Bindusara
Bindusara | |
---|---|
2nd Mauryan Emperor | |
Reign | c. 297 – c. 273 BCE |
Coronation | c. 297 BCE |
Predecessor | Chandragupta Maurya (father) |
Successor | Ashoka |
Born | 320 BCE |
Died | c. 273 BCE (aged c. 46 – 47) |
Spouse | Several wives (16 according to Mahavamsa), including the mother of Ashoka (Subhadrangi according to Ashokavadana or Dhamma according to the Sri Lankan tradition) |
Issue | Susima, Ashoka, Vitashoka |
Dynasty | Maurya |
Father | Chandragupta Maurya |
Mother | Durdhara (according to Jain tradition) |
Maurya Empire (322–180 BCE) | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Bindusara (320 BCE – 273 BCE) (r. c. 297 – c. 273 BCE) was the second
Bindusara was the son of the dynasty's founder Chandragupta and the father of its most famous ruler Ashoka. His life is not documented as well as the lives of these two emperors. 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.
Background
Ancient and medieval sources have not documented Bindusara's life in detail. Much of the information about him comes from
Buddhist sources that provide information about Bindusara include
Early life
Parents
Bindusara was born to
Chandragupta had a marriage alliance with the Seleucids, which has led to speculation that Bindusara's mother might have been Greek or Macedonian. However, there is no evidence of this.[12] According to the 12th century Jain writer Hemachandra's Parishishta-Parvan, the name of Bindusara's mother was Durdhara.[8]
Names
The name "Bindusara", with slight variations, is attested by the Buddhist texts such as
The Mahabhashya names Chandragupta's successor as Amitra-ghāta (Sanskrit for "slayer of enemies").[5] The Greek writers Strabo and Athenaeus call him Allitrochades (Ἀλλιτροχάδης) and Amitrochates (Ἀμιτροχάτης) respectively; these names are probably derived from the Sanskrit title.[15] J.F. Fleet believed that the Greek name was derived from the Sanskrit word Amitrakhāda ("devourer of enemies"), a title of Indra.[16][15]
In addition, Bindusara was given the title Devanampriya ("The Beloved of the Gods"), which was also applied to his successor Ashoka.[15] The Jain work Rajavali-Katha states that his birth name was Simhasena.[7]
Both Buddhist and Jain texts mention a legend about how Bindusara got his name. Both accounts state that Chandragupta's minister
Family
The prose version of
Another legend in Divyavadana names Ashoka's mother as Janapadakalyani.[19] According to the Vamsatthappakasini (Mahavamsa Tika), the name of Ashoka's mother was Dhamma.[20] The Mahavamsa states that Bindusara had 101 sons from 16 women. The eldest of these was Sumana, and the youngest was Tishya (or Tissa). Ashoka and Tishya were born to the same mother.[11]
Reign
Historian Upinder Singh estimates that Bindusara ascended the throne around 297 BCE.[5]
Territorial conquests
The 16th century Tibetan Buddhist author Taranatha states that Chanakya, one of Bindusara's "great lords", destroyed the nobles and kings of 16 towns and made him master of all the territory between the western and the eastern seas (Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal). According to some historians, this implies conquest of Deccan by Bindusara, while others believe that this only refers to suppression of revolts.[5]
Sailendra Nath Sen notes that the Mauryan empire already extended from the western sea (beside Saurashtra) to the eastern sea (beside Bengal) during Chandragupta's reign. Besides, Ashoka's inscriptions found in southern India do not mention anything about Bindusara's conquest of Deccan (southern India). Based on this, Sen concludes that Bindusara did not extend the Mauryan empire, but managed to retain the territories he inherited from Chandragupta.[21]
K. Krishna Reddy, on the other hand, argues that Ashoka's inscriptions would have boasted about his conquest of southern India, had he captured Deccan. Reddy, therefore, believes that the Mauryan empire extended up to Mysore during Bindusara's reign. According to him, the southernmost kingdoms were not a part of the Mauryan empire, but probably acknowledged its suzerainty.[22]
Takshashila revolt
The
Advisors
The Rajavali-Katha states that Chandragupta's chief advisor (or chief minister) Chanakya accompanied him to the forest for retirement, after handing over the administration to Bindusara.[24] However, the Parishishta-Parvan states that Chanakya continued to be Bindusara's prime minister. It mentions a legend about Chanakya's death: Chanakya asked the emperor to appoint a man named Subandhu as one of his ministers. However, Subandhu wanted to become a higher minister and grew jealous of Chanakya. So, he told Bindusara that Chanakya had cut open the belly of his mother. After confirming the story with the nurses, Bindusara started hating Chanakya. As a result, Chanakya, who was already a very old man by this time, retired and decided to starve himself to death. Meanwhile, Bindusara learned of the detailed circumstances of his birth, and implored Chanakya to resume his ministerial duties. When Chanakya refused to oblige, the Emperor ordered Subandhu to pacify him. Subandhu, while pretending to appease Chanakya, burned him to death. Shortly after this, Subandhu himself had to retire and become a monk due to Chanakya's curse.[8][25]
Ashokavadana suggests that Bindusara had 500 imperial councillors. It names two officials – Khallataka and Radhagupta – who helped his son Ashoka became the emperor after his death.[18]
Foreign relations
Bindusara maintained friendly diplomatic relations with the Greeks.
