to the

MoCrtndle- Ancient India: Hegasthenes and Arrian

Atthaaaetra

p, 225.

II chapter SO. MoCrindle-Ancient India: Megasthenes and Arrian p. 226. Arthasaatra Book I! chapter 80.

Ibid

Book

II chapter 81.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE EMPIRE

highest estimate.
*

55

Each elephant carried four men 8 Thus the highest figure of including the driver. men with elephants was 36000.

The
chariots,

sixth

board
8

was

in

charge of the wat

whose

superintendent

was probably the

but

Rathadhyaksha.
of
the

The number of
is

chariots in possession

Chandragupta
predecessor

of

Mahapadma, Chandragupta, possessed 8000

given,
4

not

chariots

according to the highest estimate,

in

and the

number
assumed

to

Chandragupta might be be the same, as Dr. Smith has suggested,*

possession
of

Each

chariot carried three the

men

including the driver.*

to

Thus

men
total

with chariots

may be assumed men

in

have

numbered 24000.

The
all,

number

of

the
1,

army of
50,

Chandragupra would thus have been

India at
militia

000

in

being more than those kept by any other

that time.

state in

The

force

thus

kept was not a

but a standing army drawing regular

and supplied by the

1.

pay government with arms and

Pliny:

This

is

the

number given by

Solinus gives the

number

AS 8000.
2.

MoOrindte-Anoient India: Megasthenes and Arrfan p, 89.

Arthasartra Book II chapter 33. McCrindle-InTasion of India by Alexander p, 310.

8,

4.
5.

6.

Early History of India 47 p. 132. MoCrindle-Ancient India: Megaatbenes and Arrian p. 88.

56
equipment.
elephants

CHANDRAGUPTA
There were
and
also

royal stables for horses

royal

and
the

magazine

for

arms

1
.

The

civil

administration of Chandragupta

was

equally efficient.
prevailing at the

The method
time

of city administration

may

first

be described.

The

head of the
the

Kautilya, was city affairs, according to Paura Vyavaharika who was one of the high officers of state. 3 For actual details, however, we

must turn
of

to

Magasihenes,
in

who

has

left

an account

the

way

which

Patliputra, the
cities of the

capital,

was

governed.

Other great
lines.

empire, such as

Taxila and Ujjain

the

probably were also governed on

same

There was a regular municipal commission, which

also consisted
of six boards, each
also,

composed

of

five

members. 8 Kautilya,
or
to

mentions some adhyakshas

boards referred to above.
or the superintendent of
5

superintendents whose duties exactly correspond

the

functions

of

the

Thus

the Pautavadhyaksha 4

weights and
1.

measures, the

Panyadhyaksha

or the

McCrindle-Ancient India: Megasthenes and Arrian p. 88.

Arthaaastra Book I chapter 12. McCrindle-Ancient India: Megasthenes and Arrian p. 87. Artbasastra Book II chapter 19.
Ihdid Book II

2, 8.

4
5.

chapter 16.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE EMPIRE

superintendent of
assigned
It is,

57

superintendent of trade and the Sulkadhyaksha* or the

tolls
last

had duties

similar to

those

to

the

three

boards by

Megasthenes.

therefore, probable that every

board worked in
as in the case of

co-operation with a superintendent

military administration.

Much

of the

administrative

elaboration

noticed by

the Greeks, however,

must

have been due

to the genius of

Chandragupta,

board looked after everything relating to industrial arts. Its members appear to have been
first

The

responsible

for fixing the

rates of

wages as well as
Artisans

supervising the

work which the

artisans did.

were regarded as

servants of state,

and any body

who

rendered an artisan incapable of work by causing the loss of his eyes or hands was sentenced to capital

punishment.
the

The second
foreigners

board was

responsible for watching

to
their

and attending
the

requirements.

This board

provided
case
of

foreigners

lodging

and

escorts and, in
If

need,

medical

attendance.

any foreigner died he was decently buried, and his property was handed over to the rightful claimant

These

regulations clearly

prove

that

Chandragupta

created wide-spread political and commercial relations

1.

Arthasastra Book II chapter 21.

2.

McCrindle- Ancient India:

Megasthenes and Arrian

p. 70.

58

CHANDRAGUPTA
to necessitate

with foreign powers

such administration*
vital
statistics-

The

third

board was in charge of

All births and deaths were systematically registered, not only to facilitate the collection of taxes, but also
for the

information

of the

government.

The

high

value attached to
has*
justly

statistics

evoked

the

by the Maurya government wonder and admiration of

modem
The

scholars.

fourth board supervised

to

commerce, and was

of

authorized

enforce

the

use

weights and

measures.

merchant

duly stamped could deal

only in one commodity, for which license was given r unless he had paid a double license tax.

The

fifth

board was required to supervise the

trade of manufactured articles.

New and

old

poods

were required

fine

for

be sold separately, and there was mixing the two. It appears from the
to

Arthasastra

that old

things

could be sold

only by

special permission.

1
tithes
profit.

The
ate

sixth

board collected
of

on
If

sales,

the

being

one^tenth
fraud
in

the

any

one
hisr

practised

the

payment

of

thistax,

punishment was

death, probably

when

the

amount

1.

Arthawwtrm Book IV Chapter

2.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE EMPIRE

involved
evasion
treated.

59
that
so

was

large.

It,

however,

appears

of this tax for

honest

reasons

was not

Even then

the

penalty was

very severe

according to modern standards.*

In their collective capacity the

members

of
for

the the

municipal

commission

were

responsible

general administration of the city and for keeping the markets temples, harbours and other public works
of the city in order.
It

was recognised
finance" 8
for
.

that

''all

undertakings

depend
the

upon
officer

There was,
collection
of

therefore, a special

the

revenue called

Samaharta or
of

Collector-general, who got a salary He supervised the 24000 panas per annum 4
.

collection of dues

from mines,

forests,
.

catties

and

roads of

traffic,

as well as land revenue

Like other

great officers he probably also had

or superintendents under him.

many adhyakshas Thus he must have

This regulation appears to be identical with that given by 1. "Those who Kautilya in connection with the payment of tolls, viz.,

a lie shall be punished as thieves" (Arthasastra II. 21). If thft is then fraud involving a large amount only most have been punished so, by death, as in the case of theft. The words of Kautilya clearly prove
Titter

that evasion of taxes by dishonest means only was punishable. It may be mentioned here that as late a0 the eighteenth century 2. forgery was a capital offence in English law.
3.
4.
5.

Arthasastra Book II chapter

8.

Ibid Book

chapter 8.

Ibid Book II chapter 6.

60
been
assisted

CHADRAGUPTA
by
the

Akaradhyaksha

in

the

realisation of dues
in

the

from mines, by the Kupadhyaksha 3 and by the of forest dues realisation

8

Sitadhayaksha

in the realisation of

land revenue.

mainstay of finance must have been land The normal share of the revenue as it is even now.

The

crown recognized by Hindu lawgivers was the gross produce 4 which is also referred
,

th to

of

by

Kautilya

however, Diodorus, place mentions the share of the government having been |th
in
.

one

of the gross produce.

practice
the

The

fact

seems

to

be that

in
all

proportion

varied

largely

and

provinces

were not

treated

alike.

The

farmers

were benevolently
as

treated, agriculture
for

being regarded

great
that

prop

the

people.

Megasthenes

remarks
Indians

"there

are

usages observed
to prevent

by

the

which contribute

the occurrence

of famine

among them;
to

for

whereas among
to to

other

nations

it is

usual, in the contests of war,

ravage

the

soil

and thus

reduce

it

an uncultivated

waste,

among

the Indians,

on the contrary, by

whom

1.
2.

Arthasastra Book II chapter 12.

Ibid

Book

II chapter 17.

8. 4. 5.

I hid Book II chapter 24.

Manu

7.130.

Yajn. 1.13. 335.

Arthaaastra Book I chapter IS.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE EMPIRE

husbandmen
is

61

are regarded as a class that

tillers

is

sacred and
battle

unviolable, the

of

the

soil,

even when
are
the

raging in their

neighbourhood,
of

undisturbed

by on
to

any

sense

danger,

for

combatants

either side in

waging

the conflict

make carnage of

each

engaged in husbandry remain quite unmolested." 1 When famine did

shall

other, but allow those

occur, the state promulgated various relief measures,

which

be described

in the

next chapter.
that

We

learn from

Megasthenes

the govern*

ment also paid great attention to irrigation, which seems to have been one of the functions of the
agricultural department.
officers

The

duty of the irrigation

was

to "superintend the rivers,

measure the
is

land and

inspect the sluices by

which water

let

out from the main canals into their branches, so that

2 every one may have an equal supply of it/' know from the Arthashastra that water rates were

We

also levied. 8

There is ample evidence of the fact that much pains and expenses were lavished on irrigation even
in

remote

dependencies.

The

inscription

of the

Satrap Rudradaman engraved about A. D. tells us something about the

1.

the

year
of

150
the

history

McCrindle- Ancient India: Megastheoes and Arrian pp 31-3

Ibid p. 66.

2
3,

Arthasastra Book

II

chapter 24.

62

CHANDRAGUPTA

1 Lake Beautiful (Sudarsana) of Kathiawar.

We

are

told that Pushyagupta, the Vaisya,

who

represented
of

Chandra gupta
local farmers,

in

Surashtra,

noticing

the needs

dammed

up a small

stream, and thus

It was adorned provided a reservoir of great value. with conduits in the time of Chandragupta's grandson

Asoka.
until in
fury,

This work endured

for four

A.D. 150, a storm of a end of a befitting the

into

hundred years, "most tremendous

period/'

mundane
several

destroyed the embankment. The empire was divided

parts

for

purposes

of

administration.

Besides

the

home

to have provinces of eastern India, been under the direct control of the emperor, there were at least three vice-royalties, as can be inferred

which appear

from

the edicts

of

Asoka.

The

viceroy

of

the

North-western provinces had his headquarters at Taxila, from where he seems to have controlled
Afganistan,
Baluchistan,
the Punjab, Kashmir

and

Sindh.

The

viceroy of western India

was

stationed

at Ujjain

and controlled Malwa and had

2.

Gujrat.

The
which
of

viceroy of south

his capital at Suvarnagiri,

in

was probably

situated

the

Raichur

district

Nizam's dominions
1,
3.

The

viceroys of these territories

Vide Appendix A.

Smith-Asoka

p. 94 n.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE EMPIRE

were
styled

63

Kumaras

or Aryaputras
salary of a

and were princes

of royal blood.
to the Arthsastra

The
was

Kumara according 12,000 panas per annum. 1

Below the viceroys there were other officers. The inscriptions of Asoka refer to Rajukas, but it is difficult to identify them with any of the officers
mentioned
officer
in

Arthasatra.

Kautilya

mentions an

called
to

Pradeshta,

or commissioner,

who

appears Asoka.

have been

identical with the Pradesika of

He was probably a district officer charged with the administration of criminal justice and other
<Juties,

and got a

salary of

8000 panas per annum. 1

assisted

The bureaucracy was The system of espionage.

in the

by an organised
it

system of espionage has

always been hated by people and so

days
of Chandragupta.
It

must have been

it

But

had

its

good

points also.
that

was recognised by
spies

Indian statesmen
his

a king could not rule against the wishes of

subjects.

So the

were employed, not only

to get

to

detect criminals, but also

information about

the views of the people.

The

spies

were the

sixth

class of Indian population according to Megasthenes.

An

unpleasing feature of the espionage system was

1.

Arthaaastra Book
Ibid.

chapter 3.

2.

64
that

CHANDRAGUPTA
even courtezans were
utilized for this purpose,
1

Arrian says that the reports which these spies gave were always true, for no Indian could be accused of
2

lying.

This statement

is

not in contradiction with

of

other records of

the character

ancient

Indians,

although

its strict

accuracy

may be
the

doubted.
carried

The

administration of justice

was

on by

the courts recognized by

state.

According to
a
state

the Dharmasastras, cases could be decided by a clan,

a guild,

corporation and finally

court.

Kautilya even

recognizes

different

kinds

of

state

courts established at Janapada-sandhi,

Sangrahana,

Dronamukha and Sthaniya, with jurisdiction over two, ten, four hundred and eight hundred villages
respectively

and composed of three dharmasthas and 4 The case decided by three amatyas in each case
.

a lower court could proceed

parties,

to

a higher court
final

if

the

were

dissatisfied.

The

authority

was
that

the
large

king,

and we know from Megasthenes

of

number

people sought the

intervention

of

1.

McCrindle- Ancient

India:

Megastheues and Arrian

p.

86;

Arthasastra II 27.
2.

Ibid p. 217.

3.

Yajn2. 2 30.
Arthasastra

4.

HI

1.

had

jurisdiction over

two

villages

The Janapadasandhi Court seems to have and not two districts, because the
it

order of enumeration suggests that

was the lowest court.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE EMPIRE

the King in deciding their cases 1 .

65

The

decision of

such cases as had not been satisfactorily decided by the lower courts constituted the judicial function of
the king.

The
with the

procedure of the

Uw

courts

was equally

interesting.

