Chandragupta Maurya
Founder of the Maurya Empire, unifier of ancient India.
Chandragupta Maurya is an Indian historical drama series based on the life of Chandragupta Maurya, an Indian emperor of ancient India and the founder of the Mauryan Empire. The series first aired in March 2011 on Imagine TV. Ashish Sharma played the adult Chandragupta Maurya, and Rushiraj Pawar played the young Chandragupta Maurya.
- Founder of
- Maurya Empire
Lore & Background
The story begins with Chanakya, who goes to Dhana Nanda with the offer of Akhand Bharat (Undivided India), but Dhana Nanda and his prime minister Amatya Rakshasa humiliate him. Chanakya pledges not to tie a knot in his hair until he overthrows the Nanda dynasty. Travelling to Takshashila, he meets Chandragupta and, with the permission of Chandragupta's mother, takes him to Takshashila. There, Prince Ambhik and his friends (Shashank, Digvijaya and Digamber) humiliate Chandragupta, prompting him to escape home. But Dhana Nanda arrives with his army, destroys the village, and kills Chandragupta's mother in front of him. Enraged, Chandragupta vows to destroy the Nanda Empire. He trains under Chanakya and various warriors who suffered under Dhana Nanda. When Chandragupta turns 13, Chanakya hatches a plan to kill Dhana Nanda. Chandragupta kills a man he believes is Dhana Nanda, but Prime Minister Rakshasa reveals the real Dhana Nanda is still alive—Dhana Nanda had seven doppelgangers, and Chandragupta killed one. Chandragupta escapes, and Chanakya decides to further train him into an excellent warrior. The show then skips ahead 8 years, where an adult Chandragupta (played by Ashish Sharma) continues plotting to overthrow the Nanda Empire. The show introduces Alexander the Great, called Sikandar. Prince Ambhik joins Sikandar, and together they defeat Porus and enter India. Chanakya determines it is time for Chandragupta to rise, and they gather Indian forces to defend the land. They spread news of the might of the forthcoming Nanda Empire in the Greek camp and poison some Greek generals. With soldiers' deteriorating health and fierce Indian resistance, Alexander is forced to abandon his Indian campaign and returns to Greece. His general Eudemus remains in India, joining hands with Ambhik, but Chandragupta and Chanakya pose them against each other, killing them and ending any Greek influence in India.
Reader's Guide
Chandragupta Maurya's significance in the series lies in his journey from a village boy to the first emperor of the Maurya Empire. Key turning points include Chanakya's humiliation by Dhana Nanda, which sets the revenge plot in motion; Chandragupta's mother's murder, which fuels his vow to destroy the Nanda Empire; his training under Chanakya and various warriors; his failed assassination attempt at age 13, where he kills a doppelganger instead of the real Dhana Nanda; and the 8-year time jump to his adult years. The series also covers the Greek invasion under Alexander the Great (Sikandar), the defeat of Porus, and Chandragupta and Chanakya's strategy to force Alexander to retreat by poisoning generals and spreading propaganda. The final act sees Chandragupta and Chanakya turning Alexander's general Eudemus and Prince Ambhik against each other, killing them and ending Greek influence. The series features a large cast including Ashish Sharma as adult Chandragupta, Rushiraj Pawar as young Chandragupta, Manish Wadhwa as Chanakya, Nidhi Tikoo as Durdhara, and Sooraj Thapar as Dhana Nanda.
Did You Know?
- The series first aired in March 2011 on Imagine TV.
- Ashish Sharma played the adult Chandragupta Maurya, while Rushiraj Pawar played the young Chandragupta Maurya.
- Dhana Nanda had seven doppelgangers, and Chandragupta killed one of them in his first assassination attempt.
- Alexander the Great is called Sikandar in the series.
- The series features Manish Wadhwa playing both Chanakya and Chanak, father of Chanakya.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Chandragupta Maurya?
Chandragupta Maurya was the founding emperor of the Maurya Empire, ruling from roughly 320 BCE to 298 BCE out of Magadha in present-day Bihar, India. He is broadly recognized as the first ruler to bring a large portion of the Indian subcontinent under a single political authority.
What role did Chandragupta Maurya play in ancient Indian history?
As the architect of the Maurya dynasty, he turned a patchwork of rival kingdoms into a centralized imperial state. His governance laid the political groundwork that his grandson Ashoka would later expand into one of the largest empires of the ancient world.
How does Chandragupta Maurya's story end?
After approximately two decades on the throne, Chandragupta peacefully ceded power to his son Bindusara and embraced the Jain faith. He is said to have chosen to end his life through a voluntary fast, a departure from the violent succession struggles typical of ancient dynasties.
Why is Chandragupta Maurya important to the study of ancient empires?
He proved that a single sovereign could effectively govern the vast and culturally diverse Indian subcontinent, a feat not repeated for centuries afterward. His overthrow of the Nanda dynasty and his successful stand against Greek successor states set a lasting template for centralized rule in South Asia.
What were Chandragupta Maurya's major military achievements?
His most celebrated campaign was the defeat and displacement of the unpopular Nanda dynasty, after which he pushed his borders across the Indus Valley, into Gujarat, and possibly into eastern Afghanistan. He also repelled incursions by Greek forces in the wake of Alexander the Great's death and the fracturing of his empire.
More in Ancient Empires Rulers 1-24
Elsewhere in the Ancient Empires Rulers universe
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record