Diodorus states that the king of Palibothra (Pataliputra, the Mauryan capital) welcomed a Greek author, Iambulus. This king is usually identified as Bindusara.[21] Pliny states that the Egyptian king Philadelphus sent an envoy named Dionysius to India.[32][33] According to Sailendra Nath Sen, this appears to have happened during Bindusara's reign.[21]
Religion
The Buddhist texts
Some Buddhist texts mention that an
The Divyavadana version states that Pingalavatsa was an Ajivika parivrajaka (wandering teacher). Bindusara asked him to assess the ability of the princes to be the next emperor, as the two watched the princes play. Pingalavatsa recognized Ashoka as the most suitable prince, but did not give a definitive answer to the Emperor, since Ashoka was not Bindusara's favourite son. He, however, told Empress
The Mahavamsa commentary states that Janasana (also Jarasona or Jarasana) was the Empress's kulupaga (ascetic of the imperial household). He had been born as a python during the period of Kassapa Buddha, and had become very wise after listening to the discussions of the bhikkhus. Based on his observations of the empress's pregnancy, he prophesied Ashoka's future greatness. He appears to have left the court for unknown reasons. When Ashoka grew up, the empresd told him that Janasana had forecast his greatness. Ashoka then sent a carriage to bring back Janasana, who was residing at an unnamed place far from the capital, Pataliputra. On the way back to Pataliputra, he was converted to Buddhism by one Assagutta.[37] Based on these legends, scholars such as A. L. Basham conclude that Bindusara patronized the Ajivikas.[37][5]
Death and succession
Historical evidence suggests that Bindusara died in the 270s BCE. According to Upinder Singh, Bindusara died around 273 BCE.[5] Alain Daniélou believes that he died around 274 BCE.[23] Sailendra Nath Sen believes that he died around 273-272 BCE, and that his death was followed by a four-year struggle of succession, after which his son Ashoka became the emperor in 269-268 BCE.[21]
According to the Mahavamsa, Bindusara reigned for 28 years, while according to the Puranas, he ruled for 25 years.[39] The Buddhist text Manjushri-Mula-Kalpa claims that he ruled for 70 years, which is not historically accurate.[40]
All sources agree that Bindusara was succeeded by his son Ashoka, although they provide varying descriptions of the circumstances of this succession. According to the Mahavamsa, Ashoka had been appointed as the viceroy of Ujjain. On hearing about his father's fatal illness, he rushed to the capital, Pataliputra. There, he killed his 99 brothers (leaving only Tishya), and became the new emperor.[11]
According to the prose version of Ashokavadana, Bindusara's favourite son Sushima once playfully threw his gauntlet at the prime minister, Khallataka. The minister thought that Sushima was unworthy of being an emperor. Therefore, he approached the 500 imperial councillors, and suggested appointing Ashoka as the emperor after Bindusara's death, pointing out that the devatas had predicted his rise as the universal ruler. Sometime later, Bindusara fell sick and decided to hand over the administration to his successor. He asked his ministers to appoint Sushima as the emperor, and Ashoka as the governor of Takshashila. However, by this time, Sushima had been sent to Takshashila, where he was unsuccessfully trying to quell a rebellion. When the Emperor was on his deathbed, the ministers suggested appointing Ashoka as the temporary emperor, and re-appointing Sushima as the emperor after his return from Takshashila. However, Bindusara became angry when he heard this suggestion. Ashoka then declared that if he was meant to be Bindusara's successor, the devatas would appoint him as the emperor. The devatas then miraculously placed the imperial crown on his head, while Bindusara died. When Sushima heard this news, he advanced towards Pataliputra to claim the throne. However, he died after being tricked into a pit of burning charcoal by Ashoka's well-wisher Radhagupta.[18][3]
Devachandra's Rajavali-Katha (19th century) states that Bindusara retired after handing over the throne to Ashoka.[24]
In popular culture
- Aśoka.[41]
- Sameer Dharmadhikari plays the role of Bindusara in the television series, Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat.[42]
- Chandra Nandni.[43]
- Chetan Hansraj plays Bindusara in the television series Pracchand Ashok.
