Question

Who was referred to as Amitraghata by the Greeks?
A.Chandragupta Maurya
B.Bimbisara
C.Bindusara
D.Vasudeva

Answer 1

Hint:‘Amitraghata’ which means ‘Slayer of enemies’ is a Sanskrit compound of two words, that is, ‘Amitra’ and ‘Ghata’. ‘Amrita’ in Sanskrit glossary means ‘an enemy (or foe)’ and ‘Ghata’ means ‘Destruction (or killing)’.

Complete answer:
The son of the Maurya dynasty’s founder Chandragupta Maurya and also the second Mauryan emperor of India, Bindusara (born c. 320 BCE—died 272/3 BCE) was famously known as Amitraghata (or Amitrochates) by the Greeks, which in Sanskrit means the slayer of enemies. Chandragupta Maurya, the father of Bindusara, had left behind a huge empire for him which included Balochistan, Afghanistan, Assam, Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar, Mysore, Vindhyas, Narmada, and Hindukush for him to inherit. During his reign, he had ruled smoothly and also succeeded in maintaining a healthy relationship with distant countries like the Greeks. He further has conquered sixteen states in his rule and expanded the dynasty till Mysore down in the south. He was known to have conquered the land between the two seas and became the master of the territory, presumably between the Arabian sea and the Bay of Bengal.
Also, he was known to be a man of great interests and taste. So, when he was told that there’s nothing which is sweeter than the figs, Bindusara asked Antiochos I to send him some raisin wine, dried figs, and he also added that he would like him to buy and send a professor, a sophist. To this, Antiochos replied that he would happily send him the sweet wine and figs but obliged not to fulfill his third request because it is forbidden in Greek to sell a sophist.
Bindusara was the father of the great Indian emperor Ashoka who reigned over nearly the entire Indian subcontinent from c. 268 to 232 BCE, expanding the empire that had present-day Bangladesh in the east and Afghanistan in the west.

Note:Bindusara was also given many names in his life according to different religious texts such as ‘Vindusar’ in Hindu texts and ‘Bindusara’ according to Buddhist texts. His birth name ‘Simhasena’ is mentioned in Jain texts and he was also given the title of ‘Deva-nampriya’ which means the beloved of God.