The plaintiff had to file his suit along name and date, and the defendant had
Certain
seclusion,
.

similarly to give his reply in writing. Witnesses as well

as

documentary evidence were recognized.

agreements, such as those entered into in

in the

dead of night or with fraud, were held void 2

Megasthenes erroneously asserts that there was no written law in India. As a matter of fact sacred
writings

were one

of

t\

e four kinds of law, the other

three being custom, agreement

king,

and the
from

edicts of

the

the

issuing

of

which
however,

time
of

to

time
king.

constituted

the

legislative

function

the
to

The

last

three

were,

required

be in

accordance with the

lawgivers such
as

spirit of

the sacred

law.

The

author of the Arthasastra

mentions several
Brihaspati

ancient

Manu,

and Usanas,

whose
cases
1.

writings must have been consulted in deciding

.

2.

Me Grin die Ancient India: Megastbeneg and Arrian Artbasaatra Book 111 chapter 1.
Ibid

p. 71,

8.

Book

111 chapter

->.

66

CHANDRACUPTA
The
penal code

was
with
the

simple.
fines,
first

Offences were
being
three

generally punished

there

kinds of the

amercement ranging upto 96 panas, the middlemost amercement ranging upto 500 panas and the highest amercement ranging
latter, viz.,

upto 1000 panas

for

1
.

Crimes which surpassed those

which the highest amercement was prescribed, were punishable with vadha, which term, according
authorities,

to ancient

meant corporal chastisement

including beating, shaving off of the hair, mutilation

and death 3

These crimes were generally those

turpitude, such as
theft,

which involved violence or moral

murder, hurt,
evidence.

fraud and the submission of false

Even

in these crimes there

stole a property upto

were grades.
the value of

Thus a
but

thief

who

50 panas was punishable with

the highest

amercement

he stole goods worth more than 50 panas if he was punished with vadha or corporal chastisement,
1.

ArttmnHstra Book

III

charter 17

unanimously inkerorotfd by ancient commentators as corporal punishment, not necessarily death. Maim and other
2.

Vadha

is

Ancient lawgivers recognize four kinds of punishment, viz. vagdanda or warning, dhigdanda or scolding, dhftnadnnda or fine and finally

vadhadanda whioh
as
corporal
8, 149,

is

explained hy Kullnka, Vijnanesvara and

heating and imprisonment
13 367)
it

others

punishment from
Yajn
1,

to death

(Mauu

trifling fines to

vadha and

Kantilya several times jumps from would he absurd to maintain that he hat

reserved the

meaning

of that

term

for death,

ADMINISTRATION OF THE EMPIRE

67

which extended upto death, if the offence was very serious 1 Those persons who spoke a lie, that is to
.

say,

committed fraud

in the
2
.

payment of
Injury to

tolls

were

also punished like

thieves

the

limb of
the

any person was punished with

the mutilation of
if

corresponding limb as well as a hand, and

the person

happended was death 3 Judicial

injured
.

to

be an

artisan

the

punishment
recognized

torture

was

also
it

as a method of eliciting confession but

was used

with the greatest caution 4

administration
says
that
in
is

The
to

efficiency of criminal

attested

by Megasthenes
of

population

who men in 4,00,000

Pataliputra the thefts recorded

not
or

exceed
about

the value of

on any one day did two hundred drachmae

5
.

eight

pounds

sterling

Kautilya

lays

down, in agreement with the Dharmasastras, that "whatever of the property of citizens robbed by
thieves the king can not recover shall be

made good

from his
I
2.

own

pocket"

6
.

\rtWaatra Book IV chapter

Arthasastra,
If.

9,

3
4.

McHrindlo Ancient India p 87. McCrindlo-Ancient fmlia: Megftflthonps and Arrian p 70,
21;

Arthaatra

B^ok IV chapter

8.

Kautilya cxprewly

ay

that 'the production of conclusive evidence shall be insisted upon', and to defend his opinion be gtvea the example of a certain Mandavya,

who, though innocent, conf^swwl when tortured.

5
6.

McCrindle-AncieDt India: Megmfitber ea and Arrian

Arthastttra Book III chapter 16.

p. 68.

68

CHANDRAGUPTA
On
certain

occasions

prisoners

were

set

free.

One

such occasion was the birthday of the King. Other occasions are enumerated by Kautilya in the

following passage:

"Whenever a new
to

country
installed

is

conquered, when an heir apparent is the throne, or when a prince is born

prisoners are usually set free."
1

on

the

king

1.

Arthasaetra Book

II

chapter 36.

V.

SOCIAL
The
the

6-

ECONOMIC CONDITIONS.
religious
in

social,

and economic condition of

the

people of India

Maurya age deserves

sufficient

separate treatment, being a highly interesting subject.

Fortunately for us,

in the

we

possess

materials

shape of ancient writings of foreigners as well

us to have a
in
fairly

as Indians to permit

satisfactory

idea
lived

of

the

manner

which people

in those

times

and thought.
caste

The
of

system, as
till

we know
Hindu
the

it,

was

certainly

not fully developed

the
traditional

then.

Kautilya

still

speaks
the
the

four

castes 1

viz.

Brahmanas,
Sudras,

the

Kshatriyas,

Vaisyas and
to

who

probably
soldiers,

corresponded

Megasthenes'
artisans*.

philosophers,

husbandmen and

The herdsmen mentioned by Megasthenes may have been outcaste people or panchamas, who had not
come
within
the

pale

of

settled

population.

Megasthenes mentions two more

certainly
erred.

castes, but

he

has
in

The

overseers

and councillors

the service of government certainly

Arthaaaatra Book
1

were recruited

chapter

3.

McCrindle-Ancient India Megastbenes and Arrian p 88

70
from
all

CHANDRAGUPTA
castes 1 ,

and cannot have formed

distinct
settled

social divisions.

Thus
India

it

appears that
consisted

the

population
castes,

of

still

mainly

of four

although the process of the formation of

as

new
that

castes

result

of

intermarriages had
learn

already

begun.

We,
the
first

however,
three

from

Kautilya

among
could

castes a of the

man
lower

of

higher

caste

marry a
also

woman

caste,

without

the risk of losing caste.

The Hindu
such

lawgivers,

no
they

doubt,

recognize

marriages,

but

regard the offsprings of such

to

marriages as belonging

new

castes, thereby discouraging

such marriages.

Kautilya, on the other hand, expressly says that the son of a Brahman from a Kshatriya woman is

no other than a Brahman and

from
a
2

the son of a Kshatriya

Vaisya woman, is no other than a This bold statement seems to suggest Kshatriya. that intermarriage between the three upper castes

was

still

in

vogue

to

some

extent.

Thus

the most

between Aryas and Sudras, although subdivisions must have existed in both of
rigid division
still

was

these groups.
Thus Chanakya, the prime minister of Chandragupta, was a 1. Brahman, while Pushyagupta, the Haehtriya of Surashtra, was a Vaisya.
2-

*IWq^ftqr3KM<iyil
the

*T*Rtf

Arthasastra

ITT.

7.

Vide

Commentary

of

T. Ganapati gastri. Dr. Shamasastri's

translation is inaccurate here.

SOCIAL
Kautilya

& ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

refers to the eight

7!
of
it

theoretical kinds

marriages recognized by Hindu

difficult
to

lawgivers, but

is

believe

that
.

all

of
first

them were widely

of these
viz.

prevalent at

1 any time

The man
it

the
girl

Brahma

marriage, in

which

the parents
after

of

the

marry her ornaments

to a suitable
is

adorning her with

now

the only form of marriage observed

by the people, and

must

have been the most

common one even

the Arsha

in

those times.

Another kind,

marriage, probably was also prevalent because Megasthenes seems to refer to it when he says that Indians marry wives "giving in exchange

a yoke of
the bride

oxen/' 2

The

other two

kinds,
in

Kautilya approves, were the

Prajapatya,

which which

promise of

and bridegroom were united with the joint-performance of secred duties, and the

Daiva
her
to

in

which

the

parents of the
priest

girl

married
of a

an

officiating

at

the

time

sacrifice.

Polygamy was also prevalent according to both 8 and Kautilya, but we learn from Megasthenes
could marry more than one he had no son from his former wife. wife only in case
the latter that a
1.

man

Arthaiastra Book 111 Chap

2;

Manu

21.

2
8.

McCrindle- Ancient India: Mag<u$tbfn>8 and Arrian p 60

Ibid.

72

CHANDRAGUPTA
man

Kautilya even prescribes the period for which a should wait before marrying another wife. 1

The

remarriage

of

widows

is

also

frankly

recognised by Kautilya.

The

only condition for such

a kind of marriage was that the widow forfeited whatever had been given to her by her father-in-law

and her deceased husband; and

have sons
also,

if

she

happened

to

she

lost

even her

own

property

(Stridhana) which was given

to her sons.*
is

What

is

most

curious

that

Kautilya

also

recognizes a kind of divorce.

The
it

following passage

from the Arthasastra makes

hating her husband, can

clear.

"A woman,
her

marriage Nor can a man dissolve with him against his will. But his marriage with his wife against her will.

not dissolve

from

mutual enmity, divorce

may be

obtained." 8

We are,

conditions

however, told that divorce even on these could be obtained only in certain kinds
It is

of marriages.

clear from these regulations

that

the cases of divorce must have been rare

and hence

Megasthenes

is

silent

on

the subject.

The
unknown
1.

horrible
to

custom of Suttee was absolutely Moreover, Kautilya and even Manu.

HI Gbap
3.
2.

Arthasastra Book
Ibid.

2.

Ibid

Book III chapter,

SOCIAL & ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

the marriage
that

73

customs described above clearly show

for that

there was no room

custom, which
later

was
into
their

probably
India.

of Scythian origin

and

spread
it,

The

Greeks? of course,

refer to

but

references
frontier.

apply
In India

to

the

proper the custom

semUoreign was

north-west
as yet not

prevalent.
It

is

generally believed that the purdah system

in

was

nonexistent

ancient Indh. This statement, however,

can not stand unqualified

Some

kind

of purdah

was

certainly
as

observed by
refers

classes,

Kautilya
i.e.

women of aristocratic who were to women

1

Anishkasini

"notxStirringxDut."

References of

this
2

kind are not wanting in

other Sanskrit works

in

also.

At the present time women observe purdah even before

but no such practice seems
in ancient India.

many
have

parts

of

India

certain of their relatives,

to

been prevalent

According to Megasthenes all the Indians were 8 But in the free and not one of them was a slave. of the Arthasastra we have to modify this light
statement.
1.

As

a matter of
HI chapter
T
<

fact

slavery did exist.

ArthasHHtia Book

!.
ft

2.

Panini
sun).

me-itiorifi

Aau -yampa *Yafl

India
:

women

m>t wemtr Us*

:j.

McCnndle Ancient

MeRwthenes and Arrinn

o.

&8

74

CHANDRAGUPTA
it

but a perusal of Arthasastra makes

so different from
west, that a
the slavery

clear that

it

was

which prevailed

in the

forbidden to

Greek could hardly notice it. It was sell an Arya or freeman (here including
at
his

Sudra) into slavery except

dire necessity.
"It
is

own

option

and
"for

no crime/'

says Kautilya,

mortgage the life of their own offspring, but never shall an Arya be subjected to

Mlechchhas

to sell or

slavery/'

He

then proceeds

to say that

if

man

is

enslaved for inevitable reasons, he

should

be soon

redeemed. "But
to find

in

order to tide over family troubles,

money

for fines or court decrees, or to recover

the (confiscated) household implements,

the

life

of

an Arya

is mortgaged, they (his kinsmen) shall as soon as possible redeem him (from bondage); and more so if he is a youth or an adult capable of Moreover a slave in the west had no giving help/'

personal rights;

his

person was

dead.

In

India,

worse than a servant as long as he was not redeemed; his offsprings being free even during A dasa could even earn his period of bondage.
dasa was
little

independently

if

he got time from

his master's

work,

and could regain his Aryahood if his independent income become equal to the value for which he was purchased. If a man abused or caused hurt
to his slave, or employed the latter to

do an ignoble

SOCIAL & ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

work, the slave became
free.

75

Thus

it

is

clear that

although there were dasas in India, the kind of slavery prevalent in the west was non-existent in
India. 1

Of

the

religions

followed

in

India

the

Vedic

sacrificial

religion
it

was

still

the

predominant one,
in the

although

was

greatly

modified

course

of

several centuries.
religion
this

The

was

the Bhagavata

most popular form of this The founder of faith.

Prof.

reform was Krishna,

whom

Ray Chaudhury
mentioned
According
flourished
of
this
2

has identified with Devakiputra

in

Krishna,

the
the

Chhandogya
Puranic
century B.

Upanishad.

to

tradition

Krishna

in the
faith,

Hth

The

followers

although continuing to honour the thirty-three Vedic devas, believed in devotion to one Supreme

God,

whom

they called Bhagavan or the Lord.

further regarded Krishna as their saviour.

They The Greeks

by the

also mention Krishna as Herakles.

'This Herakles"
honour

we

are
1.

told,

"is

held in
III

special

Arthtvsastra

Book

Chapter 13
of the F,arly Histry

2.

Bay chaudhurv

The

VaisWva Sct

King was born

a nloka according to which Ail th<* historical Puranas contain 3. who was for sometime a contemporary of Krishna, Parikahit,
about.

100" jears before tb* accession

as

of

Nanda.

TbU
b*

14th century B.C gives approximately correct.

