6_Glorious_Epochs_of_Indian_History

48 SIX GLORIOUS EPOCHS OF INDIAN HISTORY
shrewdly guessed that even these votaries of tradition were
far less likely to oppose Chandragupta's election to the
throne of Magadha. He, therefore, determined to champion
the claim of Chandragupta to the emperorship of Magadha—
why even to that of the whole of India."
112. While the grand plan of an India-wide empire of
Chanakya-and-Chandragupta was thus being set afoot the un­
fortunate event of a foreign invasion was reported towards
Persia. Alexander had already destroyed the empire of Persia
and had invaded India. Although, as has been related in the
foregoing page, he was staunchly opposed by the Bharatiya
valour and forced to retreat home, it was plain that Alexan­
der's well organized imperial military might was not totally
annulled.
113. Even out of this evil some good did emerge. The
republican subjects of the frontier regions, with their faith
in democratic principles shaken rudely by the heavy knock
of a foreign invasion and the bloody wars that followed,
began to agree with Chanakya and other patriotic prophets
that national independence was in peril unless a countrywide
Indian empire was established on the lines of the vast,
highly centralized, well-organized and unitary form of empire
of the enemy.
114. The first happy sign of this revolutionary spirit
was seen in the general uprising throughout the smaller
states and republics, conquered by Alexander and annexed
to his empire, and in the fact that hardly within six months
or a year of Alexander's death these Indian territories shook
off the foreign rule and became independent. Justin, an
ancient, renowned writer, credits the leadership of Chandra­
gupta with the authorship of this wonderful and noble
collective uprising. "India after the death of Alexander had
shaken, as it were, the yoke of servitude from its neck
and put his governors to death. The author of this libera­
tion was Sandrocottus." The 'Sandrocottus' of this quotation
is Chandragupta. The Greeks pronounced the name of