The serial Porus on Sony TV has an interesting ongoing plot where Acharya Chanakya is bringing two of the greatest warriors in front of each other. One wants to win the Indian subcontinent – Alexander the Great and the other is Porus, who is all set to safeguard his native from the foreign conqueror.
While this makes an interesting watch, one wonders whether Chanakya met Alexander in for real?
Did Acharya Chanakya Meet Alexander the Great?
When Alexander entered the Indian subcontinent post capturing Persia, Chanakya was just a professor in the Takshashila university. Chanakya but obvious knew who Alexander is, but Alexander definitely would have no clue about him. Well, mainly because Acharya back then had neither any national identity (unlike later) nor any prominent role to play in the country’s politics.
However, Acharya Chanakya was well aware of the Greek forays. This is the reason why he went to Pataliaputra to caution the strongest Emperor of that time but the Nanda king insulted him. Post which he took an oath and started training a young boy who went onto become Chandragupta Maurya, one of the greatest Indian kings of all time.
Besides, none of the historical documents and or source states the meeting of these two great personalities despite being contemporaries.
Chandraprakash Dwivedi who wrote the series Chanakya on DD (1991-1992) read over 180 books including Arthashastra over nine years. So, the things shown in the serial is assumed to be close to the historical facts. In this series interpreted with great research and findings, Chanakya never met Alexander but played a very important role in inculcating patriotism amongst the then natives of India to fight against the foreign invaders.
Chanakya was highly disappointed that the Indian rulers didn’t support the idea of uniting against a foreign invader. He knew they lacked national conscious. It is because of this, he brought up a kid who could share his conscious and then become a king so as to implement his plans to reach India to great levels.
However, by the time, both Chanakya and Chandragupta Maurya came in the forefront, Alexander had already not just left India but the world as well.
This is the reason why Acharya Chanakya could never meet Alexander the great. The plots, sequences and links shown in the serial is thus purely fictional and has no reference to the history whatsoever.
