Evolving from an obscure ancient ruler to a contemporary national icon, Chandragupta Maurya's story is finally being told. However, despite tales of leading empires and defeating the successors of Alexander the Great, there is no official record of his events - only moments taken from Greek authors here and there remain. So, how can we decipher fact from fiction, and how have recent reappraisals helped shape Chandragupta's story, and more importantly - a national Indian identity?
In this episode, Tristan welcomes Dr Sushma Jansari, author of 'Chandragupta Maurya,' to the podcast to delve into the art, sources, and stories surrounding Chandragupta's life. Together they examine the role Greek diplomats played in crossing the Indus, the creation of a mighty empire, and his fall into obscurity followed by a subsequent return to fame in the 20th century. So who is Chandragupta, and how has he helped define Indian identity in the 21st century?
Up Next in Archive of Dan Snow's History Hit 🎧
-
🎧 Operation Mincemeat
Dan explains Operation Mincemeat; one of the most audacious deception operations of WWII. On the 30th of April, 1943, the corpse of a 'Major Martin' washed up near the Spanish city of Huelva. On his body, Spanish officials found secret documents detailing an upcoming Allied invasion of Greece. Th...
-
🎧 The North Pole Scandal: Frederick C...
In the autumn of 1909, the American explorer Frederick Cook arrived in Copenhagen, claiming to have become the first person to reach the North Pole. His dramatic return had been eagerly anticipated, but one young journalist was skeptical. Philip Gibbs contested Cook's version of events, calling h...
-
🎧 How To Dress in the Middle Ages
What clothes would you have worn in the Middle Ages? What were the most fashionable hairstyles? How did your clothing denote social status? How did you wash your clothes?
In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis puts these questions to Sarah Grace Heller, associate professor in Medieval Frenc...
1 Comment