Amar Chitra Katha: Megasthenes

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HIS (..ONG AND AROUOlJ5 CflMPlJlGN IN PER51f1~ IllExflNoee THEGREIIT REflCHEO NORTH-WESTERN F'RONTleR OF INOlA IN 326 8.C.I"IE OE~EflTEP PIU.lRIIVII fiNO Wll5 FIlLEt:> WITH fl80UT HIS MIl/TAR"! PROWESS. AT LAST I HAVE REACije:D "THE DOORWA "I "TO THE l.AND OF" M4 DREAMS .. ·

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OUR VICTOR4 OVER PORUS

OBSTACLe. IN OUR.

... THE VAST INDIAN l.AND LIES BEFORE US 10 BE CONQUER~D~ GENERAL.

PATH ...

SELEUCUS NICATOR~

HAS ReMOVED THE TOUGHEST

PARDON Me> 'tOUR. MAJEST4 .·,

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omar chifra kotha '"

OU~

~---------------WE FORCE: THEM AN4 MORE we MPH BE

SOlDIERS FEEL. EXHIlUSTE(;)

84 THE WARS AND HAve t..OST "HEI~ , WILL 1'0 FIGHT. THe" HAVE BEEN

LeFT WITH A MUTIN"! ON ouR HANDS.

AWA'1 FROM THEIR HOMES EIGHT l.ONG 4EARS ·· ·

IN 'THAT CASE , SEI..EUCU5 .

we

6I!ALL GReECe .

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MEliN WHILE. IN PIITIILJPiJTI?II. THE CIIPITIIL OF MIU;RO}fIj) KING CHRNORAGiJPTII M/JURqIl Wll9 BROOOIAIG OVER THE PROBLEM P05EP Bq 7HE GREEKS · HE HAC CIU.tED A MEETING OF INIS WAR COl/NCIL· THE CONGTIINT PRESENCe OF ntE. '(MANAS* ON THE FRoNTIERS OF OUR LAND POSES 1\N IMMINENT THRE1\T "10 OUR

. " We MUST RETAIN 00(2 CONTROL ovel2 TERRITORies cot-JQueRED B4 uS. GENeRAL SELE:UCUS. I APPOINT "IOU THE GOveRNOR OF -ntIS

I AM HONOUR'ED~

"lOUR

5ECURtT«.

WITHIN A FEW YERRS SELEllCUS FIIlMLtI CP HIM6ELF flS THE SOLE RULER OF THE GREEK

OOMIUNS·

'IOU ARE I<'IGHT...

MAHARAJ. MORE.OVER THE 4AVANAS AR:E A

FORMIDABLE FORCE. 2

I DISAGREE . AT THE MOMENT.

4eG ! NOW 16 THE liME TO

THEIR STRENGTfoI SEEMS REDUCED· A LARGE CONTINGENT

OF THEIR FORCES HAS GOWe. BA.Ck TO 'THEIR LA~D WITH ALEXANDER·

SOME TIME

'fOUR:

LAT~fl~

IN THE Gli?EEK OOMFHN_

MAJ~9T4')

SANDROCOTTUS* OF MA6ADHA HAS

HOW FAR HAS HE ADVANCED?

HE IS CAMPING ON [HE OTHER S IDE OF lHE' INDU9+ WITH HIS POWERFUL ARM.4.

OUI2. KINGDOM.

IN THe ENSUING Willi?> HOWEVER) ,HE. GREEKS WeRt! DEFEflT&()·

WELL ) lHEH TOO SHiILl. TASiS "'THE S TEeL OF GREeK MIGHT .

ornor chjtro kotho NICIJTOR wIJ6 TIIKeN CflPTlVe fiNO Pli!OOtlCEP BEFORE CHRNORJ:lGlIPrlJ.

so 4QU

HAve MERe" ON ME ) 5ANOROCOTTU9 > 0

GREAT KING OF IND IA.

ARE "THE 4AVANA

MAk'ING INROADS INTO oue COUNTR4.

('-..:.

/114 FORCES HAVE BEEN

CRUSHED. I AM

PREPARED 10 PA4 WHATEVER TRIBUTE 40U

DEMAND .

40U RULE vAST

LANDS. S ELEUCUS .

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I WANT ONLLf THOSE BELONG TO l tJD1A. 50 GIVE ME ARIA~

ARACH05tA AND PAROPANISADAE"!'

