📜 Eminent Personalities of Ancient India 🇮🇳 ✅ Alexander – Ruler of Macedonia, invaded India in 326 BC, reached river Beas. ✅ Ajatashatru – Son of Bimbisara, established Pataliputra. ✅ Arien – Greek historian, wrote about Alexander’s invasion. ✅ Ashwaghosa – Wrote Buddha Charita, Sutralankar, and Sandaranand. ✅ AmarSimha – Sanskrit scholar, wrote Amarakosha in Chandragupta’s court. ✅ Aryabhatta – Explained solar & lunar eclipses, declared Earth is round, wrote Aryabhattiyam. ✅ Bimbisara – Founded Magadha Empire (Haryanka Dynasty), first influential king. ✅ Banabhatta – Court poet of Harshavardhana, wrote Harsha Charita & Kadambari. ✅ Charak – Ayurvedic expert, wrote Charak-Samhita. ✅ Amoghavarsha – Famous Rashtrakuta ruler. ✅ Patanjali – Founded ‘Yoga Shastra’, Hindu philosophy school. ✅ Dhanananda – Powerful Magadha king; Alexander did not invade Magadha due to his reputation. ✅ Darius I – Persian ruler who invaded India in 6th century BC. ✅ Gautami Putra Satakarni – Most famous Satavahana king (2nd century). 📜 Other Key Personalities ✅ Harisena – Wrote Prayaga Prashasti (Allahabad Pillar Inscription of Samudragupta). ✅ Kharavela – Ruler of Kalinga in 1st century AD, known for Hathigumpha inscription. ✅ Kanishka – Kushan king, started Shaka Era, organized 4th Buddhist Council (Kundalvana, Kashmir). ✅ Karikala – Chola ruler, founded Puhar (Kaveri Pattinam). ✅ Kautilya (Chanakya) – Wrote Arthashastra, compared to Machiavelli. ✅ Kalidasa – Sanskrit poet; wrote Raghuvamsa, Abhijnana Shakuntalam, Meghadutam. ✅ Kamban – Tamil poet (11th century), wrote Ramayanam in Tamil. ✅ Mihir Bhoja – Famous Pratihara ruler (9th century). ✅ Kalhana – Kashmiri poet & historian, wrote Rajatarangini. ✅ Marco Polo – Venetian traveller, visited India (13th century). ✅ Menander – Indo-Greek king, embraced Buddhism, known as Milinda Panho. ✅ Nagarjuna – Buddhist monk, propounded Madhyamaka philosophy. ✅ Makkali Gosala – Founder of Ajivika Sect (6th century BC). ✅ Mihirkula – Huna conqueror, defeated by Yashodharma. ✅ Skandagupta – Last mighty Gupta ruler. 📜 Scholars & Scientists of Ancient India ✅ Sushrut – Doctor, wrote Sushruta-Samhita. ✅ Pulikeshi II – Powerful Chalukya king, defeated Harshavardhana. ✅ Pushya Mitra Sunga – Killed last Mauryan ruler, founded Sunga Dynasty (185 BC). ✅ Pliny – Roman historian, wrote Natural History, documented Mauryas of India. ✅ Panini – Sanskrit grammarian, wrote Ashtadhyayi. ✅ Varahamihira – Astronomer, wrote Brihat Samhita. ✅ Sankaracharya – Propagated Advaita philosophy, born in Kaladi, Kerala. #history #history #prelims_facts