Dasaratha Maurya
Encyclopedia
Dasaratha Maurya was the Emperor of the Mauryan dynasty from 232 BCE to 224 BCE.
, Dasaratha succeeded his paternal grandfather Ashoka
the Great as ruler of the Mauryan empire. was only about twenty years old, when he ascended the throne of the Mauryan empire with the help of ministers. When Ashoka died, his son and heir was Kunala
, who was Dasaratha's father's brother. However, Kunala had became blind
at an early age, and was deemed unfit to rule by ministers and courtiers. Therefore Dasaratha became Emperor in preference to his uncle when Ashoka died. He then ruled for eight years. When Dasaratha died, he was succeeded not by his own son, but instead by Kunala's son Samprati
. This was because of the circumstances of Dasaratha's accession. All of this is known to us from the Matsya Purana
, which is copiously referenced by Romila Thapar
when writing her book on the decline of the Mauryan empire.
to the Ajivikas. Three inscriptions at the cave refer to him as "Devanampiya " and state that the caves were dedicated by him shortly after his accession. It is therefore probable that the caves were commissioned not by him but by one of his predecessors, possibly his grandfather Ashoka.
Accession
According to the Matsya PuranaMatsya Purana
Matsya Purana is the sixteenth purana of the Hindu scriptures. During the period of mahapralaya, Lord Vishnu had taken Matsya Avatar to save the seeds of all lives and Manu...
, Dasaratha succeeded his paternal grandfather Ashoka
Ashoka
Ashok Maurya or Ashoka , popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 BC to 232 BC. One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests...
the Great as ruler of the Mauryan empire. was only about twenty years old, when he ascended the throne of the Mauryan empire with the help of ministers. When Ashoka died, his son and heir was Kunala
Kunala
Kunala or Kunāl was the son of Emperor Ashoka and Queen Padmavati, and presumptive heir to Ashoka and thus the heir to the Mauryan Empire which once ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent. While he was supposed to be the future heir to the empire, he was blinded by another of Ashoka's wives,...
, who was Dasaratha's father's brother. However, Kunala had became blind
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
at an early age, and was deemed unfit to rule by ministers and courtiers. Therefore Dasaratha became Emperor in preference to his uncle when Ashoka died. He then ruled for eight years. When Dasaratha died, he was succeeded not by his own son, but instead by Kunala's son Samprati
Samprati
Samrat Samprati was an emperor of Maurya dynasty who reigned from c.224–215 BCE. He was the son of Ashoka's blind son, Kunala. He succeeded his cousin, Dasharatha as emperor of the Mauryan Empire and ruled almost the entire present-day Indian subcontinent....
. This was because of the circumstances of Dasaratha's accession. All of this is known to us from the Matsya Purana
Matsya Purana
Matsya Purana is the sixteenth purana of the Hindu scriptures. During the period of mahapralaya, Lord Vishnu had taken Matsya Avatar to save the seeds of all lives and Manu...
, which is copiously referenced by Romila Thapar
Romila Thapar
Romila Thapar is an Indian historian whose principal area of study is ancient India.-Work:After graduating from Panjab University, Thapar earned her doctorate under A. L. Basham at the School of Oriental and African Studies, the University of London in 1958...
when writing her book on the decline of the Mauryan empire.
Reign
is known to have dedicated three caves in the Nagarjuni HillsBarabar Caves
The Barabar Caves are the oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India, mostly dating from the Mauryan period , and some with Ashokan inscriptions, located in the Jehanabad District of Bihar, India, 24 km north of Gaya....
to the Ajivikas. Three inscriptions at the cave refer to him as "Devanampiya " and state that the caves were dedicated by him shortly after his accession. It is therefore probable that the caves were commissioned not by him but by one of his predecessors, possibly his grandfather Ashoka.