Aśoka and His Inscriptions: A Legacy Carved in Stone
(Courtesy: https://images.app.goo.gl/ca36q1ZPgPbsJq7WA). By Biswarup Chatterjee
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Emperor Ashoka and the Early Mauryan Dynasty: A Historical Review
Courtesy: (https://images.app.goo.gl/ru2aBP3yPQEpDuh59) (Author - Biswarup Chatterjee.) Introduction The Mauryan Empire stands as one of the most influential and expansive empires in ancient Indian history. Among its rulers, Emperor Ashoka remains the most prominent—both for his political achievements and his transformative embrace of Buddhism. This blog explores Ashoka's lineage, the legacy of his predecessors, and the nuanced historical debates surrounding his rise to power. Chandragupta Maurya: The Founder of an Empire. The Mauryan dynasty began with Chandragupta Maurya, who ascended the throne of Magadha after defeating Seleucus Nicator, the former general of Alexander the Great and ruler of Syria. This victory allowed Chandragupta to expand his dominion across northern India and into the northwest up to Kandahar. Greek sources note that Seleucus sent Megasthenes as an ambassador to Chandragupta’s court at Pataliputra (modern-day Patna). Megasthenes’ observations offer one of t...