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Chandragupta Maurya
Indian emperor
Born: 321 B.C.

Chandragupta Maurya was born sometime around 321 BC, reportedly in Patna

Given the vast span of time since his birth, it is unsurprising that scholars are uncertain of many details.

For example, some texts claim that both of Chandragupta’s parents were of the Kshatriya (warrior/prince) caste,

while others state that his father was a king but his mother was a maid from the lowly Shudra (servant) caste.

It seems likely that his father was Prince Sarvarthasiddhi of the Nanda Kingdom.
Chandragupta was the founder of the Maurya dynasty, which ruled ancient India for about 140 years.
His troops conquered one northern Indian kingdom after another and claimed lands that stretched as far as west as Afghanistan.

In this way, Chandragupta united northern India under one ruler for the first time in history.

Others, most famously Alexander the Great, had tried and failed to unite this region; legend has it that Chandragupta and Alexander met each other,

though the Macedonian king probably died before Chandragupta was born.

The Mauryan rule continued under Chandragupta’s son, Bindusara, and grandson, Asoka, who succeeded in uniting almost all of ancient India.

Although few facts exist about Chandragupta’s last years, Jains believe that he ultimately converted to Jainism and fasted to death in southern India.Chandragupta’s grandson

later claimed a blood relationship to Siddhartha Gautama ,

the Buddha, but this claim is unsubstantiated. We know almost nothing about Chandragupta Maurya’s

childhood and youth before he took on the Nanda Empire. This supports the hypothesis that he was of humble and a peaceful origin,

since nobody had bothered to recorded anything about him until he founded the Mauryan Empire.
Died: 298 B.C.

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This photo captures the highest peak of the Mauryan empire when Chandragupta's grandson, Ashoka the Great ruled. At this point the Mauryan Empire was at its most powerful and threatening to the challenging empires

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Durdhara ?–320 BC

Maharani Durdhara was Empress of the Maurya Empire as the consort of Emperor Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Maurya Empire. According to Jain texts, she was the mother of her husband's successor and the second Mauryan Emperor, Bindusara

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This is a drawing of Chandraguptra