References
- ^ Singh 2008, p. 331–332.
- ^ Srinivasachariar 1974, pp. lxxxvii–lxxxviii.
- ^ a b Singh 2008, p. 331-332.
- ^ a b c Srinivasachariar 1974, p. lxxxviii.
- ^ a b c d e f g Singh 2008, p. 331.
- ^ ISBN 9788186867532.
- ^ a b c Daniélou 2003, p. 108.
- ^ ISBN 9788120811508.
- ^ a b Guruge 1993, p. 465.
- ^ a b Kosmin 2014, p. 35.
- ^ a b c d Srinivasachariar 1974, p. lxxxvii.
- ISBN 9781446466728.
- ^ ISBN 9788120613034.
- ^ Rajendralal Mitra (1878). "On the Early Life of Asoka". Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Asiatic Society of Bengal: 10.
- ^ a b c "According to the Jaina and the Buddhist traditions Chandragupta had many sons and Bindusara was chosen to succeed him. He also had the title 'Devanampriya'. The Greeks call him Amitrachates, the Sanskrit equivalent of Amitragatha" Murthy, H. V. Sreenivasa (1963). A History of Ancient India. Bani Prakash Mandir. p. 120.
- ^ Chattopadhyaya, Sudhakar (1977). Bimbisāra to Aśoka: With an Appendix on the Later Mauryas. Roy and Chowdhury. p. 98.
- ^ Trautmann, Thomas R. (1971). Kauṭilya and the Arthaśāstra: a statistical investigation of the authorship and evolution of the text. Brill. p. 15.
- ^ a b c d Eugène Burnouf (1911). Legends of Indian Buddhism. New York: E. P. Dutton. pp. 20–29.
- ^ Singh 2008, p. 332.
- ^ Sastri 1988, p. 167.
- ^ a b c d e Sen 1999, p. 142.
- ISBN 9780070604476.
- ^ a b Daniélou 2003, p. 109.
- ^ a b B. Lewis Rice (1889). Epigraphia Carnatica, Volume II: Inscriptions and Sravana Belgola. Bangalore: Mysore Government Central Press. p. 9.
- ^ Hemachandra (1891). Sthavir̂aval̂i charita, or, Pariśishtaparvan. Translated by Hermann Jacobi. Calcutta: Asiatic Society. pp. 67–68.
- ISBN 9788120804050.
- ISBN 9780190663285.
- ISBN 9781405154413.
- ^ Mookerji 1988, p. 38.
- ISBN 9780199982110.
- ^ Athenaeus (of Naucratis) (1854). The Deipnosophists, or, Banquet of the learned of Athenaeus. Vol. III. Literally Translated by C. D. Yonge, B. A. London: Henry G. Bohn. p. 1044. Original Classification Number: 888 A96d tY55 1854. Archived from the original on 31 December 2013.
- ^ a b Irfan Habib & Vivekanand Jha 2004, p. 20.
- ^ India, the Ancient Past, Burjor Avari, p.108-109
- ^ ISBN 9789351506454.
- ^ Beni Madhab Barua (1968). Asoka and His Inscriptions. Vol. 1. The New Age. p. 171.
- ISBN 9780865901674.
- ^ ISBN 81-208-1204-2.
- ^ Guruge 1993, p. 27.
- ^ Romila Thapar 1961, p. 13.
- ^ Sudhakar Chattopadhyaya (1977). Bimbisāra to Aśoka: With an Appendix on the Later Mauryas. Roy and Chowdhury. p. 102.
- ^ Sukanya Verma (24 October 2001). "Asoka". rediff.com. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017.
- ^ "Happy Birthday Sameer Dharamadhikari", The Times of India, 25 September 2015, archived from the original on 25 January 2021
- ^ "Avneet Kaur joins 'Chandra Nandni' opposite Siddharth Nigam". ABP Live. 10 August 2017. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017.
Bibliography
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- Sen, Sailendra Nath (1999). Ancient Indian History and Civilization. New Age International. ISBN 9788122411980.
- Singh, Upinder (2008). A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century. Pearson Education India. ISBN 978-81-317-1120-0.
- Srinivasachariar, M. (1974). History of Classical Sanskrit Literature. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 9788120802841.
- Irfan Habib; Vivekanand Jha (2004). Mauryan India. A People's History of India. Aligarh Historians Society / ISBN 978-81-85229-92-8.
- Romila Thapar (1961). Aśoka and the Decline of the Mauryas. Oxford University Press.