Bindusara
| Bindusara | |
|---|---|
| Amitraghata | |
The Maurya Empire some years after Bindusara's death, c. 269 BCE
|
|
| 2nd Mauryan emperor | |
| Reign | c. 297 – c. 273 BCE |
| Coronation | c. 297 BCE |
| Predecessor | Chandragupta Maurya |
| Successor | Ashoka |
| Died | c. 273 BCE |
| Spouse | Susima's mother Ashoka's mother (Subhadrangi according to Ashokavadana) |
| Issue | |
| Dynasty | Maurya |
| Father | Chandragupta Maurya |
| Mother | Durdhara (according to Jain tradition) |
| Maurya Kings (322 BCE – 180 BCE) | |
| Chandragupta | (322–297 BCE) |
| Bindusara | (297–272/268 BCE) |
| Ashoka | (272/268–232 BCE) |
| Dasharatha | (232–224 BCE) |
| Samprati | (224–215 BCE) |
| Shalishuka | (215–202 BCE) |
| Devavarman | (202–195 BCE) |
| Shatadhanvan | (195–187 BCE) |
| Brihadratha | (187–180 BCE) |
|
Pushyamitra (Shunga Empire) |
(180–149 BCE) |
Bindusara (r. c. 297 – c. 273 BCE) was the second Mauryan emperor of India. He was the son of the dynasty's founder Chandragupta, and the father of its most famous ruler Ashoka. Bindusara's life is not documented as well as the lives of these two kings: much of the information about him comes from legendary accounts written several hundred years after his death.
Bindusara consolidated the empire created by his father. The 16th century Tibetan Buddhist author Taranatha credits his administration with extensive territorial conquests in southern India, but some historians doubt the historical authenticity of this claim.
Ancient and medieval sources have not documented Bindusara's life in detail. Much of the information about him comes from Jain legends focused on Chandragupta and the Buddhist legends focused on Ashoka. The Jain legends, such as Hemachandra's Parishishta-Parvan were written more than a thousand years after his death. Most of the Buddhist legends about Ashoka's early life also appear to have been composed by Buddhist writers who lived several hundred years after Ashoka's death, and are of little historical value. While these legends can be used to make several inferences about Bindusara's reign, they are not entirely reliable because of the close association between Ashoka and Buddhism.
Buddhist sources that provide information about Bindusara include Divyavadana (including Ashokavadana and Pamsupradanavadana), Dipavamsa, Mahavamsa, Vamsatthappakasini (also known as Mahvamsa Tika or "Mahavamsa commentary"), Samantapasadika, and the 16th century writings of Taranatha. The Jain sources include the 12th century Parishishta-Parvan by Hemachandra and the 19th century Rajavali-Katha by Devachandra. The Hindu Puranas also mention Bindusara in their genealogies of Mauryan rulers. Some Greek sources also mention him by the name "Amitrochates" or its variations.
...
Wikipedia