Rise of Chandragupta Maurya

 Chandragupta Maurya

The rise of Chandragupta to power is mostly known from the Buddhist resources. According to the Buddhist accounts, the boy Chandragupta was living in Pataliputra in hardship and poverty, and was employed by a hunter to look after his cattle. But while playing with other boys he showed extraordinary intelligence. He held mock courts and delivered judgments like a learned judge.

                                      It was at that time the wise Chankya one day saw the boy while he was playing the role of king among his fellow players and giving judgement. Chankya was also not an ordinary man. He was a vastly learned Brahmin of Taxila who had came to Pataliputra for higher recognition. 

                                                     When Chanakya saw the boy Chandragupta in his game, he felt impressed at his intelligence as well as his individuality. He took the boy with him from Pataliputra to far-away Taxila to educate and train him there for a big role in future with an aim at the destruction of the Nanda dynasty. Why he want to destroy Nanada dynasty is that because the ruling king Dhana Nanada neither paid him respect nor accepted him for a position to which others had selected him. Instead, the king offended and insulted him to wound his feelings deeply.

 Chanakya’s vanity and personal dignity were so much affected that he took a vow for revenge. When Chankya saw Chandragupta in his game, he felt impressed at his intelligence as well as his individuality. He took the boy with him from Pataliputra to far-away Taxila to educate and train him there for a big role in future with an aim at the destruction of the Nanda dynasty. Chandragupta spent his youth in the frontier city of Taxila, undergoing military training and acquiring knowledge at that great centre of learning. Chankya encouraged Chandragupta to take over the throne of Magadha. Using his intelligence network he gathered many young men from across Magadha and other provinces, who were upset over the corrupt and oppressive rule of King Dhana, as well as the resources necessary for his army to fight a long series of battles. 

    A battle was announced and the Magadhan army was drawn from the city to a distant battlefield in order to engage Chandragupta Maurya’s forces. Meanwhile, Maurya’s general and spies bribed the Nanda’s corrupt general, and created an atmosphere of civil war in the kingdom, which culminated in the death of the heir to the throne. Upon the civil unrest in the kingdom, Dhana Nanda resigned and disappeared into exile.

                                                          Upon the civil unrest in the kingdom, Nanda resigned and disappeared into exile. Chanakya contacted the prime minister, Rakshasa, and convinced him that his loyalty was to Magadha, not to the Nanda Dynasty, and that he should remain in office. Chanakya reiterated that choosing to resist would start a war that would severely affect Magadha and destroy the city. Rakshasa accepted Chanakya’s reasoning, and Chandragupta Maurya was legitimately installed as the new King of Magadha in 321 BCE, at the age of 21. Rakshasa became Chandragupta’s chief advisor, and Chanakya assumed the position of an elder statesman.

This blog typically talks about how Chandragupta a common boy came to power and his rise. Hope this blog helped you in getting brief knowledge about Chandragupta Maurya and role of Chankya in his life.

Thankyou

Anshu