Krishna's

tim*,

which

may

76

CHANDRAGUPTA
who
possess

Sourasenoi, an Indian tribe

cities,

two

large

Methora and Cleisobora, and through whose

other

1 country flows a navigable river called the Jobanes."

The

important

religion

was Buddhism,

founded by Gautama Buddha, in the 6th century B. C. Buddhism put moral obligation in the front,

and taught
this respect

that
it

man was

the

maker of
to

himself.

In

was opposed

will of

preached that God.

man

Bhagavatism which could do nothing without the

of
that

Jainism was the third important religion

time.

This

religion,

though

claiming

high

founded by a contemporary of Gautama Buddha. Its Mahavira, basic teaching was ahiiisa or non^injury to every form
antiquity, was, for all practical purposes,

of

life,

however

insignificant.

According

to the

Jain

tradition

Chandragupta himself
this faith

became

inclined

towards

during his last days.

The worship
by
the
the Jains

images of

of images perhaps was first begun and the Buddhists, who made beautiful their prophets. borrowed soon by It was

images and the institution of temples seems to have gained a strong

Hindus

The worship
Maurya
that

of

foothold

in

the

period.

Patanjali

has

humorously remarked
1.

the

Mauryas who wanted

p.

McCrincUe- Ancient India Megahtbenes and Arrian

206

SOCIAL
gold
raised
1
it

ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
instituting

77
for

by

images

ot

Gods

worship.

Asceticism

was also

greatly

in

vogue

in

the

Maurya

period.

The

Greeks refer

to the

who were evidently Brahman ascetics, Sarmanes who may or may not have been
Sramanas.

Brachmanes, and the

Buddhist

There were
as

also Jain

munis

in sufficient

numbers, as well
ascetics,

Ajivikas,

an ancient order of

now

long forgotten.

The

Greeks

have

largely

quoted
style

from

Magasthenes regarding the They are said to have

in listening to serious
their

lives of the

Brachmams.
and
their lives

lived in simple

abstained from animal food.

Theysoent
and
in

discourse,

imparting
believed

knowledge

to others.

They

already

in the five elements, from which the world was created. 1 They were of a very independent spirit, for

one of them named Dandamis when asked

himself before Alexander,

to present

son of Zeus, replied that he

as

much

as

Alexander

y^^5w

^^^^^^^^^
as
>

who^dteHjtgg^lf

the

*^W^^JB

at

Alexander should
anxious
to

have a disfrfifr^>

hims^^m^ tehg^fe^s

^%

f?pinttt||f

2.
8.

McCrindle-AncifTit India
Ibid p. 116.

AI

78
Megasthenes

CHANDRAGUPTA
about
the

Brachmanes

summed up

in the following passage.

perhaps "All that has

is

been said regarding nature by the ancients is asserted also by philosophers out of Greece, on the one part

by the Brachmanes and on the other 1 Syria by the people called the Jews".
in India

in

We are
were
like.

fortunate

to

possess

sufficient details,

preserved from the writings of Megasthenes, to understand what the Indian people of that period

"The

inhabitants,"
of

we

are told, "having

abundant
by
their

means

subsistence,

exceed

in

consequence the ordinary stature

proud bearing."
2

and are distinguished They were noted for

being
generally

their

high standard of

morality,

truthful

and honest.
left their

generally

hey seldom went to law and houses and property unguarded. 8

I

They had
witchcraft.

their superstitions too, as

is

clear from the

Arthasastra,
4

which

has

several

references about

Kautilya also

gives regulationsa bout

1

gambling, which seems to have been a

among
1.

the aristocratic

classes.

common vice The same author

p. 108.

McCrmdlo Ancient
Ibid p
Ibid
p.

India:

Mepasthenes and Arrian

2.

30.
69.

3
4.
j.

Arthasastra Book XIV.

Ibid Book

HI

chapter 40.

SOCIAL & ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

79

gives elaborate regulations regarding liquor houses, 1 but we are assured by Magasthenes that the people
of India did not drink

wine except

at sacrifices. 1

Kautilya has preserved interesting

the

details

about

economic
of
traffic

condition of

the

country.

The

system

by

barter had

passed
In rhe

away, and

coins were used for transactions.

period

punch-marked

coins
1

used

to

pre^Maurya issued be

by private persons.

But

if

Kautilya mentions
the

what
of

was a

fact,

it

is

clear that

government
coins,

Chandragupta

issued

and regulated

Kautilya

8 speaks of a regular government mint.

The

standard

coin seems to have been the silver pana, which

was

probably of about 146 grains.

quarter and one^eighth
called the mashaka.
is

There were

also half,

of panas.

The copper coin was

its

A
of

gold coin called the suvarna

also mentioned, but perhaps

use was

rare.

Of
period

the industries

India agriculture

has been

the chief one since ancient times,

was no exception.
wheat, sesamum,

and the Maurya Kautilya has given an

rice,

account of the crops grown which included

barley,
linseed,

mustard,

pulses,

sugar cane and jcotton/J 1. Arthaaastra B x>k II chap.

2.
8.
.

Megasthenes^ corroborates
2o
p.

>feKa*thonos and ArrUn McOrindle Ancient India Arthaaaatra Hook Jl, chip 12.
Ibid

f8,

Hook

II

chap.

80
the account

CHANDRAGUPTA
and gives further
particulars,

which are
there

worth quoting.
throughout India

"In addition to cereals,

grow
well

much
sorts,

millet,

which

is

kept

watered by the profusion of river streams, and

pulse of different

much
is

and

rice

also,

and what

called bofiporumi as well as

for food, of
soil yields,
fit

many

other plants useful

which most grow spontaneously. The moreover, not a few other edible products
subsistence
of

for the

animals, about
It is

which

it

would be tedious

to write.

accordingly affirmed
that

that famine has never visited India, and

there

has never been a general scarcity in the supply of nourishing food. For, since there is a double rainfall

each year,-one in the winter season, when the sowing of wheat takes place as in other
in the course of

countries*
solstice,

and the second

is

at the time of the

summer
the

which

the proper
as

season for sowing rice

and bosporurn,
inhabitants
harvests

as well

sesamum and milletgather in

of India

annually;

always and even should one of the

less

almost

two

sowings prove more or

sure
of

abortive they are always

the

other

crop.

The

fruits,

moreover, of

spontaneous growth, and the esculant roots which grow in marshy places and are of varied sweetness,
afford

abundant sustenance
all

for

man.

The

fact

is,

almost

the

plains in the

country have a moisture

SOCIAL
which
is

6-

ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
whether
it

81

alike genial,

is

derived

from

the rivers, or from the rains of the

summer season

which are wont

with surprising

to fall every year at a stated period

regularity;

while the great heat which

prevails ripens the roots

which grow
tall

in the
1

marshes,

and

specially those of the

It

reeds."

is

clear
of

from
in

the

above
at

that there

was no
thct

scarcity

crop

India

that

time and

various factors tended to the prevention of famine.

But, in spite of all this, famine did sometimes occur.

The

traditions of the Jains record a

great

famine

which
Maurya.
various

occurred

in

the

reign

of

Chandragupta
adopted
did occur.

The
relief

government,

no

doubt,

measures

when famine
of

Kautilya has recorded several of them.

of them were, government among the people,

The

chief

the

distribution

the

provision by employment of

men
the

to repair ruined buildings, request of help

allies,

from

exhorting the rich persons to contribute

relief

to the

cause of famine

population to regions havingy The manufacture of

the

most widespread
has
for

ir

Megasthenes

highly
their

by
2.

Indians,
1.

McCrindle-Ancient TndU- Mcj

ArtbMfwfcra Book IV

ehp.

>

82
are

CHANDRAGUPTA
worked
in

gold,

and
they

ornamented
also

witfi

precious

stones,

and
of

wear

flowered*

garments

made

the

finest

muslin/' 1

Kautilya

gives elaborate regulations,

about weaving, which

It is

prove the importance of

that
it

this industry.

noteworthy

was a home

industry,

and women did much'

of the spinning. 1

Kalinga and Madura were considered

Cotton fabrics of Benares, Bengal, to be the best,

according to the Arthasastra.

mentions the manufacture of

materials.
It is

The same work also silk, hemp and woollen

8

surprising to note that the blankets

at that period.

of

Nepal were famous even

The mining
advanced.
source of
metals

industry
4

was

also

sufficiently

According
treasury.

to Kautilya,

mines were the

as well as

Precious

stones

formed the objects of mining.

gold
(suvarna),

The

metals
irofi

known were
tin (trapu

silver (rupya),

(kalayasa), copper (tamra), bronze (kansya), lead (sisa),

and brass
bears

(arakuta).*

Megasthenes has

also record** his observations on the subject.

"And
has also
p. 69.

whjte *He
fruits
1.

soil

on

its

surface

all
it

kinds of

which are known

to cultivation,

2.
3. 4.
5.

MoCrindle- Ancient India: MegaBthenes and Arrian Arthasaeha Book I ( chap. 23.
Ibid

Hook II obap. Book II chap. Ibid Hook II obap.

Ibid

11.

12.
17.

SOCIAL

6-

ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
all

83

underground numerous veins of for it contains much gold and

sorts of

metals;

silver,

and
other

iron

in

no small
which

quantity,

and even
in

and copper tin and making

metals,

are

employed
l

articles of

use and ornament, as well as implements

of war."

and accoutrements
rich

Indeed India was so

that there

in gold that fables

became current

were gokLdigging Trade was in a

ants in India. 2
flourishing condition in the

Maurya

period. Different places in the country had already

gained special reputation for certain things. already seen that cotton fabrics of some

We have
places

were
India

specially upon was similarly famous for conchshells, diamonds,

looked

as

fine.

Southern

pearls
trade,

and

gold

according to

Kautilya.*

Indian

Even before
trade

however, was not limited within the country. the Maurya time, India had maintained
with Babylon and
other countries,
4

relations

and these

relations

became
is

all

the

more

brisk in the

Maurya
ivory

period, as

proved by the

creation of

special board

for foreigners.

Indian peacocks
outside.

and
that

were

specially

famous

Kautilya

praises the
1.

China

silk,

which probably proves

McCnndle- Ancient India: Megastbenea and Arrian p 80, 2. Ibid p 94 Arthasastra Book VI I chapter 12 8. 4 For a detailed Btudy of this subject the reader it referred to Dr.Radba Kumnd Mukerji's excellent book Hittory of Indiaa
Shipping.

84
there
trade

CHANDRAGUPTA
was some traffic even with China. 1 This was carried on through ships. Even an early
Kautilya also mentions
that the route along

Buddhist work, the Baveru Jataka, refers to a trading

journey to Babylon by sea.
sea

voyage and recommends

to

and close

the

shore

is

better,

as

it

touches at

many

2 trading port towns.

A
period

special feature of the

economic

life

of

that

was corporate

activity.

People following the

same profession even though not belonging to the same caste, formed their own sreni, which was

much
srenis

like

the

mediaeval

guild

of

Eurcpe.

The

were recognized by the government and had

rights,

many

such as deciding cases of dispute among

the the

members of was called

same

sreni.

The head
Another

of the sreni
institution

Sreshthin. 8
life

was the system of representing sambhuya samutthana, which was much like the
corporate
ioint

stock
of

companies of

the

present

day.

This

kind

business

corporation

was

established

several persons contributing

some

share,

by and when

the profits the

members
1.

were earned they were divided among in proportion to the share of each

member. 4
9.
3.

ArthiiBasatr* Hook II chap. 11. Ibid Book VII chap 12. For this vid Maxumdar-Corporate Life in Ancient India.

4.

Arthatattra Book

chap. 14.

SOCIAL

& ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

85

Much of the prosperity of trade depends upon The Maurya government paid due attention roads.
to this necessity.

Roads were maintained

in

order

by

officers of the proper

department and at every

pillar
1

ten stadia or half a kos a

the by-roads

was

set

up

to

show

and distances.

royal road ran from

Pataliputra to Taxila

and was the forerunner of the

modern Grand Trunk Road. The vehicles used for journeying on the roads are mentioned by Arrian. "The animals used by the common sort for riding on
are

camels and horses and

for
it is

asses,

while the wealthy

use elephants
carries royalty.
in

the elephant

which

in

India

The conveyance which

and
four; the

ranks

next

honour

is

the chariot
to

camel ranks
horse
is

third;

while

be drawn by a
a

single

considered no distinction at all."

1.
ft.

McCrindla-Ancient India: Megantberu)*

Ibid p. 227.

nd ArHan p 86

VI.

LITERATURE & ART.

A
effect

prosperous

reign

always has
of
is

a stimulating

on

the

activities

the

human

mind.
the

Unfortunately
intellectual

very

little

known
that has
titeraty

about

achievements of the people

the
little

in the reign

of

Chandragupta, but

sruvived

is

sufficient to give

an idea of the

and

artistic

development of the age.

Indian literature

was already
Vedic

considerable,

and

the diffusion of the art of writing had

accessible.

made

it

greatly

The

literature,

including

the

Brahmanas and the Upanishads, was already ancient. Even the six vedangas, viz, Siksha, Chhandas and Nirukta, Kalpa, Vyakarana,
Samhitas, the
Jyotisha
are mentioned by
1

Kautilya.

The

oldest

Dharmasutras probably had also come into existence.

