''Chandragupta Maurya'' is an Indian historical television show that aired on

Sony TV Sony Television, Sony TV, or Sony HD may refer to any of the following television-related products from Japanese conglomerate Sony: * Television sets designed and manufactured by Sony Corporation in Japan ** Trinitron, television hardware brand (196 ...

from 14 November 2018 to 30 August 2019. Written by Raj Routh,the show is based on the life of

Chandragupta Maurya Chandragupta Maurya (350-295 BCE) was a ruler in Ancient India who expanded a geographically-extensive kingdom based in Magadha and founded the Maurya dynasty. He reigned from 320 BCE to 298 BCE. The Maurya kingdom expanded to become an empi ...

,The show is on life of first Mauryan emperor and founder of the

Maurya Empire The Maurya Empire, or the Mauryan Empire, was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in the Indian subcontinent based in Magadha, having been founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, and existing in loose-knit fashion until 1 ...

. The show is produced by Siddharth Kumar Tewary's One Life Studios. The show is a seamless continuation of One Life Studio's earlier show ''Porus''.

Plot

The Drama written by Writer Raj Routh ,The show starts in 323 BCE, exactly after the deaths of the Paurava king

Purushottam Purushottama ( sa, पुरुषोत्तम, from पुरुष, ''purusha'' "spirit" or "male" and उत्तम, ''uttama'', "highest") is an epithet of the Hindu preserver deity, Vishnu. According to Vaishnavism, Vishnu is the sour ...

(nicknamed Puru, called Porus by foreigners) and the Macedonian emperor

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, wikt:Ἀλέξανδρος, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Maced ...

. Alexander's general

Seleucus Nicator Seleucus I Nicator (; ; grc-gre, Σέλευκος Νικάτωρ , ) was a Macedonian Greek general who was an officer and successor ( ''diadochus'') of Alexander the Great. Seleucus was the founder of the eponymous Seleucid Empire. In the po ...

is still in the

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, having vassalised Ambhiraj (formerly Ambhikumar in the prequel Porus), the king of

Takshashila Taxila or Takshashila (; sa, तक्षशिला; pi, ; , ; , ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. Located in the Taxila Tehsil of Rawalpindi District, it lies approximately northwest of the Islamabad–Rawalpindi metropolitan area and ...

and also captured the Paurava Kingdom after assassinating Puru.

Chanakya Chanakya (Sanskrit: चाणक्य; IAST: ', ; 375–283 BCE) was an ancient Indian polymath who was active as a teacher, author, strategist, philosopher, economist, jurist, and royal advisor. He is traditionally identified as Kauṭilya o ...

, a Takshashilan

Brahmin Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...

, scholar and the former prime minister of the Paurava Kingdom arrives in

Magadha Magadha was a region and one of the sixteen sa, script=Latn, Mahajanapadas, label=none, lit=Great Kingdoms of the Second Urbanization (600–200 BCE) in what is now south Bihar (before expansion) at the eastern Ganges Plain. Magadha was ruled ...

ruled by the unjust and cruel

Nanda Nanda may refer to: Indian history and religion * Nanda Empire, ruled by the Nanda dynasty, an Indian royal dynasty ruling Magadha in the 4th century BCE ** Mahapadma Nanda, first Emperor of the Nanda Empire ** Dhana Nanda (died c. 321 BCE), last ...

emperor Dhana Nanda. He seeks his help in overthrowing the Macedonians out of India and uniting the

Mahajanapadas The Mahājanapadas ( sa, great realm, from ''maha'', "great", and '' janapada'' "foothold of a people") were sixteen kingdoms or oligarchic republics that existed in ancient India from the sixth to fourth centuries BCE during the second urban ...

