Centuries of literature, mythology and history too has showered upon this idea, and to our surprise, the epic love affair of Chandra Gupta Maurya and Queen Helena.
Love isn’t something that you find but it is something that finds you. Love, at first sight, has always been debatable for many. Many people share different opinions on this matter.
However centuries of literature, mythology, and history too have showered upon this idea, and to our surprise, the epic love affair of Chandragupta Maurya and Queen Helena (daughter of Seleucus Nicator, the ruler of Western India and Persia) is not less than a fairy tale.
The historical love, at first sight, began when Chandragupta Maurya saw Queen Helena near the river Jhelum while riding down the forest. Chandra fell in love with the Greek beauty instantly. Belonging to a royal family, Chandra decided to marry the princess. Meanwhile, the emperor was already married to Queen Dhundhara and he confessed his desire to marry Queen Helena.
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Chanakya, the learned counselor of empress court advised Chandragupta Maurya that, the only way to seek her was by declaring war against Seleucus, who after the death of Alexander seized the opportunity and took over the eastern part of the Greek empire (Persia and Western India) and became emperor. However, this was only possible by conquering North India which was under the Nanda Empire.
Soon, Maurya triumphed in the North which alarmed Seleucus about the rise of Chandragupta Maurya in North India. Same time, Chandra Gupta expressed his love for Queen Helena by sending proposals through carrier pigeons. Helena too was moved by the Indian ruler. Lately, Helena got to know that the Indian ruler was a Hindu and a heathen. He won’t let her practice her religion or worship Greek God. Still, out of true love she accepted him and adored immensely.
In 305 B.C. Chandragupta defeated Seleucus (father of Queen Helena) and invited him in his court to ask for his daughter’s hand. There he also offered war elephants as a token of gift. Seleucus was not ready to give his daughter Helena’s hand to a heathen, but Helena, who was already in love with the emperor convinced her father and they happily got married.
Indian emperor with his newly wedded wife settled in Patliputra. Later he moved to Karnataka after changing his religion to Jainism, handling the throne to Helena and son Bindusar. He died there at the age of 42.
