The Mauryas ruled nearly the entire Indian subcontinent with efficiency and administrative skill from around 324 BCE to around 185 BCE. This authoritative work on the Mauryas begins with the founding of Magadha in the sixth century BCE and chronicles the drama, the vivid betrayals, and the intrigues of the Mauryan dynasty in Magadha, beginning with its enigmatic founder, Chandragupta Maurya, and his even more enigmatic mentor, Chanakya/Kautilya, who assisted him in gaining the throne. In the history of the Mauryas, Bindusara, Chandragupta's son and heir, is a very enigmatic and mysterious character. Bindusara is sandwiched between his well-known father and his even more well-known son, Ashoka, and has escaped the notice of recorded history.