Chandragupta Maurya - Blog Posts

Wonderful Women of History: DURDHARA, fl.4th century BCE, wife of Chandragupta Maurya and mother of his heir; according to tradition, relative of the dynasty he deposed.

1) irresistible, difficult to be stopped.

2) difficult to be borne or suffered

3) difficult to be accomplished.

4) difficult to be kept in memory.

                                                        - Translations of Durdhara’s name in Sanskrit

It is anger that saves her, buoys her up from drowning in despair. Things come; things go. She should have known this before, should have been taught this at her father’s knee. Instead she is reeling, now, uncertain of everything but that she must survive.

“You are stronger than you believe,” says Chandragupt, and he bends his head – that of an Emperor’s!– to kiss her wrist.

She loves him, then. 

(Requested by @chaanv)

KAUTILYA v/s AAMATYA RAKSHAS

Kautilya, or Chanakya, was a professor at Takshashila University of ancient India who takes most of the credit for the formation of the Mauryan Empire. He is also rightly called the Kingmaker, since he picked Chandragupt off the road and with his cutting intellect, ruthless patriotism, and sheer acumen for diplomacy, overthrew the Nanda dynasty and established Chandragupt as king. The task wasn’t easy, however. While Kautilya could single-handedly out-smart the most formidable foes, the Nanda court had an extremely loyal minister: Rakshas. Equal to Chanakya in wit and shrewdness, he hatched several plans to kill Chandragupt, whom he saw as a usurper. This obviously resulted in him and Kautilya being at constant loggerheads. His ruthless attempts at Chandragupt’s life included trying to poison him, orchestrating an ‘accident’ where a giant door frame would fall on Chandragupt while he was alight his elephant, and sending a Vishkanya (poison-maiden) to him. Chanakya’s goal, however, wasn’t to eliminate AmatyaRakshas. On the contrary, seeing the staunch loyalty and ruthless brainpower he possessed, Chanakya wanted to convert him into a loyal minister in Chandragupt’s court, a feat in which he ultimately succeeded.