The Ramayana
the

of

Valmiki

and the

kernal

of

Mahabharata
to

must
the

have already
events

existed, for

Kautilya refers

mentioned therein.*
shape were already
in

Even

the

Puranas in

some

recognised, being mentioned

1.

the

Arthasastra.

ArthftiMtra Book
Ibid Ibid

chap. 3.

2.

Book

I chap. 6.
I

8.

Book

chap. 5.

LITERATURE & ART.

Of
the

87
mentions

philosophic

systems,

Kautilya

Sankhya,

1 Yoga and Lokayata,

besides Jain

and

the

Bauddha, which were connected with the religions of same name. The science of medicine had also
advanced.
Arrian assures us that Indian

sufficiently

doctors could cure even

snake

bite,

although

the

All this Greek physicians were unable to do so. a learning was diffused at the centres of education.

The most famous

flocked
to
it

of such centres

was Taxila. Princes

as

and sons of Brahmans, as well

as
to

common
town.

people,

university

Another
the

famous
retained

seat
its

of

learning

was Benares, which has

undiminished to

ancient

glory

present day.

These

educational centres must

influence

have
of

cjxercised a great
literature.

on the growth

The

literature

of the

posed either in Sanskrit classified under these therefore, be

Maurya period was conv or Prakrit or Pali, and may

three

heads.

Owing

to

the well

known

deficiency

of dates in assign
to

ancient Indian history,

we can

definitely

works, which probably this period only a few constitute only a fragment of the total literary output
of that period.
1.

But the works which arc

1

known

to

ArtbaMstra Book

obap.
:

2.

2.

MflCrindle-Anctoot India

MegMiheMs and

Atria* p

88
belong
to this

CHANDRAGUPTA
period
are

important

enough

to

constitute a literature in themselves.

The most

important

author

of

the

age

was

is Chanakya, the minister of Chandragupta. famous by his patronymic in Buddhist and Jain as His personal name was well as Hindu works.

He

Vishnugupta, and he
Kautilya,

is

also

known by

his

surname,

which

refers to his
it

crooked policy, although

one scholar considers

name Kautalya
ly identifies

1
.

He

a corrupted form of the gotra or is described as a Dramila

southerner in a Sanskrit couplet, which also erroneous-

him with Vatsyayana 2

he
received
8
.

Born of

poor

Brahman
Taxila,

parents,

his

education at
then,

according

to tradition

He

by

his

shrewdness and

ability,

became

the chief counsellor

of Chandragupta, and according to

some

authorities,

continued

to

guide the affairs of the successor of

his master after the latter's death

both as an author and a

He is famous No doubt he statesman.

man
of his age.
is

4.

was, inspite of his defects, a great

The most famous work

1.

of

Chanakya

the

T. Ganapati Shaatri

Arthasastra.

2.

Abhidhana Chintaraani.
3, 4.

Vide Maharansa tika and l>ariaihtaparvn. Taranath and Htmaehandra ha** both
tradition,

preferred

thl*

LITERATURE
Arthasastra.

ART.

89

have expressed doubt on the traditional age of the work on the ground that the author does not mention the name of his
scholars

Some

sovereign Chandragupta or his capital Pataliputra

1
.

But most of the scholars are

now

agreed that these

its

are not sufficient grounds to disprove

date,

traditional

and

that the
a

work
.

is

a genuine composition
is

of the
the
set

Maurya age
that the
in this

This view

strengthened by

fact

main

features of the

government
in

forth

book, wonderfully agree with the

description of
details
is

Megasthenes,
to the

and the difference

due only
as

theoretical character of

the

book.

Moreover, several early writers refer to

a
writer

Chanakya

on

statecraft,

and Dandin,

while referring to the work of Chanakya, mentions even its size which agrees exactly with the size,

mentioned
Sanskrit
its

in the Arthasastra itself

8
.

Some

of the

works,

notably the

Yajnavalkya Smriti in

present form, are indebted to the Arthasastra in a

considerable measure.

The
on

Arthasastra, as

its

name
the

indicates,
art of

is

a book

political
1.

economy and

government.

2.

Keith and Jolly are the chief among those scholars. Mr. Jayaswa) and Dr. *hania*aatry have very ably proved the genuineness of this work. Several German scholar*
also hold the

name

view.
11 8.

S.

Dasftkmnara charita

90
jit

CHANDRAGUPTA
is

mainly a prose work, divided into fifteen adhikaranas or books, each subdivided into numerous
chapters.
It

deals
of

with

the
affairs,

duties

of

kings,

.administration

public

relation with foreign

powers,
to

law and judiciary, methods of warfare,

.and

secret

means

injure

an enemy.

The book

been condemned by many critics, including l on the score of many such early authors as Bana
has
,

undesirable
practice
of

things advocated

in

it,

such as the
institution

witchcraft

and
is

the

of

espionage.

No

doubt there

much

to

be said

and similar other things occurring in .against the Arthasastra. But in judging a book we have to
these

look to both

the
in

good and bad

sides as well as the

circumstances

which

it

was

composed.

The
of

condition of India
the
rise

was

very unsettled at the time

all

of

the

Maurya empire, and

kinds of

restore

means might have been considered necessary to But the same author peace with honour.
advocated things which deserve
nothing but
praise.
1.

has

The
ft

observation

of

an Indian scholar may

LITERATURE & ART

be quoted
slavery,
to
to

9i
towards

show

the attitude of Kautilya

of the Sudra.

and the position

Kautilya's
of

"In regard
apart
as
in

slavery,

attitude

stands

glowing
barbaric

light

liberalism
his

and humanity

age.

was

justifying

contemporary Aristotle slavery as a divine and a beneficient

While

institution not only sanctioned by nature, but justified by the circumstances of social existence,

human

he

denounced
it

it

and

strove

to

abolish
exist

it

characterising

as a custom

which could

only

Mlechchhas.He boldly enunciated among that among Aryas (freeborn) none should be unfree or enslaved. His definition of the Arya was not
the savage

narrow.

According

to

him, the Sudra

was equally

1 Arya with members of the higher castes/' Chanakya was one of the pioneers to include the Sudra within the Aryan fold, and his motive must

an

have been
other
social

to

strengthen
matters

Aryavarta.
also

His view on
liberal

are

generally

$nd

commendable.
has

He

was,

moreover,

not

without
Nitisara,

his admirers, for

praised

Kamandaka, him highly.*

the author of

We

may

therefore
1.

conclude, in the

words which
p.

Sir Frederic

N. C. Bandopfcdbjmya

2.

^ ?rT^ ^^jninni^
Kutily
Nitisara of

*n.

%W%

Kamandaka.

92

CHANDRAGUPTA
x

Pollock wrote about another statesman,

the

that

of all
r

opinions about Chanakya's object in this book ranging from the vulgar prejudice that he was a
cynical counsellor of iniquity
those
to

the

panegyric of

regard him as one of the great preparers and champions of Indian unity, the latter at all events contains more truth than the former.

who

Chanakya
collection
of

is

also

witfy

reputed author of a aphorisms, and a book entitled

the
ethical poetry.

the Chanakya^sataka

on

He

is

even
this

credited

with writing on medicine, and in capacity is known to Arabic writers as Sanaq.* book of his on the subject, however, is known.

No
was
to

The

greatest

Prakrit

author of
pontiff.

the

age

Bhadrabahu,
Sthaviravalis
after

the

Jain

According
sixth

Bhadrabahu was the

Sthavira

Mahavira.
lived

He was

the disciple of Yasobhadra.

He

and

wrote

during

the

regin

of

famine that Chandragupta. During the great occurred in the time of Chandragupta, Bhadrabahu repaired to the south and there died by Samadhi.

some accounts he was accompanied by Chandragupta. But this does not seem to be correct, as according to Hemachandra Bhadrabahu
According
to
1.

Machae velli, with

K*ith

whom Chanakya

IK often,

through

rather

inappoaitely, compared.
9.

History of Sanskrit Literature

p.

505

LITERATURE & ART.

died
in
1

93
i.e.

70 years
is

after the

Niravana of Mahavira,
of

the

sixteenth

year

Chandragupta's reign.
author
of

Bhadrabahu
Prakrit

the

reputed

many
is

Jain
the

works.

The

most
is

famous of these
divided into
three

Kalpasutra.
viz.,

This book

parts,
(list
It

Jina charitra (lives of Jinas) Sthaviravali

of Sthaviras)

and Samachari
the

(rules for
this

Yatis).
is

is

doubtful

if

whole of

book

the

work of

Bhadrabahu.
contained
Devardhi,
in

Jacobi thinks that the

this

list

of Sthaviras

book was probably added

of
that

by
is

the

editor

the Siddhanta. the

Professor

Weber

ascertained
as

whole Kalpasutra
in

incorporated

the
is

eighth lecture in the Dasasutra

Skandha, which

included

the

ten

Niryuktis

attributed to Bhadrabahu.

only important Pali work of the Maurya period was the Buddhist Kathavatthu, ascribed to Maudgaliputra Tishya. it was, however, composed
in the reign of

The

Asoka and does not

are dealing with.

strictly

belong to

the period
It is

we

obvious from the above

that

the

reign

of

Chandragupta
achievements,
attained
in that

was

not

devoid

of

literary

in the field of arts

also the

success

means
1.

remote period by Indians was by no insignificant as is clear from the following

P*riishtprvRn

2*

94

CHANDRAGUPTA
"They
are also

observation of Megasthenes.
to

found

be welUkilled

in the arts as

might be expected of

men who
water/' 1
of

inhale a pure air and drink the very finest

We

shall

briefly

note

the

development

the chief arts in the

Maurya

period.

Painting
fine
arts.

has

always held a high place

learn from Buddhist

among
that

We

writings

fresco

pain ing

was
of

already
Prof.

well

known.

The

following
painters in

passage

Rhys

Davids about

may be quoted in this connection. "They were mostly house painters. The wood work of the houses was often covered
Buddhist
India

with

fine

chunam
tell

plaster

and

decorated
frescoes.

with

painting.

But they also

painted

These

passages

us of pleasure houses,

adorned with
the

painted figures and patterns, belonging to

of

kings

Magadha and Kosala, and such

similar in
style

frescoes

were

no doubt
an

character
than,
the

to,

but of course in

earlier

well

known

ancient

frescoes of the seventh

the Ajanta caves,

Sigri

and of the

and eighth centuries A. D. on fi'-th century on the

Rock

in

Ceylon."

No

doubt

this art

must have

continued in the Maurya period under the patronage

of an enlightened Government.
1.

McCrindle-Ancient india

Megastbenes and Arrian

96.

p. 30.

2.

Rhys Darids-Buddhisi India p

LITERATURE & ART

The
recently
specialists
art

95

of

iconography also had considerably

developed

in

the

Maurya
the

period.

Some
period.
in

statues,

discovered,

have

been

assigned

by
of

near about
the

Maurya
Mr.

One
this
is

them

is

Parkham

statue,

now

the Muttra'

museum.

According

to

Jayaswal
Patna,

nearly contemporary portrait of king Ajatasatru.

of the statues

Two
in to

discovered

near

and now
belong
to

the Indian
the

Museum,

are also

believed to

Mr. According early Maurya period. Jayaswal they represent Udayi and Nandivarddhana, though this view is not generally accepted. But even
Dr. Smith
to

was

of the opinion that the statues

the

early

Maurya
period.

period.
is

colossal
to

belong female
belong

statue found at Besnagar

to the

also supposed

Maurya

Architecture has been considered the queen of

arts,

and a survey of
progress of art

it is

indispensable in

a review of the

Maurya period. Numerous monuments of the period of Asoka have survived to prove the high skill which the people had attained
in

the

in his reign.

Unfortunately very

little

has survived

of the reign of Chandragupta himself.

The
India

reason

appears
still

to

be that most of the

of
the perishable

cities

in

were

built

wood,

as

noted

by
in

Megasthenes.

We

are

however,

fortunate

96
possessing

CHANDRAGUPTA
an
account
of the

way

in

which
it

Pataliputra, the capital,

were

built,

and the royal palace in and modern excavations have proved

its

correctness.

We may
as

first

give

the

description

of

Pataliputra
cify
in

quoted
is

India

that

by Arrian "The greatest which is called Palimbothra,

unite

in the

dominions of the Prassians, where the streams

of

the

Erannaboas and the Ganges

informs
us
that

Megasthenes
side of

the

city stretched in

the inhabited quarters to an extreme length

eight stadia, and that its and that a ditch encompassed it all round, stadia, which was six hundred feet in breadth and thirty cubits in depth, and that the wall was crowned with 570 towers and had four and sixty gates." 1

on each breadth was fifteen

We
city

further

learn

that

the

wall

which girded the

was

also built of

wood.

of palace Chandragupta was highly the Greeks, who regarded it as surpassing praised by The in beauty the palaces of Susa and Ekbatana.

The

excavations at
carried

the
Dr.

site

of

the

village

Kumrahar
the

on by

Spooner have
part

disclosed

remains of

a mighty pillared hall of Mauryan dateof

This

all

probably formed
himself.

the

palace of

Chandragupta
1.

McCrindle- Ancient

India.:

Megxstbeneg and

Armn

p. 67.

