Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of the Maurya Empire and an Indian Emperor. In foreign Greek and Latin accounts, Chandragupta is known as Sandracottos or Andracottus.There are different theories regarding Chandragupta Maurya`s origin .It is often said that Chandragupta originated from Magadha possibly as the son of a Nanda prince and a maid named "Mura".Others claim that the Mauryas were the Muras or rather Mors, while another view is that the Mauryas are of kshatriya origin of Indo-Scythian lineage .

According to scholars, Chandragupta was born into a family left destitute by the death of his father, cheif of the migrant Mauryas, his maternal uncles left him with a cowherd who brought him up as his own son. Later, he was soldto a hunter to tend cattle. Purchased by a Brahmin politician, Chanakya, Chandragupta was taken to Taxila (now in Pakistan) where he recieved education in military tactics and the aesthetic arts. on the advice of Chanakya he collected military assistance and ended the sutocracy of the Nanda dynasty.

Chandragupta Maurya, with the help of Chanakya, began laying the foundation of the Mauryan Empire. Kautilya and Chandragupta formed their own army and started making conquests.With Kautilya`s aid he established a strong and centralized empire on the model of the Achaemenids of Iran .Kautiya also known as Chanakya was the prime minister or adviser of Chandragupta Maurya . After Alexander`s death in 323 BCE,Chandragupta turned his attention to North western India where he defeated the satrapies.

At an young age of twenty he had not only conquered the Macedonian satrapies in India but conquered the Nanda Empire as well in 325 B.C.With this his empire extended from Bengal and Assam in the east to the Indus Valley in the West. After this he conquered Punjab in 322 B.C.after the death of Alexander (III)the Great ,expanding his empire west to Iran .He defeated Seleucus (I)Nicator ,who had attempted to restore Macedonian rule in the east in 305B.C. Seleucus gave India (present-day Pakistan and part of the Punjab) and eastern Afghanistan in exchange for 500 war elephants for use in his western campaigns.

After Chandragupta`s conquests, the Maurya Empire extended from Bengal and Assam in the East, to Afghanistan and Balochistan in the West, to Kashmir and Nepal in the North, and to the Deccan Plateau in the South.Chandra Gupta`s Indian empire was one of history`s most extensive. Its continuation for at least two generations is attributalbe in part to his establishment of an excellent administrator.Chandragupta Maurya renounced his throne to his son, Bindusara, who became the new Mauryan Emperor. Bindusara is the father of Ashoka the Great, who was one of the most influential kings in history due to his important role in the history of Buddhism.