Dasaratha Maurya

Dasaratha Maurya was the Emperor of the Mauryan dynasty from 232 BCE to 224 BCE.

Accession

According to the Matsya Purana^{[citation needed]}, Dasaratha succeeded his paternal grandfather Ashoka the Great as ruler of the Mauryan empire. ^[1] Daśaratha was only about twenty years old, when he ascended the throne of the Mauryan empire with the help of ministers. When Ashoka died, his son and heir was Kunala, who was Dasaratha's father's brother. However, Kunala had became blind at an early age, and was deemed unfit to rule by ministers and courtiers. Therefore Dasaratha became Emperor in preference to his uncle when Ashoka died. He then ruled for eight years.^[2] When Dasaratha died, he was succeeded not by his own son, but instead by Kunala's son Samprati. This was because of the circumstances of Dasaratha's accession. All of this is known to us from the Matsya Purana^{[citation needed]}, which is copiously referenced by Romila Thapar when writing her book on the decline of the Mauryan empire.

Reign

Daśaratha is known to have dedicated three caves in the Nagarjuni Hills to the Ajivikas. Three inscriptions at the cave refer to him as "Devanampiya Daśaratha" and state that the caves were dedicated by him shortly after his accession.^[3] It is therefore probable that the caves were commissioned not by him but by one of his predecessors, possibly his grandfather Ashoka.

Dasaratha Maurya Mauryan Dynasty
Preceded by Ashoka	Mauryan Emperor 232–224	Succeeded by Samprati

Notes

1. ^ Thapar, Romila (2001). Aśoka and the Decline of the Mauryan, New Delhi: Oxford University Press, ISBN 019 564445 X, p.185
2. ^ Thapar, Romila (2001). Aśoka and the Decline of the Mauryan, New Delhi: Oxford University Press, ISBN 019 564445 X, p.195
3. ^ Thapar, Romila (2001). Aśoka and the Decline of the Mauryan, New Delhi: Oxford University Press, ISBN 019 564445 X, p.186