LITERATURE & ART,

The
were
stone fragments
of the pillars of this

97
hall

found

among

ashes

buried

beneath

old

brickwalls probably belonging to the Gupta period.

Beneath the ashes was a

layer

of

9
of

feet of

silt

which

covered
to Dr.

the

original

floor
silt

the

hall.

According

Spooner the
hall

the floor of the

by

flood

was deposited on which occurred

Christ,

somewhere
after

about

the

time of

and
silt

then,

some

centuries, the portion above the

was

burnt

down by

fire,

which accounts

for the ashes

in lying mixed with stone fragments above the silt, connection with the woodwork of the superstructure

Spooner has made "Judging from the timbers

Dr.
us,
it is

the
that

following

remarks.
to

have been preserved

clear that

the wood work

of the superstructure
solid
final
It

and and

room must have been extremely heat of the massive, and that the
the

conflagration

must
it

have

been

enormous.

is

evident

that

sufficed

to crack off

innumerable

fragments from that portion of the columns which rose above the silt, and also to expand the metal
bolts

which
top
1

fitted

into the socket, holes observable

pillars

in

the

fragments of

which we

have

recovered/'

According
1,

to Dr.

Spooner

this

Maurya

hall

was

Archaeological Surrey of India 1912-1918 p. 63.

98
built

CHANDRAGUPTA
on the model
of the pillared hall at Persepolis.

Dr. Smith, however, observed that the resemblance

of the

Maurya buildings with the Persian palace Persepolis was not definitely established.

at

VII

ACrilEVEMENTSOFCHANDRAGUPTA
A
review of the
life

and career of Chandragupta

can hardly be complete without a survey of the

importance of his achievements.
a
It

is

strange that

personage

who,

in

ancient

times,

captured the

imagination of Hindu,

Buddhist, Jain,

Greek and

Roman
in

authors alike, has been camparatively ignored

times.

modern

We

shall
his

here discuss his place

in history

on the ground of

achievements.

Chandragupta began
against
first

his career as a

mere rebel
His
of

the

existing order of things in India.

achievement was, perhaps,

the

expulsion

Greek

garrisons from the Punjab in about

317

B.

C.

Starting from that point, he

became,

in

a brief space

of twelve years, the emperor of the greater part of

India,

entering

into
for in
in
its

possession

of

that scientific

frontier "sighed

vain by his English successors

entirety

and never held

even by the Moghul

1

monarchs of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries" the extent of his conquests, we must In
judging

remember

that India

is

geographically a

continent

and the conquest of nearly the whole of this area Moreover, as Arrian HAS is no mean achievement.
noted,
1.

sense

of

justice

prevented
126

the

ancient

Early History of India p

100

CHANDRAGUPTA
countries

Indian kings from bringing foreign

their subjection.
1

under
getting

They were

satisfied

by

their superior power acknowledged by foreign kings, and they performed their digvijaya only to this end. Judged by this standard, Chandragupta was a

successful digvijayi in as

much

as

he defeated the

most powerful foreign king, Seluekos Nikator, who Thus there held all western Asia under his sway. can be no doubt that Chandragupta was a great
conqueror.

of those

Chandragupta, moreover, was, in a real sense, one few men who have changed the destinies
But for him, India, with her numerous

of nations.

warring
the

rulers,

would have

surely fallen a prey

to

ambition

of the successors of Alexander.

He

was

solely responsible for the redemption of India.

Chandragupta,
adventurer and his

however, was no mere military greatness does not depend only

feats.

upon
about

his
in

military

The change he
was
not
to

brought
or

Indian

politics

flickering

temporary.

He knew

organise

as

well as to

conquer a vast empire.

son and grandson.
MoOrindlt-Aoiat

His organization was so

least to his

thorough that his empire passed intact at

It

is,

therefore, obvious that

he

1.

India:

Megatthenes and Arrian

p. 809.

ACHIEVEMENTS OF CHANDRAGUPTA
had the
in

101

will as well as the capacity to organize

an

empire rarely surpassed

magnitude.

Chandragupta
his country.

has

been praised by Indian and

foreign authors alike for bestowing prosperity

upon

Thus, Visakhadatta, the author of the

Mudrarakshasa, has treated him as Deity descended

upon earth to restore peace in the country of India troubled by barbarians. Among foreign writers the one who has accused Chandragupta of tyranny only
is

the

Roman

historian Justin, but his opinion

is

in

contradiction with the earlier account of Megasthenes

who everywhere
Indian people.

refers

to

the

prosperity

of

the

Chandragupta thus distinguished himself

directions.

in

many

He was

the conqueror of a vast territory,

the emancipator of his country, the capable administrator of

a great empire, and the harbinger

of

peace
first

to his

people.

He
ruler

is

usually considered as the

India.

historical

emperor of

He was

undoubtedly
not

the mightiest

of his time

and one of the most

It is
it it

firmament of monarchy. easy to embark upon a comparison, but as of the best ways of understanding a person,
lustrous stars in the

is

one

would

be worthwhile
of

compare Chandragupta with three the world's greatest Kings Alexander, Akbar
to

and Napoleon.

102

CHANDRAGUPTA

Alexander the Great was undoubtedly a great are bound to be dazzled when we conqueror.

We

recall

to

mind
for

his

wide conquests

in

a brief space

of time
is

that

he died quite young. much of what Alexander

Yet the

truth

accomplished

had already been planned by his father, Philip, a man of uncommon ability. Alexander had found
his field prepared
difficulties
to

by

his

father,

and thus had no

In

face at

the words of Mr.

H. G. Wells
is

the outset of his career. " the true hero

of

the history of Alexander

not so

much Alexander
the

as

his

father

Philip/'

Moreover,

countries

conquered by Alexander gained nothing by the change It of masters* may be argued that he had schemes
of organisation

which were
is

frustrated

by

his

early

death.

But

this

hardly borne

out by his career.

His vanity was insuperable, and his purpose seems to have been to dazzle the world by his valour. His
purpose accomplished, he
death.
literally

drank himself to
hand, was a

Chandragupta, on

the

other

man
been

of a different metal.

As brave and couragous

as Alexander himself, his sole purpose seems to have

peace and honour to his country. He had no advantages of birth and was actually an
to bring

exile at the outset of

1.

his career.
">4*

He

too

was a

Wells-Outline of History page

ACHIEVEMENTS OF CHANDRAGUPTA

103

young man when he came on the scene, but in a brief space of time he had not only conquered but
thoroughly organized a
vast

empire, giving
to

all

the

advantages of a
for greatness than

good government
Alexander.

his

people.

Thus Chandragupta, on

the whole, has better claims

Akbar, the Moghul monarch, was indeed much He has often been compared like Chandragupta.
with Asoka, but
in

many

respects

his genius
to

was
of

more

allied to that of

Chandragupta than

that

Like Chandragupta he was a man of 'blood and iron'. Like him again, he was a great conqueror

Asoka.

and a
that

great administrator, But

it

must be remembered
resources

Akbar had

inherited

the

needed

for forming a great

who
was

struggled

Moreover,

Chandragupta from poverty and exile to power. the success of Akbar's administration
to

empire as against

more due

the

personal

qualities

of

his

ministers than to his thorough

organisation and even Dr. Vincent Smith has admitted that" Akbar's machine

government never attained the standard of efficiency reached by the Mauryas eighteen or nineteen
of
1 centuries before his time."

Napoleon
1.

certainly

was one

of the most brilliant

figures in history.

He

resembles Chandragupta in

Bmith-Akbar the Great Mogul page 896.

104
as

CHANDRAGUPTA
as he also rose
In

much

virtue of his birth.

by dint of merit, and not by his early youth he dreamt

of

an independent Corsica, much as Chandragupta seems to have dreamt of the independence of his
country.

But

later,

mere ambition
his empire.

for

Napoleon conquest, and

drifted
failed

towards
to

maintain

In fact,

his country gained nothing

In this respect,

by

his splendid exploits.

he too

falls

behind the great Maurya.

Chandragupta was

thus,

on

the

whole,

an

uncommon

genius.

He was the founder

of the greatest

to which also belonged the most famous Buddhist and Jain monarchs. 1 His career

Hindu dynasty,

supplied

materials

to

many

poets for writing

in

and he

is still

a popular hero

upon modern vernacular

literature.

Asokft ftnd 8*mpr*ti.

VIII.

LEGENDS OF CHANDRAGUPTA,
A.

BUDDHIST.

While Buddha
members

yet lived, driven by the misfortunes

produced by the wars of (prince) Vidudabha, certain

of the Sakya line
retreating
to

Himavant
well
lofty

discovered a delightful and beautiful

location,

watered and situated

in the midst of a forest of

bo and other

trees.

Influenced

by

the

desire

of

settling there, they

founded a town
met,

at a

place where

several

great

roads

surrounded
of

by

durable

ramparts,

having
with

gates

defence
edifices

therein,

and

embellished
gardens.

delightful
that

and pleasure

Moreover

(city)

having a row of
in

buildings covered with

tiles,

which were arranged

the pattern of the plumage

it

of peacock's neck,

and as

resounded with notes of flocks of kraunchas and

it

mayuras
and

was so

called.

From
town,

this

circumstance
their

these Sakya lords of this

and

children

descendants,
the

were
title

renowned

throughout
this

Jambudipa by

of

"Moriya", From

time

that dynasty has

been called the Moriyan dynasty. (Chandragupta was bom in this dynasty.) His
the

mother,

queen

consort

of

the

monarch

of

Moriyanagara, the city before mentioned,

at the time that

was pregnant
raja

a certain powerful provincial

106

CHANDRAGUPTA
that
In

conquered
to death.

kingdom, and put the Moriyan

the
of

king

her anxiety to preserve the child in her

capital

womb,

departing for

Pupphapura

under the protection of her elder brothers and under At the completion of the disguise she dwelt there.
ordinary term of pregnancy giving birth to a son, and she relinquishing him to the protection of the Devas,

door placed him in a vase and deposited him at the A bull named Chando stationed of a cattle pen.
himself by him, to protect him, in the
that Prince

same manner

Ghosha, by the interposition of the Devas, was watched over by a bull. In the same manner,
also,

that

the

herdsman

in

the

instance

of

that
bull
this

planted
prince,

the spot where the prince Ghosha repaired to observing himself, a herdsman, on

moved by

affection,

like

that

borne

to

his

own
and

child, took charge of

in giving

and tenderly reared him,

in reference to his

him a name,
the

having

Chando, he called him been watched by When he had Chandagutta and brought him up. a certain attained an age to be able to tend cattle, with, and wild huntsman, becoming acquainted
bull
;

attached to him, taking him from

his

(the herdsman)

to

own

dwelling,

established

him

here.

He
white

<x>ntinued to dwell in that village.

Subsequently,

on

certain

occasion,

LEGENDS OF CHANDRAGUPTA
tending cattle with other children in the
joined them
village,

107
he

He

himself
of

game was named Raja

subbing,
etc.

in a

called the
;

"game

of royalty".

to others

he gave the

offices

Some

being appointed
;

judges,

were placed
he
sat

in

a judgement hall
thus
constituted

some he
a
court of

made

officers-

Having
in

justice,

judgement.

On
to

culprits

being

brought up, regularly inspecting and

their guilt

trying them, on
his

being clearly
to

proved

satisfaction,
his

according

the sentence awarded by

judicial

ministers, he ordered the

off their

officers of the court to

chop

hands and

feet.

On

their

replying. "Deva,
'It
is

we have no
Chandagutta
feet,

axes"; he answered"
that

the order of

and ye should chop off their hands making axes with the horns of goats for blades

and

sticks for handles.

They

acting accordingly,
feet

on

striking

with the axe the hands and

were

lopt off.

On the same person commanding, "Let them be to their reunited," the hands and feet were restored
former condition.

Chanakka, (a Brahman), happening to come to he beheld. that spot, was amazad at the proceedings (He had been insulted by King Nanda, for taking
taken into revenge against whom he had already confidence a Prince named Pabbato, and was to search for a second individual entitled to be raised

108
to sovereign

CHANDRAGUPTA
power).

Accompanying

(the boy)

to

the village,

thousand
"1 will

and presenting the herdsman with a Kahapanas, he applied for him saying,
;

teach your son every accomplishment, consign

him

to

me."

Accordingly

conducting

him

to

his

own
fold

dwelling, he encircled his neck

of woollen cord,
lac.

with

a single

twisted with

golden thread,

worth a

He
similar
living

invested

Prince

Pabbato,
these

also,

with

woollen cord.
with
him,

While

youths were

each
to

separately imparted

had dream which they him. As soon as he heard

each (dream) he knew that of these prince Pabbato would not attain royalty; and that Chandagutta
would, without
loss

of

time,

Jambudipa. he disclosed nothing to them. discovery, On a certain occasion having partaken of some
milkrice prepared in butter, as an offering at a Brahmanical disputation;

monarch

in

become paramount Although he made this

which had been received

retiring

from the main road,

place protected
fell

and

lying

down

in

a shady

asleep.
rose;

by the deep foliage of trees, they Among them the Achariyo awaking
for

first

and,

the purpose of
test,

putting

prince

Pabbato's

qualifications to the

giving him a

sword, and telling him "Bring

me

the woollen thread

LEGENDS OF CHANDRAGUPTA

109

on Chandagutta's neck, without either cutting or Starting on the mission, untying it/' sent him off.
and
accomplish it, he returned. subsequent day, he sent Chandagutta on a
failing to

On

similar

mission.

