Vol. IX, Nos. 8-9.] The Date of Asoka’ s Coronation. 321 
[N.8.] 
this time of Chandra-Gupta’s succession sot B. oe, has to be 
shifted back four (or, perhaps, three) years ea 
The above result would yield the natier-poeres that even 
while ick cake was struggling through the deserts of Sindh 
and Baluchistan, Chandra- Gupte was “busy f ounding his own 
power. The revolt of the ‘‘ mercenary (=Hindu) army 
put to death the Macedonian general Philippos in command over 
e Punjab, in 324 , was probably connected with the early 
ais of Chandra iota! The period 325-324 B.c. appears 
to have been very momentous to him. He must have been 
The final crushing of the remnant of the Macedonian power 
must have followed his capital cil in Magadha and would 
have to be dated in 324-323 B 
The entire theory of the hypothetical date of Chandra- 
Gupta’s accession has been, up to this time, based on the as- 
sumption that he could not have undertake en his operations 
beiore the news of the death of Alexander reached India.? 
But, in the light of the now ascertained date of Asoka’s corona- 
tion, he does not seem to have waited for an opportunity such 
as that to be afforded by the death of Alexander. In fact*there 
was no such necessity, for to all purposes Alexawgier’ s retreat was 
the demise of his prestige in India. Alexander could anticipate 
this, hence his herculean efforts to coax the army to march on 
towards the Nandan forces. His retreat, despite his manu- 
facturing and leaving gigantic camping relics to impress ‘ future 
generations’ or more probably the Prasii who might decide 
fession of weakness. The greatest opportunity was offered by 
the retreat itself; one had not to wait till his death. The 
‘¢ mercenaries’’ removed the symbol of Macedonian power, 
the representative of Alexander, while Alexander was still alive. 
Thus the basis of assigning a later date to Chandra- 
Gupta’s rise, the necessity for waiting till his death, not being 
maintainable, the earlier date (325-324 B.c.), given to us by 
historical data of the first eminence, >, ought to be mocepred. 
1 The story in the Mudra-Rakehasa of of the murder of the ‘mlechehha 
Parvata through Chandragupta’s stratagem of vishakanyd is pr robably 
based a tradition ot the death of Philippos. Philippos in Prakriita 
would have been changed into Pirabo or Pirabao, which when restored 
into Recpesritts would yield Parvata or Parvataka. 
‘* We may feel assu ed that as soon as the news of the conqueror’s 
except the small remnant to which Eudamos yore to cling.’’ V. 
Smith, Barly History of india, pp. 114-5 [Second Editi 