(Indian kingdoms). However, Dhana Nanda openly humiliates Chanakya in the court, mocking his dream of a united India and informs him that it was he who financially helped Seleucus assassinate Puru so that Seleucus will not attack Magadha. This prompts Chanakya to take a vow of eradicating the Nanda dynasty and putting a capable ruler on the throne of

. Chanakya finds Chandragupta (nicknamed Chandra), a slave who in reality is the crown prince of Piplivan, a kingdom which was destroyed by Dhana Nanda, and sees in him the talent to become a ruler. Meanwhile Dhana Nanda (unaware of Chandra's lineage), also recognises his aptitude and appoints him as the bodyguard of his beloved younger sister, Durdhara. Gradually, Durdhara develops a liking for Chandragupta. With the help of the former soldiers of Piplivan and the king of the janapada (Indian kingdom)

Assaka Ashmaka (Sanskrit: ) or Assaka (Pali: ) was a Mahajanapada in ancient India which existed between 700 BCE and 425 or 345 BCE according to the Buddhist texts '' Anguttara Nikaya'' and ''Puranas''. It was located around and between the Godavar ...

, Vajrabahu, Chandra forms a small army. Chandragupta faces Dhana Nanda in a series of encounters and kills his elder brother Govishanka. However, due to the betrayal of Vajrabahu (who later loses both his life and kingdom to Dhana Nanda) he is eventually badly defeated and forced to flee from Magadha. Before being defeated, Chandra managed to inform Durdhara that her father Mahapadma Nanda was killed by Dhana Nanda as he did not want him to divide the Nanda Empire between his eight sons. This totally estranges her from Dhana Nanda. Chandra and Chanakya arrive in Takshashila to seek the help of Seleucus. However, Ambhiraj manipulates Seleucus against them and they are thrown into a pit.

5 years later

To prove to Durdhara that he is a worthy successor to his father, Dhana Nanda conquers 13 Mahajanapadas, and now turns towards the last remaining janapada, Takshashila, the trickiest of them all. Chandra comes out of the pit, along with Chanakya and other people who had been trapped in the pit earlier, including Purushottam's son Malayketu. Dhana Nanda faces the combined Macedonian and Takshashilan armies in an indecisive battle but eventually a peace treaty is signed according to which Dhana Nanda is promised the Paurava Kingdom. With the help of Chanakya and Malayketu, Chandra unites the Macedonian and Paurava armies which defeat the Magadhan and Takshashilan armies, killing Ambhiraj and forcing Dhana Nanda to flee to Magadha. Later he uses the now kingless Takshashilan and Paurava army to force Seleucus to retreat as well, thus capturing Takshashila and the Paurava Kingdom (where Malayketu is enthroned).

Durdhara Durdhara was the Queen of Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the 4th-century BCE Maurya Empire of ancient India, according to the 12th century CE Jain text ''Parishishtaparvan'' by Hemachandra. She is stated by this text to be the mother of the ...

and Chandra fall in love with each other and later marry. Chandra faces Dhana Nanda (and later Seleucus who re-allies with Dhana Nanda to take revenge from Chandragupta) in a series of confrontations and eventually manages to kill Dhana Nanda and his remaining brothers (none of which had any heir including Govishanka). Seleucus is captured but later freed on the condition that his daughter Helena would marry Chandra and he would return all the wealth he stole from India. On the other hand, Chandra also faces heavy losses, with Malayketu (who passed on his kingdom to Chandra) being killed and Durdhara, who before dying gave birth to Chandra's son and successor, Bindusara after being mistakenly poisoned by her own brother, Dhana Nanda. Soon after, Chandra eventually fulfils Chanakya's vow of eradicating the Nandas following the death of Dhana Nanda - establishing himself as the first emperor of the

. Dhana Nanda's former prime minister, the Brahmin

Rakshasa Rakshasas ( sa, राक्षस, IAST: : Pali: ''rakkhaso'') lit. 'preservers' are a race of usually malevolent demigods prominently featured in Hindu mythology. According to the Brahmanda Purana, the rakshasas were created by Brahma whe ...

is spared by Chandra due to the immense knowledge he possesses, and he becomes his prime minister while Chanakya goes on to finish his treatise

Arthashastra The ''Arthashastra'' ( sa, अर्थशास्त्रम्, ) is an Ancient Indian Sanskrit treatise on statecraft, political science, economic policy and military strategy. Kautilya, also identified as Vishnugupta and Chanakya, is ...

