Chandragupta Maurya (322-298 BCE) – iTopper IAS Academy

Founder of the Mauryan empire
He captured Pataliputra from the last ruler of the Nanda dynasty, Dhanananda with the help of Kautilya, also known as Chanakya or Vishnugupta
After firmly establishing his power in the Gangetic valley, he marched to the northwest and subdued the territories up to the Indus
Then he moved to central India and occupied the region north of Narmada river
In 305 BCE, he marched against Alexander’s General Selukas Niketar, who was controlling northwestern India. He defeated him and a treaty was signed
By this treaty, Selukas Niketar ceded the trans-Indus territories- namely Aria, Arakosia and Gedrosia- to the Mauryan empire
He also gave his daughter in marriage to the Mauryan prince
Megasthenes was sent to the Mauryan court as Greek ambassador
Chandragupta embraced Jainism towards the end of his life. Then he went to Shravanabelagola, near Mysore along with other Jain monks led by Bhadrabhagu and starved himself to death