Samprati

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Samprati
Reign c. 224 – c. 215 BCE
Predecessor Dasharatha Maurya
Successor Shalishuka
Full name
Samprati Maurya
Dynasty Maurya
Father Kunala
Religion Jainism[citation needed]
Maurya Kings (322 BC – 180 BC)
Chandragupta (322–297 BC)
Bindusara (297–272/268 BC)
Ashoka (272/268–232 BC)
Dasharatha (232–224 BC)
Samprati (224–215 BC)
Shalishuka (215–202 BC)
Devavarman (202–195 BC)
Shatadhanvan (195–187 BC)
Brihadratha (187–180 BC)
Pushyamitra
(Shunga Empire)
(180–149 BC)

Samprati (r.c. 224 – c. 215 BCE– ) was an emperor of Maurya dynasty. He was the son of Ashoka's blind son, Kunala, and succeeded his cousin, Dasharatha, as emperor of the Maurya Empire.

Claim to throne

Kunala was the son of one of Ashoka's queens, Padmavati (who was Jain), but was blinded in a conspiracy to remove his claim to the throne. Thus, Kunala was replaced by Dasharatha as the heir to the throne. Kunala lived in Ujjain with his "Dhai Maa". Samprati was brought up there. Years after being denied the throne, Kunala and Samprati approached Ashoka's court in an attempt to claim the throne. Ashoka could not deliver the throne to his blind son, but promised Samprati to be heir apparent after Dasharatha. After Dasharatha's death, Samprati inherited the throne of the Maurya Empire.[citation needed]

Reign

According to the Jain tradition he ruled for 53 years.[citation needed] The Jaina text, Pariśiṣṭaparvan mentions that he ruled both from Pataliputra and Ujjain.[1]

Samprati and Jainism

Samprati is regarded as the "Jain Ashoka" for his patronage and efforts to spreading Jainism in east India. He was influenced by the teachings of a Jain monk, Suhastin and sent Jain scholars abroad to spread Jainist teachings.[2] Samprati is said to have erected more than one lakh Jain temples and many more idols of Jain Tirthankars throughout his empire. He founded Jain monasteries even in non-Aryan territory, and almost all ancient Jain temples or monuments of unknown origin are popularly attributed to him.[citation needed]

According to Jaina tradition, King Samprati had no children.[citation needed]

Notes

  1. Thapar, Romila (2001). Aśoka and the Decline of the Maurya, New Delhi: Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-564445-X, p.187
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References

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Samprati
Preceded by Maurya Emperor
224–215 BCE
Succeeded by
Shalishuka