Who was the founder of the Maurya Empire in ancient India, whose coronation was featured in the 47-part Indian television historical drama Chanakya?
Chanakya (TV series) Chanakya (Devanagari: चाणक्य) is a 47-part epic Indian television historical drama written and directed by Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi that was originally telecast on DD National from 8 September 1991 to 9 August 1992. Produced by Prakash Dwivedi, the series is a fictionalized account of the life and times of 4th century BCE Indian economist, strategist and political theorist Chanakya (also known as Vishnugupta) and is based on events occurring between 340 BCE and 321/20 BCE, starting with Chanakya's boyhood and culminating in the coronation of Chandragupta Maurya. Chandraprakash Dwivedi played the title role of Chanakya.
Pillars of Ashoka The pillars of Ashoka are a series of columns dispersed throughout the Indian subcontinent, erected or at least inscribed with edicts by the Mauryan king Ashoka during his reign in the 3rd century BC. Of the pillars erected by him, twenty still survive including those with inscriptions of his edicts. Only a few with animal capitals survive of which seven complete specimens are known. Two pillars were relocated by Firuz Shah Tughlaq to Delhi. Several pillars were relocated by later Mughal Empire rulers, the animal capitals being removed. Averaging between 12 to in height, and weighing up to 50 tons each, the pillars were dragged, sometimes hundreds of miles, to where they were erected.