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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2017}}
{{italic title}}
'''''Chandragupta''''' ({{lang-bn|চন্দ্রগুপ্ত}}) is the last [[history play]]<ref name = ghosh>{{cite book |last1= Ghosh|first1=Ajit Kumar |title= Dwijendralal Ray |edition=1st |year= 2001 |series= Makers of Indian Literature|publisher=Sahitye Akademi |location= New Delhi |isbn= 81-260-1227-7 |pages=44–46 }}</ref> by [[Dwijendralal Ray]], written in 1911.<ref name = raha>{{cite book |last1= Raha|first1= Kironmoy|title= Bengali Theatre |edition=3rd |year= 2001 |origyear= 1978|publisher=National Book Trust, India |location= New Delhi |isbn= 978-81-237-0649-8 |page=81 }}</ref> The play, set in ancient [[Magadha|kingdom of Magadha]], recounts how [[Chandragupta Maurya]], with the help of his faithful minister [[Kautilya|Chanakya]], ascended the throne of Magadha by defeating and subsequently killing his half-brother Nanda. It is one of the most popular plays by Ray. The story of the play is loosely borrowed from the [[Puranas]] and the Greek history.

==Sources==
The play, as Dwijendralal Ray himself cited, was drawn from the Hindu [[Purana]]s (possibly the [[Vishnu Purana]]) and Greek history.<ref name = sourcessukumar/> The accounts of Chandraketu and Mura is loosely borrowed from [[Sanskrit]] play ''[[Mudrarakshasa]]''.<ref name = sourcessukumar/> The love affair between Chandragupta and Chhaya as well as the sub-plot regarding the story of Antigonus is Ray’s original thoughts.<ref name = sourcessukumar>{{cite book |last1=Ray |first1= Dwijendralal |editor1-first=Sukumar |editor1-last=Bandyopadhyay |title= Dwijendralaler Chandragupta|trans-title= Chandragupta by Dwindralal |edition=4th |date=July 2006 |origyear= 1969 |publisher=Modern Book Agency Pvt Ltd |location= [[Kolkata]]|language= Bengali |pages= Preface-10–14 |trans-chapter=Preface: Historic References |chapter=Bhumika: Aitihasikata }}</ref>

==Characters==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
* '''[[Dhana Nanda|Nanda]]''' – King of Magadha.
* '''[[Chandragupta Maurya|Chandragupta]]''' – Nanda's half-brother, later Emperor of [[India]].
* '''Bachal''' – Nanda's brother-in-law.
* '''[[Chanakya]]''' – A [[Brahmin]], later Prime Minister of Chandragupta.
* '''Katyayan''' – Nanda's minister.
* '''Chandraketu''' – King of Malaya.
* '''[[Alexander the Great|Sekendar Shah]]''' – Greek Emperor.
* '''[[Seleucus I Nicator|Seleucus]]''' – Greek Commander, later Greek King.
*'''Antigonus''' – a Greek Commander.
{{col-2}}

* '''Helena''' – Seleucus's daughter, later Empress of India.
* '''Chhaya''' – Chandraketu's sister.
*'''Mura''' – Chandragupta's mother.
{{col-end}}

The characters Helena and Chhaya were created by [[Dwijendralal Ray|Roy]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FZTOPE3rrCcC&pg=PA98 |title=Abburi Ramakrishna Rau |author=E. Nageswara Rao |page=98 |publisher=[[Sahitya Akademi]] |year=2002 |isbn=9788126010707 }}</ref> Other characters appear in historical records or earlier legends, such as ''[[Mudrarakshasa]]''.

==Synopsis==
[[Chandragupta Maurya|Chandragupta]], the Prince of [[Magadha]], after being overthrown and exiled by his half-brother Nanda, joined [[Alexander the Great|Sekendar Shah]]’s army where [[Seleucus I Nicator|Seleucus]] taught him the art of warfare. Later, with the help of Chandraketu, the young king of Malay, [[Chanakya]], the former Royal Priest and Katyayan, the former Prime Minister of Magadha, Chandragupta defeated and overthrown Nanda who was later put to death by Chankya. Chandraketu’s sister Chhaya fell in love with Chandragupta.