He

repairing to the spot

where Pabbato
it

was

sleeping, and

considering
is

how

was

to
it;

be
it

effected, decided "there

no other way
,

of doing

can only be got possession of by cutting his head off." Accordingly chopping his head off, and bringing

away

the woollen thread,

presented

himself to the

Brahman, who
Pleased
(exploit),

received

him

in

profound silence.

with him,

however, on account of this he rendered him in the course of six or

highly accomplished, and

seven

years

profoundly

learned.

Thereafter,

on

his

attaining

manhood,
is

deciding "From henceforth

of forming
to

this individual

capable

and controlling an army," and repairing the spot where his treasure was buried, and
from
all

taking possession of,

forces

and employing it; and enlisting quarters, and distributing money

having thus formed
it

among
army,

them, and

powerful
that

he entrusted

to

him.

From
his

time

throwing

off all disguise,

and invading the inhabited

campaign by attacking towns and villages. In the course of their (Chanakka and Chandagutta's) warfare, the

parts of the country,

he commenced

110
population

CHANDRAGUPTA
rose en masse,
their

and surrounding them,

with
their

and

hewing

army

weapons,
the

vanquished them.
wilderness

Dispersing, they reunited in

and
yet

consulting

together,

they

thus

decided; "As

no advantage has
the 'sentiments
disguise they

resulted
let

from

war; relinquishing military operations,

us acquire

a knowledge
Thenceforth,
country.
retiring to

of
in

of

the

people."
the

travelled about
after

While

thus

roaming about,
other,

sunset
in

some town or
attending
to

they were

the

habit

of

the

converstation

of

the

inhabitants of those places.

In

one of these

villages,

woman

having baked

some appalpuwa (pancakes) was giving them to her child, who leaving the edges would only eat the
centre.

On

his

asking

for
is

another cake,
like

she

remarked
in his

"This boy's conduct

Chandagutta's

attempt to take

possession of

the

kingdom/'

On

his enquiring,

"Mother, why, what

am

doing,

and what has Chandagutta done?" "Thou, my the outside of the boy, tsaid she), throwing away
cake, eat the middle only.

Chandagutta also

in his

the ambition to be a monarch, without subduing the towns, invaded the frontiers, before he attacked

heart of the
that account,

country,

and

laid

towns waste.

On

both the inhabitants of the

town and

LEGENDS OF CHANDRAGUPTA
others, rising closed
to the centre,
in

1 1 1

upon him, from

his

the

frontiers

and destroyed
hearing

army.

That was
due

his folly."

They on

this story of hers,

taking

notice thereof, from that time, again raised an army.

On

resuming

their

attack

on

the

provinces and

towns,

commencing
in

from the
troops in

frontiers,

reducing
they

towns, and stationing

the

intervals,

proceeded
adopting

their

invasion.

After

an

interval,

the

army, and in

same system, and martial ling a great regular course reducing each kingdom

and province, then assailing Fatal iputra and putting Dhanananda to death, they seized that sovereignty.
Although this had been brought about, Chanakka did not at once raise Chandagutta to the throne; but
for the

purpose of discovering Dhanananda's hidden treasure, sent for a certain fisherman (of the river);

and deluding him with the promise of raising the chhatta for him, and having secured the hidden
treasure; within

month from

that

date,

putting

him

also
*

to

death,

inaugurated

Chandagutta

monarch.

B. In

JAIN.
lived

a village

there

certain
in

persons as
bis introduction

to

MahavuDBa Tika translated by Tumour 1. Mabav&usa pp. LXXVI-LXXXL

112

CHANDRAGUPTA
gave
birth

tamers of peacocks.

She

Their headman had a daughter. a son who was named to

latter

Chandragupta.
fine lad.

The

soon grew up

into

Chandragupta used to play with the boys of the neighbourhood, and give villages and other things
to

them,

as

if

he were a king.
a

Sometimes,

he

made
by

the boys act as horses or elephants to ride

future of

on
a

them, for the

his

man

is

often predicted

previous

conduct.

Subsequently, on

certain occasion, a

Brahman named Chanakya (who

had been insulted by King Nanda of Pataliputra, and who was in search of a person who could help

him

in

his

vow
and

of

revenge)

came

there,

while wandering.
of Chandragupta,

He was
to
let

surprised at the

manners

test

the latter he addressed

him
your

thus:
gifts.

"O
"

King
at

me

also

have a share
"
replied,

in

Chandragupta

also

O
for

you arQ No body can from these village kine. yourself what dare to withhold promise/' Chanakya,
1

Brahman

liberty to

choose

some

smiling,
fear the

said.

"How
lest

shall

take these

kine ?

cowhards

they should best

me
I

sevefely"
allot these

Chandragupta

replied,

"Do

not fear.

cows
those

to thee,

The whole

earth can be

enioyed by
struck

who

are brave/'

Chanakya was

by

LEGENDS OF CHANDRAGUPTA
his

113
as
to in

intelligence

and asked

his
told

playmates

who he
which,

was.

The
still

boys
his

him

the

way
the

while

in

mother's
to

womb,

boy
had an

was promised
formerly
ascetic)

to

be given
it

an

ascetic,

Chanakya

(remembering that

was he
village
in

himself
the

who
guise of

come
of

to

the

recognised the boy and induced the

the

latter

by means
to

promise of securing

a kingdom,

accompany

him.

Chandragupta

too,

pleased at

the idea of acquiring kingship, agreed to

accompany

him, and Chanakya quickly fled away with the boy like a highwayman. Then, taking hold of his treasures, Chanakya arrayed infantry and other
forces, for the

sake of destroying
city of

Nanda,
on
all

He
sides

then

beseiged
his

the

Pataliputra

with

forces

thus

gathered.

King Nanda, however,

fled

easily

defeated the

inadequate forces of Chanakya.

thereafter,

Chanakya and
their
lives,

Chandragupta,
it

for

for

is

said

that

one should protect

being
attainable
his
part,

oneself

at

any

cost,

prosperity
life.

only by preserving
sent

one's
to

Nanda, on

some cavaliers
can
not

catch

Chandragupta,
persons
returned
to

for

kings
their.y

tolerate

such

as covet
his

kingdom.

When Nanda

capital triumphant, the

citizens celebrated

festival,

each contributing

his share according to capacity.

114

CHANDRAGUPTA
One
of the cavaliers despatched

by King Nanda
very near

reached, due to the swiftness of

his horse,

where Chandragupta had gone.

the

cavalier

from

afar
to

Chanakya, seeing and using his quick wit,

hide
himself in the water

asked Chandragupta
of the lake
lotuses.

that

was

situated

He

himself

nearby adorned with stayed there silent like a

Yogi.

The horseman

of

Nanda
the

quickly
swiftness

came
of

there

on

his horse,

which had
if

wind.

He
man

asked Chanakya
recently
to

he had seen some young

that
lest

passing
take

pretending
silent

care

way. Chanakya, he should break his

finger

meditation,

pointed

his

towards
in

the
to

water with a hum.

The

cavalier

order

draw out Chandragupta from

his

water, began to

wear
wears

swimming
special

gown, as

the

dancing
she has
the

girl

her

petticoat

(when
in

to

perform
got

dance.)
of

Chanakya,
cavalier's
if

meanwhile,

hold

the

sword,
to

and cut
the

off

the

latter's

head, as

to offer
to

Water.goddess.
latter

Then, as he shouted

Chandragupta, the
as the

came
the

out of

the water,

ocean*

Then

having

moon rises from made Chandragupta

mount on the horse of the cavalier, Chanakya *sked him as to what he thought to himself was pointed out to the cavalier. when

LEGENDS OF CHANDRAGUPTA

15

Chandragupta said that, although he might not understand, he saw nothing but good in what his teacher did. Chanakya, on hearing this, thought
to himself
that such

betray

him.

an obedient pupil would never While they were thus going on,
followed

they

were again

by a

swift

cavalier of

Nanda coming
him,
as before

like

a messenger of

Yama.

Seeing

Chanakya again asked Chandragupta to act which he did. Chanakya then persuaded
there
to believe

washerman standing
to

that

King

Nanda was angry on

him
run away,
that
lest

his guild,

and

it

was
killed

best for

he should be
near.

cavalier
too,

was drawing
the cavalier

by the The washerman

afar

seeing

coming from
the
truth
life.

with

drawn

sword,

believed
fled

of

Chanakya's

statement,
to

and

for his

began had left behind.

wash

the

clothes

which
be

Chankaya then the washerman

a

The

cavalier

coming near asked

Chanakya
about
acting as

(mistaking

him

to

washerman)
Chanakya,
also*

the fugitives.
before,

The

quick-witted
cavalier

killed

that

Then
their

Chanakya
wanderings

and

Chandragupta

resumed

While

thus wandering, Chanakya,

village in

accompanied
the evening,

by Chandragupta, reached a
as a bird retires to
its

nest.

In that village,

roaming

116
for the sake of

CHANDRAGUPTA
alms, he approached
the house of a

certain old

woman, who was

serving fresh cooked hot

food

child, feeling very hungry, got his fingers burnt due to his carelessness.

to her children.

There a

On

the child's screaming the old are

as
foolish

woman

remarked:
himself/"

"You

as

Chanakya

Chanakya, overhearing, entered her house and asked the matron the reason for her comparison of the child
to
in

Chanakya.
his
folly,

The

old

woman

replied,

"Chanakya
before
of

attacked

Nanda's

capital,

getting control of

the frontiers

as a result

which
in the

he perished.
centre
got
his

This child,

too, put his

hand

before slowly eating from

fingers

the sides

and thus

burnt.

even

a woman was

Chanakya thinking that more intelligent than him

went
to

(and realising
regions,

Himalayan and there formed alliance with a chief named

his mistake)

the

Parvataka, with a view to secure his help.

One

day,

Chanakya suggested
king

to

Parvataka the
dividing
his

idea of conquering

Nanda and

kingdom between themselves. Parvataka agreed to then and this, Chandragupta, Chanakya and
Parvataka started to conquer the kingdom of

Nanda.
not

On their
-capture

way, they beseiged a town,

but could

it.

in the disguise of

Thereupon Chanakya entered the town a mendicant. There Chanakya

LEGENDS OF CH ANDRAGUPTA
saw seven goddesses and thought
been due
to

1 1

that

it

must have

them

that

the

town was

safe.

While

he was thinking of the way of removing the images, certain citizens came to him and requested him to
predict as to
invaders.

when the town would be free from the The preceptor of Chandragupta replied
were there
the

that so long as the goddesses

town

would not be secure from enemies.

The
is

citizens

then quickly removed the images, for there

nothing

which a troubled person

Parvataka then retreated
the citizens

will not

the influence of a crafty fellow.

do specially under Chandargupta and

at the hint of

became very

glad.

Chanakya, and But the two warriors

again came back like a seaside and entered the town. Having thus captured this town both the warriors with conquered the country of Nanda also,

Chanakya

as charioteer.
last

Being guided by Chanakya,

Pataliputra also with

the two heroes at

besieged

a large army.

King Nanda

at that time

had become

destitute of sufficient treasuries

and

and

valour,

due

to his unvirtuoi

retires

with virtue.
to grant

He
him a
life,

(beij
safe

Chanakya

does not value his

Cha

to leave the city with only

him

that

none would stop him

118

CHANDRAGUPTA
king

Then

Nanda having

taken with him his two

sufficient

wives and a daughter wealth left the city.

that

and a

amount
Nanda,

of
at

The
at

daughter of

time

was

attracted

Chandragupta and gazed

goddess.

by the appearance of him unwinked like a

her
side

By thus gazing by

glances
fallen

the
in

daughter of
love

Nanda proved
Chandragupta,
as

that

she

had
too,

with

Nanda
was
the

having

understood, asked his daughter to choose her husband

according to her
kings.

will,

Accordingly he asked her to get

that chariot,

custom among down from

his chariot, wishing her well.

Being thus asked she

to

got

down from

and began

mount
which

the
the

chariot of Chandragupta, as a result

of

spokes
pressed

were broken, as
by
a

a sugar cane breaks

when

yantra.

inauspicious tried to

Chandragupta thinking it remove her from the chariot. Chandragupta from

not only

Chanakya,
doing
for

however, forbade

so, telling

him

that

it

wasa good omen,

Chandragupta but also for his descendants. Then Chandragupta and Parvataka having entered Nanda's
palace began to divide the huge wealth of that king. There was also the daughter of Nanda whom the

had slowly fed on poison, and Parvataka became so enamoured of her that he treated her like
latter

an angel.

The

preceptor

of

Chandragupta

agreed

LEGENDS OF CHANDRAGUPTA
to confer her

19
for

upon Parvataka and preparations

started.

marriage were
the nuptial
tire

But the sweat produced by caused the transmission of poison in

of the

the

body of Parvataka, (who took the hand

body began
to

girl).

Being thus afflicted by the agonies of poison

loose

his

energy

and he cried

to

Chandragupta

to procure a doctor lest he should die. But Chanakya whispered to Chandragupta to let him
after
all

alone to die or be cured, for

the
his.

death

of

Parvataka would clear away a

his incurring

rival

of

without

any

chief died and the

Chandragupta. 155 years after the Mukti of

C.

