Some Historical Jaina Kings and Heros

Author(s): Kamtaprasad Jain
Publisher: Jain Mitra Mandal

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statesmanship and was bent on taking revenge on the Nanda king because of a slight offered by him, met Chandragupta. They became friends. Chanakya also undertook the onerous duty of teaching and training the young prince. It seems probable that when this enterprising and chivalorous prince heard of the Greek invasion on the N. W. Frontier of India he proceeded with his friend to the Punjab and befriended the Macedonian monarch. But he had hardly been many days in the Greek camp when he exchanged hot words with Alexander the Greathimself. From a Ksatriya youth like Chandragupta, brought up in the traditions of Free Aryans, it was not to be expected that he could stand the humiliation of insult and even an alliance with an aggressor of his motherland. He left the Greek camp and set himself to work for the freedom and unification of India. Soon he became the Leader of a "War of Liberation" against the foreigners and collected a formidable force of the war-like and predatory clans. Thus well-equipped he succeeded in over-throwing the Nanda King of Magadha and got from him a huge army, which he increased until it numbered 30000 cavalry, 9000 elephants, 600000 infantry. and a multitude of chariots. He then attacked the Macedonian garrisons and conquered the Punjab as well as Sind. Later attempts made by the