Political History of Ancient India, from the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty c12.s4.24

c12.s4.24

In one respect Bimbisāra was unfortunate. Like Prasenajit he was possibly the victim of the malevolence of the Crown Prince whom he had appointed to the vice-royalty of Champā,¹ and had perhaps even admitted to royalty, following the precedent of his own father.² The ungrateful son, who is variously called Ajātaśatru, Kūṇika and Aśokachanda³ is said to have put his father to death. The crime seriously affected the relations of Magadha with Kosala. Dr. Smith regards the story of the murder as 'the product of *odium theologicum*,' and shows excessive scepticism in regard to the evidence of the Pāli canon and chronicles. But the general credibility of these works has been maintained by scholars like Rhys Davids and Geiger whose conclusions seem to be confirmed directly or indirectly by the testimony of independent classical and Jaina writers.⁴