Himalayan whole empire passed intact to Thus Chandragupta became king

Sri

sin.

Thereafter

the

Mahavira.

HINDU.

King Nanda was the lord of 99 crores of gold When he died his body was re-animated pieces.

by a person proficient

in

Yoga

and, since

then,

he

was known
hated

Yogananda. Sakatala, the minister, Yogananda thinking him to be an imposter.

as

Yogananda, on a false

having known
plea.

it,

punished Sakatatala
Sakatala

Since

then

became

definitely against him.

1. Parisishtaparvan the author. by

of

Hemachandra

VIII

3889,

trtntbtfed

120

CHANDRAGUPTA
One day,

while brooding on his plan of revenge, he observed a Brahman digging in a meadow, and
asked him the reason for doing

Brahman,
has hurt
reply
as the

replied,

"1

my
fit

foot/'

am The

Chanakya, the rooting out this grass which

that.

minister

was

struck

at

the

and regarded
person

that angry firnruminded

to

Brahman
death
of

accomplish

the

of

Yogananda. a reward

He
of

then engaged him by the

promise
to

one hundred thousand suvarnas

come and
celebrated

preside at the
in

sraddha which was

to

be

the palace of Nanda. Chanakya him to his house and on the appointed accompanied day went to preside at the Sraddha. Another

Brahman,
getting

Subandhu, however,
precedence
for

was

desirous

of

himself

and Nanda was

persuaded by Sakatala to believe that Subandhu was a fit person to be given precedence. Thereupon

Nanda gave

orders to

remove Chanakya from the

Sakatala

place which he occupied.

communicated

the orders to Chanakya, pleading his

in

own
rage,

innocence

the

matter.

Burning

with

Chanakya

loosened
kill

the

knot of his sikha, and took a

vow

to

Nanda
tie

within seven days, after which alone

his sikha again.

he

would

On

hearing

this

Nanda
was

was enraged, but

secretly sheltered

Chanakya
Sakatala.

escaped
Thereafter,

and

by

Chanakya

LEGENDS OF CHANDRAGUPTA
being supplied with
rite
all materials,

121

practised a magical

in

the seventh

which he was an adept, and by which on day Nanda was deprived of life. Sakatala

effected the destruction of Yogananda's son Hiranya*

gupta also, and raised Chandragupta, the son of the

genuine Nanda, on the throne.

the
prince's
minister,

Chanakya became
spend
his

and Sakatala having obtained

x
.

the only object of his existence retired to

last

days

in the

woods
D.

EUROPEAN.
waged many wars
in the east

Saleucus

Nicator

after the partition of

Alexander's empire

among

his

generals.
forces

He

first

took Babylon and then with his

He

then

augmented by victory subjugated the Bactrians. after which into India, passed over
as
its
if

Alexander's death,

the yoke of servitude

his

had

been shaken
to

off

from

neck, had put

prefects

death.

Sandracottus
their

was
but
all

the

leader

who
he
of

achieved
forfeited
liberator,

freedom,
tyranny

after
title

his victories

by

his

to

the

name

for

people whom he had emancipated He was bom in humble thraldom.

he oppressed with servitude the very from foreign

life,

but

was

prompted
1.

to aspire to

royalty by an omen significant

5 translated bj the author.

Kathasaritsagara

122
of

CHANDRAGUPTA
1

an august destiny. For when by his insolent behaviour he had offended Nandrus and was
ordered

by that king to be put to death, he sought When he lay overcome safety by a speedy flight. with fatigue and had fallen into a deep sleep, a lion
of

enormous
its

with

from

his

approaching the slumberer licked tongue the sweat which oozed profusely body and when he awoke quickly took its
size

departure.

It was this prodigy which first inspired him with the hope of winning the throne, and so having collected a band of robbers he instigated the

Indians

to

overthrow

the

existing

Government.

When
size

he

was

thereafter

preparing to attack

Alexander's prefects, a wild elephant of

monstrous

approached him, and kneeling submissively like a tame elephant received him on to its back and
fought vigorously in front of the army.

Sandrocottu
I

having thus

won

the throne

was reigning over ndia

the

when
future

Seleucus was
greatness.

laying

foundation

of

his

Seleucus

having made a
settled

treaty

with
east,

him and otherwise

returned
1
.

his

affairs in the

home

to

prosecute

the

war

with

Antigonus
1.

'Nandrum'

has

b*n

substituted

for

the corrupt

reading

'Ataxandrum'.
*2

Justin (McCrindle-InvHKion of India by Alexander pp. 827-8).

APPENDIX

A.
I

History of the Sudat santi

,ake.

(Portion of the Junagarh Inscription from

Epigraphia

Indica Vol. Vlll, Edited

and

Translated by Prof. F. Kielhorn.)

1.

Siddham idam tarfakam Sudar^anam Cir

radapi (d) (u) ram a (n)
t

(i)

nagau

(a)

(tt)

ik.opala.vis.
.

tarayam.occhray a* niAsandhi.baddha
a.pa katvat.parvata.pa
1 i

drirfha.sar.

2.

da^ppratispardhususlish
(

)a(ba)

ndha

va

jaten^akritrimena

setubandhenopapannam
(

supprativihita.ppranalt.pari
3.

v )cha
(dha)
vartate-

mirfhavidhanam cha

triskan

n.adibhir.

anuagrahairxmahaty.upachaye

Tadidam
h
gurubhir.
divisap^

rajno mahakshatrapasya sugrihi

4.

tanamnaA Swami.Chashtanasya pautra

putrasya
rajno

mahakshatrapasya

abhyastanamno tatitam(e) 70 2.
5.

Rudradamno varshe

MargasiYsha.bahuIa.prat(i)
Jina

h srish/a.vr isk

parjanyena

ekarnava.bhwtayam.iva prithu

vyam kritayam
6.

girerx/7rjayataA Suvarnasikata.

Palasini.Prabhriunam nadinam atimatrodvrittair^

vegaiA setum(a)
(ya)

karamapi

.giri*ikharflutaru.ta<

moaanurupa^pratt^ .0#a!ak. opatalpau

124

CHANDRAGUPTA
dvara-^aranocchraya ^vidhvamsino^yuga , nidhana
sadri

7.

sa^paramaghorawegena vayuna pramathita-salila*

vikshipta
.

jarjarckritava

(dt)

(k)

sh

(i)

ptasma*
la

vrikshagulmaJatapratanam a nadf
Chatvari-hastau

(ta)

(d) ity-udghatitam-^sit.

ata*

nuvinsad^uttaranyxiyatena etavantyeva visttrnena

8.

pancha^saptati

hastan^avagorfhena

bhedena
kalpam^

nissrita-'Sarva^toyam

marudhannva
(s)y(a)rthe
(r)

atibhrisam

durda

Mauryasya
ashfriyena

rajnah Chandrag (u)(pta)(s) (ya)

(V) aisyena
adhish^haya
9.

Pushyaguptena karitam
te

Mauryasya ;kri?)

Asokasya YavanarajenaTush (a)spheiv

pranaltbhir^ala(m)krita(m)

TRANSLATION
1.

This lake Sudarsana, from Girinagara (even a

long
distance?)
of

structure

so

well

joined as to rival the spur of a mountain, because

all
its

embankments are
letters

strong, in breadth, length

italics.

* The following
1.
2.

have been printed in

a,
t,

t,

u, representing long vowels

d, n, representing the letters of

%: if

3.
4.

r, in ri,
Jt,

representing g$

representing

s,

representing y\

HISTORY OF THE SUDARSANA LAKE

and height constructed without gaps
of
stone,
as they

125
are

(clay)

furnished with a natural

dam

(formed by?)

,and with well provided

to

conduits, drains
matter,

and means
sections
in

guard against foul

three
is

favours
3.

(now) This same (lake)

and other by an excellent condition.

first

on the

of the

dark

half

of Margasirsha in the

seventy

second

72nd

year of the king, the

Mahakshatrapa Rudradaman
the of

whose name
son
of

is

repeated by
son's

venerable,
the
king,

the
the

and

son

Mahakshatrapa

Lord

Chashtana the

taking of the

whose name
converted
excessively
Palasini
as

is

auspicious

when by
the
earth

clouds pouring
it

with

rain
into

had been

were

one ocean by the

swollen floods of the Suvarnasikata,

and other streams of mount Urjayat the

though proper precautions (were taken), a most
befitting the

dam

the water churned by a storm which, of

tremendous fury
period, tore

end of a mundane
banks, turrets,

down

hilUops,

trees,

upper
with

stories,

gates and
to

raised places of shelter

(tore

scattered, broke

pieces,

apart)

stones,

trees,

bushes and creeping plants

thus laid

scattered about,

was
:

open down

to the

bottom of the

river

126
7.

CHANDRAGUPTA
By a breach four hundred and twenty
long,
just

cubits

as

many
like

broad,

(and)

seventy five
so
that

cubits deep, all the water escaped,

lake),

(the

almost

sandy

desert,

(became)

extremely ugly (to look at)

for

the

sake

of

-..ordered to be
the

made

by the

Vaisya
of

Pushyagupta,

provincial

governor adorned with conduits

the

the

Maurya
for

king

Chandragupta,
etc.

Asoka the Maurya by

Yavana king Tushaspha while governing

APPENDIX
/.

B.

Maurya Chronology.
Important events*

Year
B. C.

Event

488

Foundation of Pataliputra.
Birth of Chandragupta.
(

345
325

Chandragupta met Alexander the Great-

End

of Greek domination Chandragupta.

in

the Punjab by

314

Chandragupta invaded Nanda dominions.

Coronation of Chandragupta.
Seleukos Nikator defeated

313
305

by Chandragupta.

289

Death of Chandragupta.

* Most

of the dates Are nearly exact;

some are approximate.

128

CHANDRAGUPTA
11.

Dynastia Table*

* The lengths of reigns are given Recording to the Puranas. According to the concurrent testimony of the Buddhists and Jains, Knnla, the son of Asoka, was blind and therefore could not hay*
ruled.

Hence the

period

of

eight

years allotted

to

him by

bcni

Puranas seems
is also exactly

to he

identical
If

with Dasaratha's reign-period which

accept this, the detailed figures for the
period

the same.

we

reigns of Maurya Kings entirely agree with the total by the Puranas to the Mavrya dynasty as a whole.

assigned

APPENDIX
Bibliography.
7.

C.

Aneient Hindu Works.

the

Kautilya's

Arthasastra with

commentary

of

T. Ganapati Sastn.

X^autilya's Arthasastra translated by Or. Shamasastry.

\ Visakhadatta's Mudrarakshasa with the

tary of Dhundhiraja,

com men*

Somadeva's Kathasaritsagara.
X^Manusmriti.

x Yajnavalkyasmriti.

Vayu Parana.
Matsya Purana.
Vishnu Purana with the commentary of Sridhara,

Bhagavata Purana. yBana's Kadambari-

Kamandaka's

Nitisara.

vDandin's Dasakumaracharita.
xBhasa's Svapnavasavadatta.

^Ka!hana's Rajatarangmi.
2.

An? lent Buddhist Works.

Edited and translated by Geiger.

YMahavansa Mahavansa
^Dipavan&a
i

Edited and translated by

Tumour,

Edited and translated by Olden berg.

Mahabodh vansa.
Mahaparinibbana Sutta.

130

CHANDRAGUPTA

Milindapanho.

Divyavadana.
5.

Anoient Jain Work*.

Parisishtaparvan of

Hemachandra

xkalpasutra of Bhadrabahu.
yicharasreni of Merutunga. Uttaradhyayana Tika.
Hajavali Katha.

Tithoogaliya Payanna. Tirthoddhara Prakirnaks.

4.

Classical

Works

(in Translation).

McCrindle

Invasion of India by Alexander.

McCrindle

Ancient India

in Classical Literature.

xMoCrindle

Aneient India: Megasthenesand Arriao.

5.

Modern Works.
of India Vol.
1.

xCambridge History

ySmith

-Oxford Early History of India 4th

tion.

Edl*

Xfiavell - Aryan Rule in India.

vRhys Davids
ifR.

Buddhist India.
Local

K. Mookerji

Government

in

Ancient

India.

*R. K. Mookerji

History of Indian Shipping.

\R, K. Mookerji Smith Asoka, ,*

^Bhandarkar

Asoka.

Asoka.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hultzsoh
Inscriptions of Asoka.
Political History of

131

>tRay Chaudhuri Ray Chaudhuri

yPargiter vPargiter

Ancient India.

Early

History of the Vaishnava

sect.

Dynasties of the Kali Age. Ancient Indian Historical Tradition.

Beginnings of South Indian History.

Vlyengar
,s,Jayaswal

Hindu

Polity.
in

XMazumdar
.xSmith

Corporate Life

Ancient India.

Bandopadhyaya Kautilya. Akbar the Great Mogul. \Smith Fine Art in India and Ceylon.
Annals and Antiquities of Rejasthan.
Outline of History.

xTod
x Wells

History of Sanskrit Literature.

- Sanskrit

Drama.

<MacdoneIl
XT-aw

Sanskrit Literature.
Gleanings. Glories of Magadha,

H istorical

VSamaddar
Satyaketu
Rice

Maurya Samrajya ka Itthasa. Mysore and Coorg from Inscriptions.