I AGREE,O 6ANDROCOTTU5 .

FROM NOW ON . we ARE FRieNDS AND $0 ARE OUR ,wo COUNTRIES· UNCHAIN HIM) GUARDS.

AS A TOKEN OF THIS I GIVE 40u 500 ELEPHANTS AS Po SPECIAL GIFT FR OM

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GREAT

KING •

MEGASTHENES SELElICUS NIChTOR WISHEP TO RECIPROCRTE THE MIIGNANIMfT'/ OF OIANORAfiiJPTII.

MA't' , HAVE THE HONOUR OF

I,

PRe6ENTING TO '{OU IN RETURN, A 'TRIBUTe OF WHAT 15

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4e5) LET'S SEE wHAT '{OU HAVE TO OFFER.

DEAREST TO M'I HeART?

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I OFFER 40U IN MARRIAGE THE HAND OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS*' IN OUR FAMIL4···

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MEGASTHENES? WHO IS HE"?

HE HAS seRVED ME LO(jALL'-I FOR 4EARS) o 5 ANDRO COTTUS> R$ MY AMBASSADOR IN

SEVERAL LANDS, HE WILL BE M'{ AMBASSADOR

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* ACCORDING TO LEGEND) THE DAUGHTER OF SELEUCUS

~-,r~A~T

40UR COURT· ..-_-::::::::::ra i

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~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _o--,mar AS M4 ENVQ4 TO 40U~ I COULDN'T

chitra;:.ko:t;:.h;:.Q:....-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _-, wRS I(EEN ON RELATIONS BETWEJEN INPIR FlNP

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FIND A MAN OF GREATER CALIBRE AND OF A MORE VERSATILE MIND ·

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I WELCOME 40U) MEGASTHENES, TO BE

'lOUR: MA.JEST4

A GUE9T IN ""'4 KINGDOM.

1$ VErlc(

KIND.

I WISH 10 HONOUR 40U, A GUEST 10 M'i LAND> IN OUR TRADITION OF REVERING GUESTS UKE SODS·

HE SHALL BE WITH 40U 1\5 LONG AS 'IOU STA4 ,-,___ 'N IN OIA_.-;'''C :;::......_

. 1 AM HIGHl4 HONOUREI7, 0 )(ING

SANOROCOTTUS.

M4 MOST TRUSTED SERVANT Will NOW BE IN ATTENDANCE ON

40U.

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_ ______""'____- "MEGASTHENES

ALSO. I AM GIFTING 40U

AN ELEPHANT AND

AS CHIIHORIIGlJPT/I WISHEO 77) PROCEEI7 ON II CAMPI/ION •

"TWO HORSES.

I ANI NOT RETURNING THANK 40U

TO PATALIPUTRA

veR4 MUCH) KING .

IMMEDIAl"El.'1> B UT

o

MAY PROCEED THERE·

5EVA~A !*

4E.S,

MMARAJ·

'IOU WILL ACCOMPAN4 MEGA&THENES ON HI6 WA'I TO PAlAU PUTRA .

'lOUR USUAL DUTt1) 5EVAKA. kEEP AN E'-IE

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ON HIM· -- . ~---

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LRTER~ MEGRSTHENES WENT TO THE CAMP OF SELEUCUS NICIITOR TO 81DHIIt4 GOOI>IfItIE·

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MA4 I TAKE LEAVE

OF (jOUR MAJE$TC( NOW?

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WAIT A MINUTE)

MEGASTHEHES.

--:;~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

--:-:-" omar AND. ABOVE ALL)

TR4 TO KNOW THE LAND AS WELL AS

I SHAll REMEMBER

PON'T FORGET 4 0 UR MOTHERLRND.

"{DU CAN AND ALSO THE pe:OPL.E. FIIoJD OUT HOW THE. FRIENDSHIP BE1'WEEN

OUR COUNTR4 AND INDIA CAN BE

THAT ALWA45 , 40UR MAJESW.

STREtJGTHEH E P. ANO ···

,

.•• SEND IN

40UR REPORTS REGULARL4·

IN fj FEW OII<{S) TIME MEGRS1HENES) ACCOMPIINIEP 8'1 THE SERVflN7; BEGRN HIS JOURNECI TOWIiROS PATIIlIPt}TRA . THEil CROSSEI/- THE RIVeR S/NOI(I.I WHERE ITWIIS SHALLOW .

