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01 Antecedents and Ancestry
high-definition creative commons photographs about Antecedents and Ancestry together with further information.
Aśoka was born into the Maurya dynasty, founded by his grandfather Candragupta (c.321-297 BCE) who overthrew the Nandas with Canakya’s help. His father Biṇḍusāra (c.297-273 BCE) expanded the empire. Aśoka’s mother Dhammā (or, Subhadrangī) was a Brahmin from Campā, possibly an Ājīvaka devotee. Biṇḍusāra had 101 sons by many wives; Aśoka was not the eldest. Greek sources knew Biṇḍusāra as Amitrochades. The dynasty’s humble origins and non-Vedic leanings shaped Aśoka’s background.
Posters by Anandajoti Bhikkhu
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