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The Mauryan Polity c9.s2.t3: Foreign Embassies

The Mauryan Polity c9.s2.t3

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Foreign Embassies

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The Mauryan Empire grew in extent under Candragupta and got further expanded under Bindusāra and Aśoka. Candragupta succeeded to the throne immediately after Alexander's invasion and the latter incident involved him in international relations. After having consolidated his empire Candragupta turned his attention to the countries which were under the Macedonian rule. Seleucus Nikator who was in charge of the Greek kingdoms in the Indian frontier relinquished his rights to that portion of the country belonging to the Indian Empire, the satrapies of the Paropanisadai, Aria, Arachosia, and Gedrosia, and he was presented in return with 500 elephants. Seleucus felt the strength of the arms of Candragupta and arranged for peace through negotiations. This peace was effected with success by Megasthenes, the Greek ambassador of Seleucus in 303 B.C.¹

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¹ Smith, *Early History of India*, pp. 125-26.

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The friendly relations between India and the Hellenistic kingdoms begun by Candragupta continued during the reigns of his successors. Dionysius came to Bindusāra as the envoy of Ptolemy Philadelphus of Egypt, and Daimachus as the envoy of Antiochus I Soter of Syria. It is not yet settled whether Dionysius delivered his letters of credence to Bindusāra or his son Aśoka, for the rule of Ptolemy Philadelphus extended from 285 to 246 B.C.² It is evident that both these envoys followed the example of Megasthenes and left records of their observations with regard to the country. Very few of the notes of Daimachus are preserved while those of Dionysus are lost. About the latter Pliny mentions in his *Natural History*, VI, 17 and 58.¹

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² *Ibid.*, pp. 155-156; *C.H.I.*, p. 433.

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¹ *Ibid.*

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It seems that Aśoka had unbroken friendly relations not only with the states within the country but also without. The Hellenistic kingdoms to which Aśoka sent his envoys were Syria under Antiochus Theos, Egypt under Ptolemy Philadelphus, Cyrene under Magas, Macedonia under Antigonus Gonatus, and Epirus under Alexander.² We do not hear of any foreign embassy in India during the reign of Aśoka, nor return embassies from India to foreign courts during the reigns of Candragupta and Bindusāra. It is however reasonable to assume that mutual and unbroken intercourse went on continuously under the first three Mauryan monarchs, if not later.

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² R.E. XIII, *Corpus*, pp. 46-48; *C.H.I.*, I, p. 502.

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