And thus Magadha fell. Alongside the announcement of Durdhara’s marriage to Chandragupta, the minister surrendered and agreed to officiate the marriage as the chief priest. The neutral parties in Magadha agreed to support the minister in their surrender, the few lone forts that held out were captured and their leaders executed. Panduka and Kaivarta attempted to flee, are captured at Pataliputra’s city border.
Chanakya immediately makes counter-arrangements in case the Greeks exploit this opportunity to gain influence in the North-West. Rewards kings who supported, immediately secures funds, security, tax cuts for reconstruction and infrastructure building (Uttarapatha, cities destroyed by the Magadhan expansion, cities destroyed by wars with the Greeks), arranges transfer of Megasthenes and Thera to Pataliputra where they cannot be rescued. Resettlement and division of Greek mercenaries. Clearing large swathes of Dandaka, hires large quantities of cheap fighting forces from the Dandakaranya natives who are now displaced to the replace lost forces – they will be resettled into civilized society and trained over the next few years. Already identified factions in Magadha disloyal to Chandragupta and execute them/resettle them in Kalinga depending on precise loyalties. Spies reporting from kingdoms in Chandragupta’s region of influence. Kings told openly that Chandragupta has spies in their state to show dominance, keep them scared to conspire – but to protect kings’ honor, “we’re not spying on you, they’re just there to keep an eye on this other guy, but their identity must remain secret”. Ashwamedha begins.
At the Ashwamedha Yajna, Mathurans hesitant about ruling from Magadha, which has been viewed as the enemy. Chanakya: Mathura, Ujjain and Ayodhya are rightful seats of commerce and urban life because their cities support great economies, Kishkinda and Ujjain are rightful seats of metallurgy because of their great metal deposits, Malabar, Saurashtra, Sindhu, Anga is the rightful seat for oceanic trade because it is on the coast, Malabar is the rightful seat for steel-making because of the winds in the area, The Chola coast is the rightful center for shipbuilding for it faces many resourceful lands worthy of exploration, Mathura and Ayodhya are temple towns for the great men who’ve lived in these cities. Similarly if the purpose of government is to provide security to its people and Magadha is the location of greatest military strength at this present time, then that makes Magadha the rightful seat of government. Government is but one small aspect of a nation, alongside these very many economic activities I just listed, no more “important” than any of them. Surely you do not hold a kshatriya’s job to be superior to your own? The only difference is that while these other industries create, government has the power both to protect and to destroy. The latter is what lead to the demonization of Magadha. Power corrupts.
Chanakya to Chandragupta: I worry about my decision to rule from Magadha. Until then I have received only praise and adulation from Brahmins at Taxila, Mathura, etc. but ever since then people have been far more reserved. I worry, because I believe that men should put themselves in good company, and my decision contradicts this, even if for sufficiently better cause. Should we move the capital to Ayodhya? Changing now would make us look indecisive. If we were to rule from Ayodhya we should have made a display of victory over Magadha, marching royal plunder and prisoners to Ayodhya and so on. Changing now would only spread dissatisfaction, among both Magadhans and Aryavartans.
