Bindusara Biography
Bindusara Biography
Bindusara (298 B.C.-273 B.C.), son of Chandra Gupta, was the second to sit on the throne of the Great Mauryan Dynasty.
Chandra Gupta ruled for about twenty five years and then became a Jain ascetic, leaving behind him a fairly huge Empire which included Baluchistan, Afghanistan, Assam , Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar, Mysore, Vindhyas, Narmada and Hindukush, for his son to inherit.
Bindusara further expanded the Mauryan Dynasty as far as Mysore down south. It is said that he conquered sixteen states to extend the empire between the two seas. Bindusara did not attack the Dravidian Kingdoms of the Cholas, the Pandyans and the Cheras perhaps because they were friendly with the Mauryan Empire.
He ran the administration smoothly and maintained a good relation with distant countries like the Greeks, the Syrians and the Egyptians. Ambassadors from these countries lived in the King’s Court. He was called ‘Amitrochates’ or the destroyer of enemies by the Greeks.
The Mauryan Empire reached its peak during the rule of Ashoka, the son of Bindusara. He defeated Kalinga in a devastating war but he underwent a transformation after seeing the goriness of the war. He embraced Budhhism and started preaching non-violence. The dynasty crumbled rapidly after him.
Facts and Information about Bindusara
| Original Name | Simhasena |
| Greek Name | Amitrochates or Allitrochades |
| Regin | 298 BC – 272 BC |
| Born | 320 BC |
| Died | 272 BC |
| Prime Minister | Kotilya (Chanakya) |
| Predecessor | Chandragupta Maurya |
| Successor | Ashoka the Great |
| Consort | Dharma |
| Dynasty | Maurya |
| Father | Chandragupta Maurya |
| Mother | Durdhara |
| Religious beliefs | Ajivika |
| Teacher | He was a disciple of Guru Pingalavatsa, a Brahmin of the Ajivika sect. |
| Son | Susima and Ashoka |
| Ajatashatru | He was popularly known as ‘Ajatashatru’, meaning a man with no enemies. |
| Story behind ‘Bindusara’ | As per the scriptures, it is believed that Chandragupta’s guru and Chanakya fed Chandragupta with drops of poison in order to develop his immunity. Chandragupta was unaware about this act of his guru. One day he shared his food with Durdhara, his pregnant wife. Since she was not immune to the poison she died within a few minutes. On this, Chanakya immediately cut open her womb and took the baby out. But till then a drop of poison had touched its head. A permanent spot or a bindu developed on his forehead. Thus, the baby was given the name “Bindusara”. |
| Bindusara’s Empire | Bindusara’s empire extended to south Mysore.
He conquered sixteen states except the region of Kalinga and the Tamil kingdoms. |
