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Chandragupta
Chandragupta (Chandragupta Maurya) , fl. c.321 BC-c.298 BC, Indian emperor, founder of the Maurya dynasty and grandfather of Asoka . He conquered the Magadha kingdom (in modern Bihar and Jharkhand) and eventually controlled all India N of the Vindhya Hills. In c.305, Chandragupta, with a huge a...
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Maurya
Maurya , ancient Indian dynasty, c.325-c.183 BC, founded by Chandragupta (Chandragupta Maurya). He conquered the Magadha kingdom and established his capital at Pataliputra (now Patna). His son, Bindusara (d. c.273), and his grandson, Asoka , the most notable ruler of ancient India, for the first ...
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Magadha
Magadha , ancient Indian kingdom, situated within the area of the modern states of Bihar and Jharkhand . Its capital was Pataliputra (now Patna ). The kingdom rose to prominence in the mid-7th cent. BC and rapidly extended its frontiers, especially under the rule of Bimbisara (c.540-c.490). Maga...
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Gupta
Gupta , Indian dynasty, AD c.320-c.550, whose empire at its height encompassed much of N India. Ancient Indian culture reached a high point during this period. Gupta paintings adorned the caves of Ajanta , its sculpture embellished the temples of Ellora , and its metaphysical speculations flowered...
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Seleucus I
Seleucus I (Seleucus Nicator) , d. 280 BC, king of ancient Syria. An able general of Alexander the Great, he played a leading part in the wars of the Diadochi . In the new partition of the empire in 312 BC he received Babylonia. Conquest of Susiana and Media enlarged his holdings, and he invaded ...
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Asoka
Asoka , d. c.232 BC, Indian emperor (c.273-c.232 BC) of the Maurya dynasty; grandson of Chandragupta . One of the greatest rulers of ancient India, he brought nearly all India, together with Baluchistan and Afghanistan, under one sway for the first time in history. According to legends, after his...
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Jainism
Jainism [i.e., the religion of Jina], religious system of India practiced by about 5,000,000 persons. Jainism, Ajivika , and Buddhism arose in the 6th cent. BC as protests against the overdeveloped ritualism of Hinduism , particularly its sacrificial cults, and the authority of the Veda. Jaina ...
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India
India officially Republic of India, republic (2005 est pop. 1,080,264,000), 1,261,810 sq mi (3,268,090 sq km), S Asia. The second most populous country in the world, it is also sometimes called Bharat, its ancient name. India's land frontier (c.9,500 mi/15,290 km long) stretches from the Arabian Se...
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