Cast

Faisal Khan Mohammad Faisal Hussain Khan (born 3 August 1966) is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi films. He is famous for his role as Shankar Shane in '' Mela'' (2000). Family background Khan is the son of producer Tahir Hussain. His brother is Aamir ...

as Chandragupta Maurya (nicknamed Chandra): Chandravardhan and Mura's son, Durdhara's husband, Bindusara's father. Crown prince and later King of Piplivan, later first Emperor of the Mauryan Empire. Based on

. **

Kartikey Malviya Kartikey Malviya is an Indian child actor. He is well known for his role as Young Shani in the popular mythological soap ''Karmaphal Daata Shani'' that aired on Colors TV. Malviya was last seen in '' Chandragupta Maurya''. He plays the role of ...

as young Chandragupta Maurya. *

Tarun Khanna Tarun Khanna (born; 1968) is an Indian-born American academic, author, and an economic strategist. He is currently the Jorge Paulo Lemann professor at Harvard Business School; where he is a member of the strategy group, and the director of Harvar ...

as Vishnugupta Chanakya (alias Kautilya): A Brahmin scholar from Takshashila and the former Prime Minister of the Paurava Kingdom. Chandragupta's mentor and right-hand man. Based on

. * Saurabh Raj Jain as Dhana Nanda: The second youngest of the Nanda siblings, son of Mahapadma Nanda, elder brother of Durdhara, Tarini's husband and brother-in-law of Chandragupta. Based on Dhana Nanda. *

Aditi Sanwal Aditi Sanwal is an Indian actress. She made her debut with various TV commercials followed by her television debut in 2019 by playing the lead role of Rajkumari Durdhara in '' Chandragupta Maurya'' In 2020, she portrayed Kukki Bajaj in '' Kasau ...

as Durdhara: The youngest Nanda sibling, daughter of Mahapadma Nanda, younger sister of Dhana Nanda, Chandragupta's wife and Bindusara's mother. Princess of Magadha, later Queen of Piplivan, and later Empress of the Maurya Empire. Based on

. **

Pranali Ghogare Pranali Ghogare is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films and Hindi television. She made her acting debut in 2014 with '' Mere Rang Mein Rangne Waali'' portraying Radha Pathak Chaturvedi. She made her Hindi film debut with Nikhil ...

as Young Durdhara. *

Sneha Wagh Sneha Wagh (born 4 October 1987) is an Indian television actress known for playing the role of ''Jyoti'' in Imagine TV's show '' Jyoti''. She played the role of ''Moora'' in the show ''Chandragupt Maurya'' telecasted on Sony TV. She portrayed ...

as Moora, former queen of Piplivan, Chandragupta's mother. * Nimai Bali as

, Prime Minister of the

Nanda Empire The Nanda dynasty ruled in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent during the fourth century BCE, and possibly during the fifth century BCE. The Nandas overthrew the Shaishunaga dynasty in the Magadha region of eastern India, and expanded ...

and later the

. *

Dinesh Mehta Dinesh (Devanagari: ') is a common Hindu male given name. The Sanskrit word ' is a compound of ' 'day' and ' 'lord', meaning 'day-lord', an epithet of the Sun. Notable people with the name include: * Dinesh, Indian film actor * Dinesh Baboo, Indi ...

as Pandup, Dhana Nanda's elder brother, in-charge of Finance and former king of Magadha. *

Vinit Kakar Vinit Kakar is an Indian film and television actor. Playing the lead role of U Tirot sing in Swaraj. He was seen as contestant in the first season of ''Lock Upp'' host Kangana Ranaut. Played lead antagonist in Jogan musical album. Play ...

as Kaivarta, Dhana Nanda's elder brother, prince, commander-in-chief and former emperor of Magadha. * Munendra Singh Kushwah as Pandugati, Dhana Nanda's elder brother, prince, in-charge of Food and Agriculture and former emperor of Magadha. * Raman Thukral as Malayketu, the son of the Paurava King Purushottam and Queen Laachhi, long-lost crown prince and later king of the Paurava Kingdom. * Unknown as Rudradev Singh, the commander-in-chief and governor of Paurava Kingdom * Pragati Mehra as Dai Maa, Dhana Nanda and his siblings' foster mother, Bhadrasaal and Shipra's mother. * Sujeet Kumar as Bhairava, main student of Chanakya. * Vishal Nayak as Chandravardhan Maurya, former king of Piplivan, Chandragupta's father. *

Vikas Verma Vikas Verma (born 24 September 1987) is an Indian actor and model in Bollywood. His notable works include '' Raabta'' (2017), '' Mom'' (2017 film), ''Judwaa 2'' (2017) and '' Coolie No. 1'' (2020). Verma began his career as a model where he won ...

