Page:History of India Vol 2.djvu/160

 128 CHANDRAGUPTA AND BINDUSARA Antiochos Soter, who continued to follow his father's policy in regard to India. The anecdote concerning the correspondence between Antiochos and Bindusara, although trivial in itself, is worth quoting as a tangible proof of the familiar inter- course between the sovereign of India and his ally in Western Asia. Nothing, we are told, being sweeter than figs, Bindusara begged Antiochos to send him some figs and raisin wine, and added that he would like him also to buy and send a professor. Antiochos replied that he had much pleasure in forwarding the figs and raisin wine, but regretted that he could not oblige his corre- spondent with the last-named article, because it was not lawful for Greeks to sell a professor. Nothing is recorded concerning the internal policy of Bindusara, whose reign lasted for twenty-five years, nor is any monument or inscription of his time know^n. But it is probable that he continued his father's career of annexation and conquest within the borders of India. The limits of the empire ruled by Asoka, son and suc- cessor of Bindusara, are known with sufficient accuracy, and it is certain that his dominions extended as far south as Madras. The country south of the Narmada was not conquered by Asoka, whose only annexation was that of the kingdom of Kalinga, on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. The Deccan, or peninsular India, down to approxi- mately the latitude of Madras, must have been subju- gated by either Chandragupta or Bindusara, because it was inherited from the latter by Asoka; and it is