Ancient India: Discovering Lost Stories from Indian History (Secrets of the Forgotten Past)

An empire that was once larger than the Roman Empire at its peak — and most people have never heard its story. Before Rome's legions ever dominated Europe, a massive power was already ruling the Indian subcontinent. It stretched from the mountains of present-day Afghanistan to the Bay of Bengal, carving its path deep into southern India. This was the Mauryan Empire. It began with the raw ambition of Chandragupta Maurya, but it was under Ashoka that the empire reached its terrifying, magnificent zenith. Today, we remember Ashoka as a ruler of peace — but he didn't start that way. In his early years, he was known for extreme, legendary cruelty. After the Mauryas came the Gupta Empire, often called India's "Golden Age." Scholars were calculating the value of pi and charting the movements of planets. Poets created literature that people still read two thousand years later. Yet even in an age of achievement, danger and betrayal were never far away. Inside this book, you'll discover: The Clash — The fierce battle between King Porus and Alexander the Great, and why Alexander's own soldiers refused to march further into India.