Seleucus I Nicator Seleucus I Nicator (; ; grc-gre, Σέλευκος Νικάτωρ , ) was a Macedonian Greek general who was an officer and successor ( ''diadochus'') of Alexander the Great. Seleucus was the founder of the eponymous Seleucid Empire. In the po ...

, Alexander the Great's former General, first emperor of the

Seleucid Empire The Seleucid Empire (; grc, Βασιλεία τῶν Σελευκιδῶν, ''Basileía tōn Seleukidōn'') was a Greek state in West Asia that existed during the Hellenistic period from 312 BC to 63 BC. The Seleucid Empire was founded by the ...

. * Kaivalya Chaddha as Sthoolbhadra (nicknamed Sthool), close friend, aide and general of Chandragupta. ** Shayank Shukla as young Sthoolbhadra. *

Barkha Sengupta Barkha Bisht Sengupta is an Indian Television and Film Actress. She works in Hindi TV serials and Bengali language, Bengali, Hindi Movies. Barkha Bisht made her first TV appearance in ''Kitni Mast Hai Zindagi'' as Udita. She made her screen de ...

as Tarini, Dhana Nanda's love interest, wife and empress of Magadha. * Kamaljeet Rana as Bhadrasaal, commander-in-chief of the Magadha army, brother of Shipra and foster-brother of Dhana Nanda and his siblings. * Atharv Padhye as Dhoomketu, close friend and aide of Chandragupta. * Harsh Mehta as Indrajanik, close friend and aide of Chandragupta. * Ankur Nayyar as Ambhiraj, king of Takshashila. * Rohit Chandel as Ambhikumar, Ambhiraj's son, crown prince of Takshashila. * Vivek Vallah as the royal priest of the Paurava Kingdom. * Brownie Parashar as Mahapadma Nanda, former emperor of Magadha, father of Dhana Nanda, Durdhara and their 7 elder brothers. *

Sumbul Touqeer Khan Sumbul or Sumbal is a given name of Arabic origin from Muskroot, it may refer to: * Sumbal, Jammu and Kashmir, a town of Jammu and Kashmir * Muskroot or Sumbul, a drug derived from the Uzbek plant ''Ferula sumbul'' * Sumbala, an African cuisine * ...

as Shubhada, Sukhdev's daughter and Chandragupta's friend. * Abhilash Chaudhary as Agnimukh, an expert swordsman, former soldier and later general of the Piplivan Army. * Devesh Sharma as Martand, son and heir of Jagat Jala, the governor of Paraspura, a friend of Chandragupta. * Yogesh Mahajan as Durgam Daga, younger brother of Jagat Jala. * Raj Routh as Writer Megasthenes * Pooja Sharma as

River Jhelum A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

, the narrator. * Laksh Lalwani as

(nicknamed Puru, called Porus by foreigners), former king of the

Pauravas The Pauravas were an ancient dynasty on the Indus (present-day India and Pakistan) to which King Porus may have belonged. Porus and the Pauravas The origins of the Pauravas are still disputed. The Pauravas may be related to the Puru tribe, due ...

, Malayketu's father. (Shown in trailer and flashbacks only, mentioned) * Aditya Redij as Bamni, former king of the Pauravas, Porus' father and Malayketu's grandfather. (Shown in flashback only) * Rati Pandey as Anusuya, former queen of the Pauravas, Porus' mother and Malayketu's grandmother. (Shown in flashback only)

Reception

Writing for ''Zoom'', Anusha Iyengar praised Sourabh Raj Jain's portrayal of Dhana Nanda and, based on the first episode, wrote, "Chandragupta Maurya enjoys a good narration and a brilliant set design. The visuals are appealing and dialogues are even better."

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, tt9261994 Sony Entertainment Television original programming Indian historical television series 2018 Indian television series debuts Indian period television series Swastik Productions television series