032: The Mauryan Empire of India
The Hellenistic Age Podcast
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The Rise of Chandragupta
Chandragupta may have been of Shudra peasant background, according to Buddhist and Jain chronicles. Chandragupta's mentor Chanakya whisked the young lad away to northern Pakistan in a great Machiavellian scheme. It is during his education here that he apparently comes into contact with the army of Alexander the Great. According to the tradition of Justin, Chand ragupta had led a resistance movement against the Macedonians after personally insulting Alexander and incurring a bounty upon his head. But there seems to be controversy regarding the manuscripts that survive of Justin's epitome, and that Alexander should be instead amended to Nanda.
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