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17 Hill) SEEN AN EXHAUSTING TASK. IttEG/lSTHENES REFl.ECTEP.

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INDIA, A MIGHTq COUNTR'i) NAMED AFTeR A MIGHT'1 RiveR •

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I AM SuRE. 40U WILL LIKE IT HERE.) • SIR.

I ALREAD4 PO . KING

IWOEeD~

SIR. HE HAS GIFTED 'fOU ANIMALS NO CIT/ZEN IN INDIA IS I _ _

SANDROCOTTU5 HAS

BEEt.! VERI.{ kiND

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TO ME·

ALLOWED TO OWN -;: '

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.' I AM EXCITED AT THE THOUGHT OF VISITING PALIBOTHRA .* IT MUST BE A BIG CIT'f.

/rIEGIlSTHENES PREFERREO rol/SE THE HORSES TO THE EI..EPH!iNT DURING HIS 7R!iV€LS.

HOW FAR IS IT FROM

HERE?

ON '"fOUR SCALE OF MEASUREMENT IT WI LL BE ABOUT 10.000 STADEst SIR. "

IT IS·

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if: GREEK FOR PATALIPUTRA .

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STAOES ARE

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omor chitro kl.ltho AND A BEAUTIFUL ONE,SJR. CfOU SHAl.l. see FOR 40URSEl.F.

SUCH A LONG ROAD RIGHT ACROSS THE: COUNTI?4?

TO PAT!lIJPUreli wlIS /I tONS ONE . WHEN THE" weRE ON THE OllTSKIRTS OF MIITH(JR/I-

AH

THE REST-HOUSE FOR

THESE iRees ARe SUCH A REl.IEF IN THIS HEAT!

~~,l~RA'VEllERS_./ '

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HOW FAR. ARe WE FROM PATAlIPuTJ('A • NOW?

we

ARE HALFWA4 THROUGH THE SIR. WOULD 4QU LIKE

Lfes , 1 CERTAINL4

HEARD SO MUCH

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ABOUT

THE ell'!.

TO SPENt:' A FEW OA"fS IN THIS CIT4 OF SHOORA5ENAS*?

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MEGASTHENES

GLORI.{ BE. TO taRO

ON ENTE/?ING THE CIT'! THE'I FOIJNO PEOPlE IN A FERVOUR OF OEVarIOH.

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HE WAS A J204AL PRINCE WHOSE PARENTS WERE IMPRISONED 6
WHO WI'S VAASUDCVA?

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... IT HAD SEEN PROPHE51EP EVEN BEFORe YAASUDEVA~S BIRTH THAT HE: WAS DESTINED 10 BE THE KING.

VAA6UDEVA Gi2EW

AMONG VILLAGERS, ANt> WITH GREA-r

THIS TALE

S EEMS FAMILIAl?

1

VALOUR~'~"____

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amar eNfre katha ... KILLED "THE KING

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MEANS ,HE

HERAGLES!

AND CAPTURED THE

THRONE.

HERAClES IS WORSHIPPeD IN GREECE FOR HIS VALOUR, AND FOR KILLING 'THE.

HUNDRED- HEADED

H'IORA " •

. . . AND MAN4 OTHER WICKED PEOPLE. TtlAT'S L.IKE VRASUDEVA SUBJUGATING THE FIVE - He:ADED

COBRA:"

'* 8EEN. SOME OF TIlE EXPLOITS OF HERACLES WERE STRUCK ,.HESE SIMILARITIES. ~

THOSE OF t<:RIS)oItJA'

MUS" HAVE.

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MEGASTHENES liFleR TR!iVELlING FOR "'liN'! WEEK!; BII I?()AO . THEil REBellED PlMVIIGII .*

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MEGII9TH£NES OBSERvEO DEV07eES WORSHIPPING THE I?IVER.

o MOTHE12. - .- .- -

GANGA! GRANT floE. M4 WISH .

WHAT A MAGNIFICENT

RIVER THE GANGES IS!

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THIG

~lv eR

DeSERvES 10 BE. WORSHIPPED.

r--:::-:-=--:-:-__-:-:____, ___-7.a::.m~ar chitra katha

.... ' "~:S~-=:~~: :' :s.~~~,,;.:." ...,"",", --- :c ..>- ------. . ""1'-• • .• J, "...---

MOVING FURTHER EAST.. HE OBSER'YE() THE VIIST P/.IIIN5 OF THE NORTH.

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ER6E/? m LEIf/~N RBOUT THE PEOPLE OF INOlA> MEGRSTHcNES IIPPROIiCHEO THE HOllSEHOLP OF II PERSANT.

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HEfJlllNG THE HORSES RPPI/l()IiCHING~ THE

CIi/tO lOOltED UP-

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LOOK~ MOTHER!

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WELCOME, SIRS!

THE

P€RS/""~S

7HE PEliSANT WELCOME /) THE VISiTORS.

WIFE TURNE(J ROUND 70 SEE WHO

WRS COMING· WElCOME~ SIRS! PLEASE

BE 5EATEP AND SHARE

WELCOME , SlI2S! PLEASE BE SEATED AND

SHARE OUR FOOD. BE M'I GUESTS lODA
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OUR I=OOD . BE M'f GUESTS TODA4 ·

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THE PARROT ALSO SAID THAT· THESE -PEOPLE MUST BE EXTENDING TAL.ITcl

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r - - - - -- -- - - ~---.....:;M=EG=A.:.:.STHE;::N.::E=S___,~---~,._ THE'! ACCePTED THE OFFER.

JAAI.f I HAVE SOME

""ONE" ? OH) 40U MEAN "HE CERTAINL4 ~ SIR. I

MORe HOt.JE4

THE FOOD IS

oeLlCIOUS·

I WONDER HOW ,.HEY M~kE HONE4 _ WITHOUT BEES·

SERVe IT TO HIM .

pl.EASe?

MEG/ISTNENES AND THE SEIi!IIANT MOE THE PERSIINT RNO HIS FRMll 'l 6000BVE FINO Rlf5IJNlEP THEIR VOURNff ro ""T/ltJPtlTI?II. NJGHT4 GANGES

AND HER IRrllGA1tON CANALS NO DOUBT 811"113

THIS MAN CERTAINL'i

IS SHARP.

PROSPERIT4 TO THIS LAI.JO.

THEIR JOURfIIEY 'TIFf

OH ,.WHAT

A STRANGE.

T"'ee l

ITS BRANCHES ARE GOI ~G J2'IGHT BACK INiO THE GROUND! I HAve NEveR SEEN S UCH R PeCU LIAR TREE BEFORE!

/I LITTLe FIIRTHeECOULD IT BE

WHRl 15

GROWING ON TREES?

COTTON~

SIR. WE MAKE CLOTHSS OUT

OF IT •

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Ii FEW MaIZe

WEEKS~

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rJOURNEC/ THE'f RRR/VEO RT PIfTFU/PUTRII·

THIS MOAT HELPS TO HOLD THE' ENEM4 AT 8IW.

IT 15 A P ROTECTION AGAINST ENEMIES. IT ALSO RECEIVES THE CIT
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amar chitra katha THE SERVRNr t..EP MEGIISTHENES ON II ROlI#/) OF THE Ctr9. ME6liSTHENES WFiS VERt{ OBSERv,t1NT.

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-"-R-C'-HC:EC:RC:SC-C:SH'-O-OT--'IIT-T-H-e-~

eNEMCf THROUGH iHESE. THESE PRASII* ARE. MARVELl.OUSt

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IT TOOk THEM SOME TIME TO ReICH THE HOUSE Flt..LOTTEP TO MEGIISTHENES .

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118 THECI ENTER€{) THE HOUSE

TOMORROW I'D UKE TO VISIT

I HOPE 40U WILL BE COMFORTABLE

KING

FIRST l(OU HAVE TO REGISTER ClOUR NAMe. WITH THE CIT~ AUTHORITIES. SIR. ALL

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FOREI5NERS HAVE TO DO

hERE, 5112.

t{ES.

THANK

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if PRACH4AS ( THE EASTERNERS), MEANING THE PEOPLE OF MAGADHA •

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THE NEXT OIW. IIFTEIC REGlS.T ERING W/.TH THE CfTCI FlLJTHORfTIES~ .MEGRSTHENES

WENT TO ,HE R{)CIIIl PIURCE·

INSIDE THE ROqlfL COURT. kING CHFINORIfGUPTA WELCOMED WELCOMc J ME"GA9THEWES.40U NeeD NOT HAVE 50NE TO THE Clrq

AUTHORITIES . 'fouARE A

HOW 010 HE KNOW? HIS SPIES MUST HAVE" REPORTE:D TO HIM.

HAVo R VoR4 SPLENDID PRL.ACE-. O KING 5ANDROCOTTUS!

SP~CIAL

GUEST·

BUT "THE LIKES OF THIS PALACE OF 40URS. 0 KING~ ' I HAVE SEeN

I HAVE LIVED

IN MAN'f EXOTIC

WErTHER IN suSA NOR IN E.CBATANA.* AND PFlLIBOTHRA IS

LAt-IDS · · .

50 WELL PROTECTED FROM PERNICIOUS FOES t

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Re.PORTEDI..'i OF GOLD

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omer chitra kotha

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40U HAVE A I<.i'"EN INTElLECi INDeED. MEGASTHENES.

... ACCOMPAN4' ME ON M'I CAMPAIGNS .iHIS Will.. HEI.P 40U IN THE SiU D4 Of 'THIS

'IOU MA4 iAKE A SERf NEXT iO ME AND· ..

THANK 4 0U , o KING. Ii IS VERt{ IeIND OF

'Iou ·

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MEGIISTHENES WIt'TCHEO 7He PROCEEP/NGS WITH FIISCINIIT/()N. MATTERS PEIi!TlIINING 70 RDlNNtSTIllIT/()N WEIi!C FIRST RTTENDEP TO · 4ES. WE SHALl. IIPPOINi PUSH4I1GUPTA

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GOVERN02 OF SAURASHTRA. HAVE PROPOSED .

'* AS
THE PRI SONERS fiND THE Gl)ARPS

THEN CliMe THE IIDM/NISTRIITION OF dlJSTICE MAHARAJ! HE. HAS COMMITTED

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A HeINOUS CRIME. He CUT OFF THE HAND OFA POrl~2.

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HI5 PuN ISHMENT

15 DEATH .

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MAHARAJ, I WANTED TO DISCIJSS

A SMALl. MATTER PERTA INING TO THE Ro
MEGASTHENES THAT CAH WRIT. LET

ME FIRST FIN ISH M4 SUSINESS WITH

THE AMBASSADOI>S.

SUCH HARD WORK AND HE DOES NOT H~VE

A REST!•

liFTeR RETURNING TO HIS RESIDENCE MEGRSTHENES WROTe /1BOUT WHflT HE HIID lEARNT liT THE /?O((fil COURT.

«THE AST't'NOMOI*OF PIiU80THRA LOOK AFTER GIX SUB,JECTS: INDUSTRIAL ARTS; FOREIGNERS, CENSUS} TRADE

AND COMMERCE, WEIGHTS AND MEA5URE5;AWD COLLECTION

OF ,AXES .. · •

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THe NEXT OfW /-IT THE PfllflCE-

COME ON~ MEGA5THENES , JOIN US IN ,HE

I SHI\LL. GLADU1 DO

, THAT,

VASANT PANCHAM/1' PROCESSION.

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occasion was

from ashta amatya a eight minister s . +It i s presumed that the Panchami . Megssthenes has not mentioned the name of t he festival .

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omQr chitra katha THE P/iOCESSION PASseD THI!OIJGH THE M/IJN SIltLElS OF Plf71fUPIITIM.

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AFTBe fNOTtlRNlNG 70 THE PfUACI!, IHE KING RECEIveD V18J7Ofl5-

=-:MAHARAJ. PLEASE ACCEPT THIS HUMBLE C;IFT FROM ME.

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• OBVIQU5L4, THIS IS AN OCCASION WHEN GIFTS ARE PRe.Se~TEO TO THE kiNG·

MEGASTHENES r -_ _ _ _ _~ ----------

LATER-

NO <> I WOULD PREFER.

iOMOI?RO W WE

HAVE ARRANGED A CHARIOT RACE ,

TO G O ON AN ELEPHANT HUNT.

WOU LD 40U l.IKE

TO COME, MEGAS THeNES

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.MAHARAJ!

I'LL BE

,I.

H ONOUReD~

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"HElI SET our THe NEXT 0Ii'l-

THE TRENCH IS

:-:

REl\D~.

MAHARAJ. THE COW-ELEPHANTS ARE 60lNG IN ·

KING.

SENS ING THE COW- El.ePH/lHTG IN THE PI7; THE WIWeLEPH8NTS 8PPI?08 CEf) IT III THE' NIGHT.

GOOD. \T 15 8 16 ENOUG~

FOR TWENT<;

THE ENTIRE HE.RO BEEN TRAPPED IN THE Prr · NOW WHAT?

