Chandragupta Part One Humble Beginnings

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Dhanananda, the illustrious ruler of the mighty Nanda Dynasty, presided over a grand and majestic court with an air of regality that commanded respect. His reign seemed unassailable, and the throne appeared to be securely his. However, unbeknownst to the confident leader, a looming shadow silently encroached upon his kingdom, threatening to unravel the very foundation of his power. • In ancient India, around the 4th century BCE, there were many kingdoms and republics. One of the most important was the Magadha Kingdom in the east. In Magadha, Dhanananda from the powerful Nanda Dynasty ruled with a strong hand. He had a huge army that scared even the experienced Macedonian troops. In fact, the size of Magadha, and its army may have been what eventually convinced Alexander the Great to turn for home. There is some debate about this, and classically speaking it doesn't really do to show the greatest conqueror in history running away from a fight. But the facts are there. Dhanananda was the ruler of a kingdom so powerful it scared Alexander the Great away. • Then comes Chandragupta, a mysterious person with a life covered in legends. We don't have many historical records about him, especially about his early life. To make matters even more frustrating, Indian storytellers over the centuries have added different details to his story over time, meaning that by this point he's almost as legendary a figure as King Arthur is to the British. • Now we can’t talk about Chandragupta without talking about the Caste system. In ancient Indian texts, Ancient India is distinctly divided into four classes, they are the Brahmins, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas, and the Shudras. The Brahmins, associated with priestly/scholarly duties. Kshatriyas, embodying rulers and warriors, are also known as Rajanyas. Vaishyas encompass artisans, merchants, tradesmen, and farmers, contributing to economic prosperity. Lastly, the Shudras, representing the laboring classes, play an essential role in the societal framework. • Why are we talking about Indian Caste systems? Well, you see there's a bit of confusion as to which class Chandragupta belonged to. Some say he was a Kshatriya from a noble family, others suggest he was a peacock-tamer with humble beginnings, or even just a commoner. If he was a commoner, it's a fantastic tale of rising from nothing to emperor, but its also most likely just that, a tale. Sufficient to say people have different opinions on this, and depending on who and how you heard the story defines your belief in what happened. However, one thing is for sure, Chandrgupta existed. • Chandragupta was ambitious. He worked through the complex social structure to gain authority and maybe become a ruler. Whether he was born to a noble family or not, he was determined to restore his clan's honor and become a Kshatriya ruler. • As history unfolded, Chandragupta pursued his ambitions with determination. His life became a story of resilience, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of destiny in ancient India. • • SOURCES: • https://www.worldhistory.org/ • https://www.britannica.com/ • __________________________________________________________________________ • • SUBSCRIBE NOW : https://bit.ly/3aYZCOh • PATREON : https://bit.ly/3b0VixZ • MERCH : https://bit.ly/2X4d8rX • __________________________________________________________________________ • MUSIC : by Alexander Nakarada • Music: by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) • Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License • __________________________________________________________________________ • • #chandragupta #mauryaempire #AncientHistoryGuy

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