Mauryas - Origin of Mauryas
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Origin of Mauryas
- It is a matter of great controversy
- Vishnupurana- Chand-ragupta was the son of Mura - a shudra
- Even Puranas mention him as Shudra
- Mudrarakshasa-Mauryas were known as Vrishala and Kulahina, which may be regarded as Shudra
- Divyadana - Bindusara was a Kshatriya
- Mahavamsa -Chandra-gupta was a Kshatriya and was related to Kshatriya clan Mauriya
- Mahaparinibanasutta - Mauryas belonged to a ruling clan of Piphalivam (Malla) .
Political History of the Mauryas
Chandragupta Maurya (324 - 300 B. C.)
- He ascended the throne in 321 B. C.
- The Greek sources refer to him as Sandrocottus
- He met Alexander around 326 - 325 B. C.
- He fought a war with Selucus Nicator in 305 B. C. and defeated him
- Matrimonial alliance was made between Chandragupta Maurya and Selucus
- A treaty was also signed according to which the following areas were to be given to Chandragupta Maurya:-
- Gedrosis (Baluchistan)
- Arachoria (Kandhar)
- Paropamisadai (Kabul)
- Aria (Herat)
- Megasthenese was the ambassador of Selucus, who was in Chandragupta՚s court
- According to Parsisthaparvana, a Jain text, Chandragupta Maurya renounced the throne and because a Jaina in old age
- He went to south with Bhadrabahu, a Jaina saint and adopted Jainism He died at Sravna Belgala in the orthodox Jaina way by slow starvation
- A small hill at Sravana Belgola he called ‘Chandragriha’ , because Chandragupta lived and performed penance there
- He ruled for 24 years
Extent of Chandragupta՚s Empire
- Almost the whole of India came under his control
- Only the following areas were outside his empire in the south
- Cholas
- Pandayas
- Keralputras
- Satyaputras