ELEPHANTS .

WILL Be.

STARVED IW1-o SUBMISSION · WE WILL REiURN

A6RIN RFlER SOME DA4S .

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WHEN TilE MEN weRE REAOY FOR THE SECONO PART OF THE VlSITeO TilE SPOT IUONG WITH THE KING·

OPERIJ7/0N~

MEGII5THENES RGIIIN

SEe HOW

M4 PET 15'

J

HOPE 'fOU HAVE

FED ~IM WELL .

"

OF COURSE I HAVE .

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omar chit ra k.a:.:th~a===_ _ -,-_ _-.,._ _ __ _ _-,-_ TRRPPEA THE WILD EtEPHRNTS IITTIIC/(ED THE TRME ONES.

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WER/(ENEf)~ THE WILD ONES SOON COtlllPSED IN SHEER EXJlRJJSTIO}/ . ,

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THE$' WERE 7HEN 7/lkEN CIIP11VE lIND tED TO THE /i!(}f.lfll S7FJ8LES .

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lIFTER RETlIfcWING HOME> Me6llS7HliNES

HIS GEI?VIINT. 40URS 15 AN INTEIlESTlNG LAND · I SHOULl) UKE TO

HE SET OUT liT NIGHT IINO SECRETL'I WflTCHW THE

peOPLE S HAU MAkE

ATO~N:E_H~O~U~5:E~~j:==~::~~~::==::= I WANT 'lOU R HAND IN MARRIAGE FO~

,.q

SON · I HAVE BROUGHT THE PAIR OF OXEN 'IOU HAD

THE COMMON PEOPLE IN DISGUISE,,/,

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WILL SHE BE HIS THIRO WIFE?

_____ _ ----------~-----------~M=E~GAST~H=EN=E=S~---------------------------­ AT RNOTHER HOUSE FI

NO, FOURTH . ONE

/\lUST HAVE A LOT OF CHILDReN.

PHl.fSIC/~N W8S P~NING II

"OU R $
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PEePING INTO IINOTHeR House-

AND THIS OINTMENT SHOULD RELieVe 400 OF ,/OUR

THtS IS THE POUCH 40U DROPPED IN "THE SIREET ACROSS .

HEADACHE·

111 HOME WroTE-

"THE INDIANS ARE DIVIDED INlO SEVEN THE PHILOSOPHERS

40Ug

BED CHAMBER IS

RESPECTED ONES .. ;u1t

TOOAtI IN TH

e.

NORTH WING.

'* THE: COMPLICATED CASTE STRUCTURE OF 8EWllDEREO

MEGASTHENE5)FOR THERE HAVE AlWA4S .

BEEN ONl" FOUR PRIMARY cASTES. •

PEOPLE

V THANK

ARE so HONeST

HEQE!

TNe NEXT O/IV ME6IISTHeNES MET THE KING IN THE IINTECHAMBER OF THE ROVIIL PIIlIICE· "..-~

BEING THE MOST

INDIAN SOCIE.lC( 08YIOUSl
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ornar

c hif r"o katha r-~~--~~~----------­

SURPRISED. ME6ASTHENES? I SLEEP IN A DIFFERENT CHAMBER EVERl( NIGHT. THE KING HRS MAN4

ENEMIES) AS 40U MUST KNOW.

IN A WEEIo:: ' S TIME WE LEAVE FOR THE 8ATTLE- FIELD. WOULD 40U Uk:E TO COME

MEGRSTHefrl13$ flCCOhfP~NIEO CH~NOf!lI6lJP111 TO THE BATTlE-FIELD.

WITH US?

I WOULD BE. DELIGHTED TO~O KING.

THECf PITCH€O TENTS liT NIGHT.

S UDD€NLr.,t THERE. WRS II COMMOTION IN THE 5TOP~ TH IEF ~

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r-______________________________~M~E=G~AST HrEN~E=S----~------~--~~-----------WE RECOVERED THE MONE4 BUT 1"HE THIEF AWRCf· HERes

HERRING THE COMM0710N. CH/fNDRfI(3UPTIJ

WHAT IS THE MATTER.

GUARD?

A THIEF STOLE

200 COINS,

THE MONEtt!>

MAHARAJ.

C/ITCH THE lHIEF.

MFlH ARRcl.

