West Bengal, a treasure trove of cultural potpourri unravels a mind-blowing historical chronicle. The state was a significant part of the empire of several eminent emperors of widespread territories. The renowned land of Magadha is one such kingdom in Bengal that was ruled by the monarchs of the Mauryan Empire.
The obscure haze of ancient Indian history starts to fade from the 3rd century B.C. when we find records of the glorious Mauryan Empire ruled by the likes of legendary monarchs like Chandragupta Maurya and Ashoka. From around 6th century B.C., a large portion of Bengal was a part of the Magadha kingdom. Magadha was also one of the 16 Maha Janapadas that gained prominence as an established center of Buddhist learning and culture.
From the evidence provided by history’s timeline, Alexander the Great along with his massive army invaded India in 326. B.C. Prior to his invasion, the great Mauryan emperor Chandragupta Maurya established the Mauryan dynasty around Magadha. Chanakya (kautilya), the famed advisor of Chandragupta Maurya records that the emperor’s conquests of the territories of the Nanda Empire and the Macedonian Seleucid Empire lead to the formation of the Mauryan Empire. Another noted Mauryan emperor, Ashoka, famed for his humanitarian philanthropy and attempts to propagate Buddhism throughout the country, was responsible for the empire’s tremendous expansion to cover South Asia, Persia and Afghanistan.
A chronological list of the rulers of the Mauryan Empire is hereby provided:
