Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c20.s1.3

c20.s1.3

Candragupta began to reign in or about 322 B. C. He was preceded by the nine Nandas,⁴ Mahāpadma and his eight sons, who are said to have enjoyed the earth one hundred years. To Mahāpadma are assigned 88 years and to his sons 12 years. The best reading says, not that he reigned 88 years, but that he would be (that is, lived) 88 years; and a hundred years for the joint lives of him and his sons accord with an ordinary genealogical estimate, and are not unreasonable, as his life was long. It is improbable in the circumstances of that time that he could have gained the throne of Magadha until he was grown up, or, say, 20 years old at least.⁵ The reigns of the nine Nandas would then be reduced to 80 years, and we may reckon that they began approximately at (322 + 80) 402 B. C.