Public Administration in Ancient India c19.18

c19.18

Chānakya’s disciple, Chandragupta, was the first great conqueror of historical times who subdued all the countries of Northern India. His son and grandson were also renowned for their conquering arms. Asoka, however, repented of his sins after the conquest of Kalinga, and turned his eyes to conquests of a different kind. In the fourth century A.D. we hear of the achievements of Samudragupta, who has been called by a well-known historian “the Indian Napoleon.” The Allahābād inscription speaks of him as one “who was skilful in engaging in a hundred battles of different kinds; whose only Ally was the prowess of the strength of his own arm;—who was noted for his prowess;—whose most charming body was covered with all the beauty of the marks of a hundred confused wounds, caused by the blows of battle-axes, arrows, spears, pikes, barbed darts, swords, lances, javelins and whose great good fortune was mixed with so as to be increased by the favour shown in capturing and then liberating Mahendra of Kosala Vyāghrarāja of Mahākāntāra,—and all other Kings of the South,—whose imperious commands were fully gratified by giving all taxes and obeying orders and coming to perform obeisance by the frontier Kings . . . whose tranquil fame, pervading the whole world, was generated by establishing (again) many royal families fallen and deprived of sovereignty . . . who had no antagonist of equal power in the world.” ¹