Bindusara's Greek Queen and Asoka's Birth

Posted: 8 years ago
I want to share some information. 
Few Scholars believe that Bindusara had married another daughter of Selecus while Chandragupta was married to Helen. This cemented the alliance between the Greeks and Indians and thus benefited both parties. While India became safe from impeding invasions Greeks got support of a mighty empire with matrimonial alliance. While the evidences supporting this view are nil still we can agree with the alliance part and can assume that Bindusara may have married a babylonian queen and also when he can marry a khurasani (Iranian), why not an Iraqi-Greek. Few Scholars also used this view to prove Asoka was born of Greek mother and thus was of Greek origin. But evidences available totally discard this part. If Asoka was born of Greek mother he would have mentioned it in his inscriptions. Also both Brahmin and Buddhist texts nowhere mentions him being half mlecha(unani, khurasani or any foreigner). His mother name and origins are clearly mentioned in texts proving him completely Indian. Maybe these scholars desperately wanted to link Mauryas with Greeks.

On Asoka's birth date, he was born in 304 B.C.E or around that year. This is the most accepted date. Proving chandragupta had seen his cute little grandson and his most competent successor. This proves if any Justin was born he must have been few years younger than Asoka. So no question of Selecus hating chandragupta and Bindusara and staying at Magadha. That is just absurd and quite frankly very insulting towards the mighty greek general.

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Capricious_Girl thumbnail
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Posted: 8 years ago
Thanx 4 the info... Do give more😊
shailusri1983 thumbnail
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Posted: 8 years ago
Thanks for sharing that interesting piece of information. It just goes on to show how when somebody becomes famous everyone try to take mileage for it by bringing in some connection with the person though it may be far from the truth or actual ground reality.
babur1527 thumbnail
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Posted: 8 years ago
Shyam shared an article a month ago about Ashok taking over Patliputra with the help of Greek mercenaries. 
If I ignore all sources and the nature of the succession of dynasties in the Indian Subcontinent it seems possible that Ashok was indeed of foreign blood which was probably why his Elder brother Sushim was preferred to ascend the throne despite Ashok's superior leadership and popularity with the Magadh polity.
Edited by babur1527 - 8 years ago
mystic786 thumbnail
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Posted: 8 years ago
I believe one of the scholars who suggested this was Sylvain Levi. I think the reason why this confusion arises in the minds of foreign scholars is because both Chandragupta and Bindusara married Greek princesses. Some sources suggest that even Bindusara was born of a Greek princess as well. 

I definitely believe that Ashoka was born of an Indian mother i.e. Dharma and not a Greek princess.  Romila Thapar has also stated that the Greek sources speak of Sandrocottus (Chandragupta) and Amitrochates (Bindusara) but do not mention Ashoka. There is no doubt that they would've mentioned him if he was born of a Greek princess. 

Also, there is no way that such an important detail could escape the historians as the majority of them state that Ashoka was born of an Indian mother. All the contemporary sources also clearly mention that his mother, Dharma, was a Brahmin of the Ajivika sect, and was from the city of Champa.

And the reasons why Susima was preferred to succeed Bindusara are:

1) He was Bindusara's eldest son
2) He was also his favourite son
3) Susima's mother was a princess as opposed to Ashoka's mother, Dharma, who was a commoner. I also think that Susima's mother was most probably Bindusara's chief consort.
4) Bindusara disliked Ashoka 

Ashoka's case is somewhat like that of MRP. Pratap was undoubtedly Udai Singh's most competent son and yet he still preferred Jagmal over him because of his great affection for Jagmal and his mother, Rani Bhatiyani. US also disliked Pratap. 

Also, just like Bindusara's ministers supported Ashoka instead of Susima, Udai Singh's ministers supported Pratap instead of Jagmal. 
babur1527 thumbnail
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Posted: 8 years ago
Originally posted by: mystic786

I believe one of the scholars who suggested this was Sylvain Levi. I think the reason why this confusion arises in the minds of foreign scholars is because both Chandragupta and Bindusara married Greek princesses. Some sources suggest that even Bindusara was born of a Greek princess as well. 

I definitely believe that Ashoka was born of an Indian mother i.e. Dharma and not a Greek princess.  Romila Thapar has also stated that the Greek sources speak of Sandrocottus (Chandragupta) and Amitrochates (Bindusara) but do not mention Ashoka. There is no doubt that they would've mentioned him if he was born of a Greek princess. 

Also, there is no way that such an important detail could escape the historians as the majority of them state that Ashoka was born of an Indian mother. All the contemporary sources also clearly mention that his mother, Dharma, was a Brahmin of the Ajivika sect, and was from the city of Champa.

And the reasons why Susima was preferred to succeed Bindusara are:

1) He was Bindusara's eldest son
2) He was also his favourite son
3) Susima's mother was a princess as opposed to Ashoka's mother, Dharma, who was a commoner. I also think that Susima's mother was most probably Bindusara's chief consort.
4) Bindusara disliked Ashoka 

Ashoka's case is somewhat like that of MRP. Pratap was undoubtedly Udai Singh's most competent son and yet he still preferred Jagmal over him because of his great affection for Jagmal and his mother, Rani Bhatiyani. US also disliked Pratap. 

Also, just like Bindusara's ministers supported Ashoka instead of Susima, Udai Singh's ministers supported Pratap instead of Jagmal. 


Agreed with points.

Have a question though. Why didn't the Greek sources mention Ashoka? The most famous of the Mauryans. 

Ashok also sent Buddhist emissaries to Greece.


Edited by babur1527 - 8 years ago
mystic786 thumbnail
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Posted: 8 years ago
Honestly, I have no idea why. Maybe they were only interested in giving detailed accounts of Chandragupta and Bindusara because their wives were Greek princesses and their relationship was much closer (personally) with Seleucus I Nicator (and the Seleucid Empire) than it was with Ashoka.

Also it was only during the reign of Chandragupta and Bindusara that Greek ambassadors were sent to the Mauryan court i.e. Megasthenes and Deimakos by Seleucus I. They were able to give detailed accounts of their time in Pataliputra and the Mauryan Empire. 

There was also a Greek ambassador at the Mauryan court during the reign of Ashoka, called "Dionysius" (who was Megasthenes and Deimakos' successor) but he was strangely sent there by Ptolemy Philadelphus (Egypt's pharaoh) rather than the Greeks. 

Originally posted by: babur1527

Agreed with points.

Have a question though. Why didn't the Greek sources mention Ashoka? The most famous of the Mauryans. 

Ashok also sent Buddhist emissaries to Greece.

Posted: 8 years ago
Originally posted by: babur1527



<div>Agreed with points.


Have a question though. Why didn't the Greek sources mention Ashoka? The most famous of the Mauryans.

Ashok also sent Buddhist emissaries to Greece.



                  Asoka had good connections with Greeks, he mentioned their names in his edicts. Greeks visited his kingdom,, merchants, scholars and ambassadors. Many things Indians also don't mention that does not make that those things didn't happen.
Posted: 8 years ago
Dharma has been called agramahishi of bindu in a Buddhist text though the veracity of this claim is ambiguous.
Posted: 8 years ago
Interesting. Any sources that assert this pointedly? 
And Ptolemy Philadelphus was not a Pharaoh, he was a Greek provincial ruler who was given Egypt (much like how Humayun's Nobles were sent to rule over Iqtas in Gujarat, or Sher Shah's representatives in Bengal and Bihar).