After Sekandar Shah’s death, Seleucus became the emperor of Asia. He appointed Antigonus, an exiled Greek legionary, as the commander of his army. Antigonus fell in love with Seleucus’s daughter Helena, who was already in love with Chandragupta, and was refused by both her and Seleucus, mentioning Antigonus was an illegitimate child. Antigonus went back to Greece and upon questioning his mother, learnt that he was a legal son of none but Seleucus himself.

Later, Seleucus attacked Magadha but was defeated. As a part of the peace treaty signed between Chanakya, new Prime Minister of Magadha and Seleucus, Chandragupta married Helena. Upon learning Chhaya also loved Chandragupta, Helena helped her to marry him, too. Antigonus comes back to India and declared that he is a legal son of Seleucus, and hence Helena’s half-brother and the Chandragupta’s brother-in-law.

==Songs==
''Chandragupta'' has eight songs, written and composed by Dwijendralal Ray himself.<ref name = songssukumar/> These are:
# "Tumi He Praner Bnodhu" ("তুমি হে প্রাণের বঁধু") (Act I, Scene iii)
# "Aay Re Basanta, Tor Kiran-Makha Pakha Tuli" ("আয় রে বসন্ত, তোর কিরণমাখা পাখা তুলি") (Act I, Scene iv)
# "Jakhan Saghano Gagano Garaje Barashe Kadka Dhara" ("যখন সঘন গগন গরজে বরষে কড়কা ধারা") (Act III, Scene i)
# "Aar Keno Michhe Asha, Michhe Bhalobasa, Michhe Keno Tnar Bhabana" ("আর কেন মিছে আশা, মিছে ভালবাসা, মিছে কেন তাঁঁর ভাবনা") (Act III, Scene v)
# "Ghano Tamasabrito Ambaro Dharni" ("ঘন তমসাবৃত অম্বর ধরণী") (Act IV, Scene i)
# "Aji Gao Mahageet" ("আজি গাও মহাগীত") (Act IV, Scene vi)
# "Oi Mahasindhur Opar Theke Ki Sangeet Bhese Ase" ("ওই মহাসিন্ধুর ওপার থেকে কি সংগীত ভেসে আসে") (Act V, Scene ii)
# "Sakal Byathar Byathi Ami Hoi, Tumi Hao Sab Sukher Bhagi" ("সকল ব্যথার ব্যথী আমি হই, তুমি হও সব সুখের ভাগী") (Act V, Scene iii)

According to Sukumar Bandyopadhyay, the songs of this play were highly successful as each of the song has some special significance regarding the story of the play.<ref name = songssukumar>{{cite book |last1=Ray |first1= Dwijendralal |editor1-first=Sukumar |editor1-last=Bandyopadhyay |title= Dwijendralaler Chandragupta|trans-title= Chandragupta by Dwindralal |edition=4th |date=July 2006 |origyear= 1969 |publisher=Modern Book Agency Pvt Ltd |location= [[Kolkata]]|language= Bengali |pages= Preface-38–41 |trans-chapter=Preface: Songs of the Play |chapter=Bhumika: Nataker Sangeet }}</ref>

==Adaptations==
The play was adapted into a Tamil film called ''[[Mathru Bhoomi (1939 film)|Mathru Bhoomi]]'' (1939) directed by [[H. M. Reddy]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/mathru-bhoomi-1939/article3020901.ece|title = Mathru Bhoomi (1939)|newspaper = The Hindu|date = 14 May 2010}}</ref><ref>https://epaper.timesgroup.com/olive/apa/timesofindia/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=TOICH%2F2018%2F04%2F23&id=Ar00819&sk=6633D1AA&viewMode=text</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:1911 plays]]
[[Category:Plays by Dwijendralal Ray]]
[[Category:Bengali-language plays]]
[[Category:Works about the Maurya Empire]]
[[Category:Plays set in India]]
[[Category:Plays set in the 4th century BC]]
[[Category:Plays based on actual events]]
[[Category:Plays based on real people]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Indian men]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of male monarchs]]
[[Category:Indian plays adapted into films]]

Chandragupta (play) - Revision history