Great Indian Emperors

In this bumper issue, we have included the stories of three great emperors of ancient India - Ashoka, Samudra Gupta and Harsha. History chronicles innumerable kings who were brave conquerors and valiant soldiers. But Ashoka stands above them all because he is the only one who at the Zenith of his conquests saw th futility of violence and had the courage to renounce it. That is why, H.G.Wells in his 'Short History of the World' says that Ashoka's 'reign for eight and twenty years was one of the brightest interludes in the troubled history of mankind'. When one recalls the 'Glory that was Ind' one first thinks of the golden age of the Guptas. Emperors and empires, India had seen earlier, but the power and the splendour of the Guptas were unique and none in the dynasty strove harder than Samudra Gupta to achieve them. If Harsha is remembered till this day as a great ruler, it is not only because he was a brave military leader, but also because he was a man of noble impulses, a great patron of learning and letters and he had great scholars like Banabhatta, Mayura and Divakara in his court. Banbhatta's 'Harshacharita' gives a detailed account of Harsha's life till he rescues Rajyashri. We know more about the political and economic condition of his times form the account of Hiuen Tsang, who visited India during his reign.