ME~S7HENES

MEGRS7HENES WAS INTRIGIJEO Sf{ THE INC/OENT-

200 COINS IS A SMALL AMOUNT) 0 KING· WH4

OCCURRENCE. BUT

ARE YOU MRKltJG

,HIS GOES

SUC H A J:"USS l'

RETURN 11 TO THE OWNER· AND SPARe NO EFfORT TO

STEALING IS A RARE •

THe. VICE MA4

SPReAD .

IF

lfJreR WROTE illS OBSERVIITIONS

IIBOUT 7Hc IIRM<{ ,

",HE 600,000 SOLDIERS • OF SANDROCOTIUS' ARMq ARE VER4 WELL-PAID.'HE4 ARE CON,ROLLED 84 A WAft! OFFICE WITH SIX

BOARDS ... "

•

ornar chitra katha HE 7OUli'EO THE COUNJR« EX7ENSIVELV ANO OBSEI?VEfJ THE WFIlI OF LIFE OF

HE ~VeN VISITEfJ THE FIIR /lWHI P/lNOctll iI' CI)IJN~ ~ RNO OB5ERVEO THE 9~TEM OFIIl>MINISTIHITION THeJ?E ) HEIlOE{) 8t( R QUEEN. OFFICER! FIN 0 OUT WH4 OUR CARGO OF PEARLS FROM

ctES ..

MAt-tARANI.

TAMBAPANNI+ GOT DEl.AqeD

THE PAlJDYRNS seEM TO PREFER WOMEN FOR SeNIOR ADMINISTRATIVE POST5. STRANGE: !

THIS "'TIME.

liT THE SEIlPORT OF

-•

=.-

3-=--;-:-.:::-....... -- 'KINS SANDROCOnU6 HAS AN IMPReSSIVe

of present-day Tamil Nadu .

+ Tamrapar ni, Sri Lanka of today .

--*Modern Sopara on the Western Coast .

30

MEGASTHENES MEGII5TJlENES RETV/i'NEf) IN DUE COIJRSE TO PIITRlJPlJ1RR.

.=====::::::;;--~--------l

I

,•

•

---

•

\ "

FINRllf.(~

HE THEN WeNT 70 CHANOIMGIJPTA TO BIO HIM I

FAREWEll.., 0 KING. MCf TENURE: IN. INDIA IS

aVE J1. I WISH TO RETURN HOME NOW.

HOPE CiOU ENd OCfE[)

~OUR

STAY WITH US·

GIVE MCf REGARDS TO

kiNG 5ELEUCUS.

HE BADE GOODBYE TO 7HE

GOODB~E

AND THANK ~OU . ~ou HAV6 BeEN A WONDERFUL COMPANION.

~

TO TElL 40U THE

'TRUTH, SIR) I 'WAS ASKED TO Spy ON 'IOU .

"---

/rIEGA51HENE5 RODE !iWR'I WESTWRRDS WfTH THE FOUR VOlUMES OF'HI!) INV~L(/I1BI.E INDICA;, THE FIRST 11.l1THENTIC ACCOUNT OF INO/II

TO ·THE wesrERN WORlD.

WHAT A CHARMING AND nJTELl.IGENT MAN ~ I

HOPE THE 4AVANAS AND lNDIA~S WilL COME CLOSER

NOW.

G(!iP&( 31

Illustrated Classics From India

Megasthenes Megasthenes was among the first foreigners to have visited India in historical times and given an eyewitness account of conditions prevailing in this country during the 4th century B.C . He was the ambassador of Selecus Nicator at the court of Chandragupata Maurva and he had the opportunity to travel extensively in the country and observe closely the proceedings at the royal court , various aspects of military and civil

administration, the geography to the country, the social and economic conditions of the people and the political institutions. He put down his observations in four vikunes entitled 'Indica'.

'Indica' in its original form has now been lost. but some later writers like Diodorus. Pliny. Strabo and Arrian have quoted from the work. Barring the few instances where Megasthenes had to rely on hearsay. his account of India is highly valued for its accuracy and authenticity. This story of Megasthenes is adapted from his own account of the India of his times. and the sequence of events in our narration has been modified for coherence and lucidity while maintaining the accuracy of historical records .

Editor: Anant Pai Script: Shubha Khandekar

Illustrations: Souren Roy

Cover: Ramesh Umrotkar

Related Titles Fa Hien • Hiuen Tsang. Chanakya Chandragupta Maurya • Paurava and Alexander

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