Book excerpt: Bharatvarsha, Land Of The Aryas: 272 BC Bindusar, the second Samrat Chakravartin of all the Aryas, rules the Indian sub-continent from his capital, Patliputra. Fifty years previously, his father, Chandragupta Maurya, had laid the foundations of this vast Samrajya, guided by the famed Guru, Arya Chanakya. But the pinnacle of the Empire’s wealth and glory has now passed… As the Samrat’s health declines due to .a mysterious illness, problems and factions, in-fighting and rebellion, raise their heads across his realm. There is no clear successor as the ninety-nine sons of Bindusar vie to ascend the throne. Bharatvarsha waits for a warrior-king to rise up and lead the Empire once again. Can young Prince Asoka, least favoured of Bindusar’s sons, take on his grandfather’s mantle? Can Radhagupta, a mere Councillor at Court, be the inspiration Chanakya was to his Emperor and his people? Book I of the epic Asoka Trilogy revolves around the haunting question: Who will be the next Samrat of the revered land of the Aryas? The first book of this riveting narrative captures the decline of a golden age, the upsurge of greed and chaos, the dark aspirations of royal heirs, and the dramatic events in the remarkable life of a man of destiny.