Chandragupta Maurya is an ancient Indian king. He was the founder of the Maurya dynasty. He was the first emperor who unified all the states of india and brings them under one state.
 |
| Chandragupta Maurya |
- Very little information is known about his early life. It is believed that he was born around 340 BCE in Patna, Bihar. His mother was Mura. It is also told that the Maurya came from his mother name Mura.
- Chandragupta was great warrior and leader from his childhood. His abilities were first identified by the famous teacher Chanakya. He taught Chandragupta different lessons on politics and war. Later with the help of Chanakya, he established Maurya Empire defeating Dhana Nanda of Nanda Empire. At that time he was only 20 years old.
- After establishing the Maurya Empire, Chandragupta started to unify the India. He was able to conquer every part of the Indian subcontinent except for the Kalinga of Orissa and some southern subcontinent.
- After unifying India, Chandragupta with the help of Chanakya established a strong central administration patterned. His empire was one of the highly organized bureaucratic structures with a large civil service.
- During his reign Greek diplomat Megasthenes visited India.
- At the age of 42 he handed over his throne to his son Bindusara. He accepted Jainism and made saint Bhadrabahu his guru. He travelled to the southern india and meditated without eating and drinking until he died (this process is called sallekhana or santhara).