In the serial Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat, Samrat Bindusar is highly agitated seeing Rajkumar Sushim alive with his mother Charumitra. He in fact is annoyed that why Sushim is alive when he should be already dead at the hands of Ashoka. All this hatred between the father and the son makes us wonder whether in reality too such a thing happened between the father and son.
Did Samrat Bindusar really hate Sushim so much that he wanted him to be dead? Did the Magadh Samrat favor Ashoka over his first born? Did he order Ashoka to kill his own brothers? Did Bindusar prepared for the coronation of Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat?
Samrat Bindusar Loved Rajkumar Sushim not Ashoka
According to the ancient texts and available documents, it is widely known that Ashoka was the son of Bindusar’s wife that belonged to the Brahmin caste who did not belong to any royal family. On the other hand, Sushim was Bindusar’s first born from his Maharani. The Samrat favored Sushim over Ashoka and even listened to him. It was on his insistence that Samrat even sent Ashoka to exile once.
Also Read: Life of Samrat Bindusara: Facts & History
The love of Bindusar towards Sushim is quite natural as, in the royal lineage it was the first born who had the right to throne. However, since the ministers played a key role in the administration of the Mauryan Empire they could even manipulate the coronation by favoring Ashoka over Sushim.
Samrat Bindusar Wanted Sushim to Be The Next Samrat, not Ashoka
When Bindusar was on his death bed, he wanted to see his son and also wanted to crown him as the next Samrat. Since, he had made no official announcement before, he wanted Rajkumar Sushim to come back to Patliaputra from Takshahila (Sushim was the viceroy of Takshashila).
Next, he asked his ministers to send Ashoka to Takshashila so that Sushim could come back and he could coronate him as the next Samrat before he dies. However, the ministers neither liked Sushim nor wanted him to be become the next Samrat. So, they together devised a plan and faked Ashoka’s fever. They insisted that Ashoka has so much fever that he cannot go while Bindusar kept on insisting that they bring Sushim to Patliaputra so that they could make him the Mauryan Samrat.
The Magadh Samrat Didn’t Approve Ashoka as the Temporary Samrat
When the condition of Bindusar deteriorated further and he kept on insisting to see Sushim, the ministers requested him to make Ashoka the temporary Samrat. Even when he was on the final stages, the Samrat didn’t approve Ashoka to be the temporary Samrat let alone giving the permission to become a Chakravartin.
Also Read: How Did Samrat Bindusara Die?
Samrat Bindusar was keen to see Rajkumar Sushim as Samrat Sushim. However, his dreams were shattered when the ministers manipulated the stay of Sushim in Takshashila and faked Ashoka’s fever. This was the connection between the father and the son unlike portrayed in the serial Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat where Samrat wishes the death of his first born Sushim.