Asiatic Researches Vot. IV.

Epigraphia Indies Vol. VIII. Spooner Excavations at Pa tali putr a (Arch. Sur. of
India 1912.13.)

Waddel

Excavations at Ratal iputra.

INDEX.
Adhyakshas= Superintendents, 52, 56, 59. Administration, military, 61 ff; municipal, 56 ff; of Justice 64 ff.

Arachosia, 39. Architecture, 96-8.

Aria, 38.

Ariana,

38*.

Aristotle,

Afghanistan, 39, 47, 62.

Arms,
q
.

Aggramen=Ugrasena,
v., 19.

Army,

on slavery, 91. Indian, 58-4. size of, 55.

Agriculture, 79-80. Ahinsa, doctrine of, 76.

Aiatasatru,
18.

king,
15, 95.

3,

10,

14

n,

Ajivikas, 77. Akbar, 49, 108.

Arthasastra, 89-92. Artisans, as servants of state, 57; as a class of Indian society, 69. in the age of Arts, Chandragupta, 98 ff.

Aryas, definition
the
great,
88,

of, 91.

Alexander

(I)

Asmakas,

20.

7, 22, ?8, 31, 88. 34,

89n, 77, 102, 103, 121, of 122, 127; (2) king Corinth, 10.

Asoka, 8, 9, 10, ? 1,24, 28, 45 n, 46. 48, 50, 58, 62, 63, 93, 95, 108, 104 n,
128.

Amatyas, 50. Ambhi, king of Taxila, 22. Andhra, kingdom, 46. Androkottos=C h a n d r agupta, 8
1

Avanti,

17, 18,

20 n.

Babylon, 83, 83, 84, 121.

Baluchistan, 39, 47, 62. Beas, river, 21, 23. Benares, 20 n, 82, 87. Bengal; 45, 82.

n.

Anga, IS. Antigonus

king
(2)

(I)

Gonatus,

of Macedonia, 10; rival of Seleukos,

Besnagar, 95. Bhaddasala, 35.

122.

Antioohus Theos, king of

Syria, 10.

Bhadrabahu, 44, 92-8. Bhagavata, faith, 75-6.

Bimbisara.
12, 13, 17,

king,

2,

10,

Anuruddhaka, identified with Nandivarddhana,

18,20.
8,
9,

Bindusara,
46, 128.

28,

45,

INDEX
Births and deaths, register
of, 68.

133

jab,

32; conquered the Pun88-4; defeated the

Boards, for military administration, 52 ff; for administramunicipal tion, 56 ff.

Bow, Indian, Brachmanes

41. 77.8.

= B rah mans,

58-

4.

northern India, 35; coronation of. 86; defeated the plot of con* 86; Malayaketu, quered Deo can, 87; defeated Seleukos Nikator,
88-39; his life as king, 41-2; his personal supervision of justice, 42,
64-5; family of, 43, death
of,

Nandas master

and
of

became

Brahmans, 69-70.
Brihadratha (1) founder of Magadha, 12; f2) last of the Mauryas, 128.
Brihaspati, 65.

48-44;
of,

extent of the
45-7; palace 96-8; achieve-

Buddha,
of, 2.

1, 9,

18,

28,

76,

empire
of

105; date of the

mirvana

40-41;
of,

ments
76.

99-101;

first

Buddhism,

historical

Bulls, fight of, 43.

of India, 101; his compart*

emperor
other

son
Caste, in
69-70.

with

great

the

Maurya

age,

monarchs of the world,

102-4;
of,

Cavalry, board in
of, 54.

charge

105-11
1

Buddhist legends Jain legends 1,

of,
of,

11- 11 9;

Hindu legends
classical

Ceylon, 94.

119-21;

Chanakka=Chanakya,
Chanakya,
51, 68.92, 107
ff.

q. v.

19, 82, 36, 40,

legend of, 121-2, chronology of, 127. Chariots, Board in charge

of, 55.

Chandagutta =
gupta, q. v.

Chanakya Sataka,

92.

Chandra*

Chase, royal, 41, 43. MahftkshaC hash tana

trapa, 128, 125.

Chando, bull, 106. Chandrmgupta, identified

with Sandrakottos. data of, 7*8; ancestry
26-80; early
life
1

of.

China, trade with, 88-4. Chola, kingdoms, 47. Chronology, I f f ; tables of

127-8,

of, 81-

134
Cliessobora, 76.

INDEX
manufacture
of,

Cloth,
81-2.

Fines, three kinds of 68. in board Forigners, charge of, 57.

ft

Col lector general, 59.

Commander-in-chief, 61. Board in Commerce,

Gangaridae, 23. Ganges, 96; valley, 2fc 85.

charge of, 58. Commissariat, Board in charge of, 52. Councillors, as a class of
Indian population, 69. Courtezans, as spies, 64.

Gautama=Buddha,
Gedrosia, 39.

q. v.

Ghosha, prince, 106.

Guilds, 84.

Haihayas, 20. Hairwashing,

42.

ceremony r

Dandamis,

77.

Darsaka, king, 3, 18-5, 17. Dasaratha, king, 14, 128. Death, penalty of, 67. Deccan, 87, 46.

Herakles, 75. Herat, 89.

Hiranyagupta, 121.

Husbandmen, as a

class

Devavarman, king, 128. Dhanananda, 23, 111. Dharmasutras, 86.

Digvijaya, 88, 100. Dramila, epithet of Chanakya, 88.

of Indian population, 69.

Iconography, 95. Images, worship of, 78.

Indian

museum,

95.

Durdhara, queen of Chan*

dragupta, 86.

Indians, morals of, 78. Indus, river, 22, 34, 88. I ndustries, Board in charge of, 57.

Ekbatana, 40, 96. board Elephants,

charge of, 64-5. Erannaboas, river, 98*

in

Infantry, Board in charge of, 63.

Irrigation, 61.

Eudemos,
Famine,

7, 8, 84.

Jainism, 78.

Jambudvipa, 87, 105, 108

measures

for

relief of, 81.

Janapadas, 50. Jarasandha, king, 12 tu

Female, guards* 4i.

Jheium, river, 22.

INDEX
Jobane6= Yamuna,
78,

133

Kurus, 20, 48,

Junagarh, inscription, 97,

48, 123-6. Justice, administration of,

Kusu mapura=Patali pu tra,

15.

64*

Land revenue,

60*

taw
Kabul, 39. Kakavarna, 17. Kalasoka, 5, 17. Kalbappu, hill, 43. Kalinga, 21,22,29.2411,
46, 82.
66.

courts, procedure oft

of, 85.

Law, four kinds

Lichchhavis, 47. Literature, in the Maurya

age, 86-98.

Lokayata, philosophy, 87*

Machaevelli,

Kalingas, 20. Kalpasutra, 27, 93.

Chanakya

Kambhpias, 48. Kamboia, 54. Kandhara, 39. Kashmir, 45 n, 62.

Kasi, 13. Kasis, 20.

compared

with, 92.

Madras, 47. Madura, 82,

Magadha, history of

12, 25.

Magas, king of Gyrene, 10* Mahabharata, 66.

Kasyapa, gotpa, 28. Kathavattha, 99. Kathiawar, 62.

Mahamatras

60.

Kautilya^chanaky*.
Kerala, kingdom, 47.

q. v.

Mahanandi, king, 10, 20 n. Mahapadma, Nanda. 18, 22,23, 26, 27, 80. 8),
32, 85, 86, 46, 65.
MfthAvit**, 1, 8, 8, 13, 78, 119; date of the death of, 2.

Kharavela, king, 1. King, functions of, 50. KQS, defined, 89. Kosala, kingdom, 12, IS,
94.

Maithiles, 20*

Krishna, 76. Kshatriyas, 12,

MaJavas, 22. Malavaketu, >6.

7, 69, 70.

Kshudrakas, 22Kukuras, 47.

$$. Kunala, 128 n.

Manu 69 f

Mallas, 12, 47. 72. 4

Kumrahar,

Manufactures, Board in charge of, 68, Marriage, kindsctf, 7J,

136
Maurya,
dynasty,

INDEX
27
ff;

Pabbato=Parvataka
Painting, 94. Palace, Maurya, 40*
I,

q. v.

chronology of, 128. Mauryaputra, 28.

Medicine, science of, 87. sent as Megasthenes, Greek ambassador to the Maurya Court, 89; as a soured of information, 40 ff. known in the Metals,

96*8

Palasini, river, 128, 125., Pal i rn bothra Patli putra 96.

Pali literature, 98.

Panchalas, 20, 48.

Pandya, kingdom, 47.

Parishad, 51.

Maurya age, 82, Me thora= Math ura,

Ministers, 61.

Parkham
76.
.

state, 95.

Paropanisadae, 89. Parvataka, 38, 85,86, 107,

108, 109,
119.

Mlechchhas, slavery permitted among, 74, 91.

Moris, 29. Moriyas, 12,28,29,80,105. Munda, identified with

116,

117,

118,

Mahanandi, Mura, 27 n

16-17.

Pataliputra, 80, 86, 85, 96, III, 112, 118; population of 67; date of the foundation of, 18, 127.

Muriyakala, 21. Mysore, 87, 48, 46.

Pauras, 50. Pauravyavaharika, 56. Peithon, son of Agenor,

84.
17.

Hagadasaka,

6,

14, 15,

Penal code, 66
Persepolis, 98. Persia, 45.

ff.

Nagarjuni, hillcaves, 14,

Nanda

(I) Mahapadma q. v. (2) family, 6, 18, 28.

Philip

(1)

Satrap of Alex*
(2)

Nandas, nine. 19, 85. Nandivarddhana, 16. Napoleon, 101, 108, 104. Navy, Board in charge
of, 52.

ander,

84;

father of

Alexander 102.
Pipphalivana, 29.

Polygamy, 71.
Porus, king,
8,

22, 84.

Nepal, blankets of, 82.

Orissa, 20 n.

Pradesh ta, 68.

Pradesika, 68. Pradyota, king,
15 n. f 17, 18.
13, 14,

Oxen, races

of, 43.

INDEX
Prakrit literature, 92*3. Prasenajit, king. 18.
Sakyas, 12,28,29
Saiisuka, king, 128.

137
105.

PrassiaiPrachi,
28, 45.
set

19,

20,

Sambhuyasamutthana, joint
stock companies, 84.

Prisoners, certain occasions, 68. Philadelphia, Ptolemy king of Egypt, 10.

free

on

Samprati, king, 21, 104, n.

128.

Sanaq=Chanakya, 92. SandrakottosC h a n d r a

gupta,
1,

Punjab,
38, 62.

7,

8,

22, 83. 84,

121, 122.

Puranas, 86. Purdah, system, 78. Pushyagupta, 48, 82, 124,

126.

Sanghas, 47. Sankhya, philosophy, 87* Sanskrit literature, 86-92. Satadhanvan, king, 128. Seleukos, Nikator, 88, 89,
100
121, 122.
in

Queens, of Chandragupta,
43.

Senapati=oommander
chief, 51.

Simhala, Ceylon, 31.

Raghu, King,
Rajagriha, 13. Rajukas, 68.

36.

Rakshasa, 36.

Ramayana, 86. Rams, fight of,

43.

Sindh, 34, 54, 62. Sisunaga, 17, 18. Soldiers, as a class of Indian population, 69. Soursenot Surasenas, 76. Spies, as a class of Indian
population, 68. Sreshthin, head
of, 59;

Rashtrapala, 48. Rahtriya, 48.

of

the

Revenue, collect ion

land, 60.

guild, 84.

Stadium.

Rhinoceroses, fight of 48.

d&xfS3^^

Roads, 85.

Rudradaman,
Satrap, 87,
>

Great
45,

48

61,

128, 125.
laerifioes, 41. 42, 79. Stkfttala, 1 19-2 1.

138
Surashtra, 37* Surashtras, 48.
Susa, 40, 96.

INDEX
Valmiki, 86. Vatsa, kingdom, 12, Vedangas, 86. Vedic literature, 86.
to KauVehicles, 80. Viceroys, 62. Videha, 19.
13.

Susunaga,
Suttee,
tilya, 72.

17.

unknown

Suvarnasikata, river, 128,

125.

Taxila, 22, 56, 62, 85, 87,

88.

Tinnevelly, 87, Tishya, Maudgaliputra. 93. Tithes on sales, board in

Vidudabha, 106. Vikramaditya, era of, 6. Vtrudhaka, 29. Chanakya, Vishungupta

charge

of, 58.

32, 68. Vita] statistics, charge of, 58.

board

in

Torture, judicial, 67. Trade, in the Maurya

period, 68.

Vitihotras, 20.
Vriiis, 12,
18, 47.

Tush as ph a, yavana,
124,
126.

War
rain,

Off ice, 51.

rates, 61.

Water

Widows, remarriage of
Wriiing, 65.
6,

72.

ttdmyana, king, 18, 14, Udmyi, king, 3, 4, 5,

M,

16, 16 t 17.

Ulifcin, 56, 62. Utanas, 65.

Tasobhadra, 92. Yogananda, 119*21.

Yoga Philosophy,
36.

87.

7*dha, defined,

Zeus, 77.

\\BB5