Susima (also Sushima) (Sanskrit: uɕimɐ was the crown prince of the

Maurya Empire The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia with its power base in Magadha. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya around c. 320 BCE, it existed in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The primary source ...

of ancient India and the eldest son and

heir-apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

of the second Mauryan emperor

Bindusara Bindusara (320 BCE – 273 BCE) () was the second Mauryan emperor of Magadha in Ancient India. The ancient Greco-Roman writers called him Amitrochates, a name likely derived from his Sanskrit title ''Amitraghāta'' ("slayer of enemies"). ...

. He was next in line for his father's throne, but was defeated in a succession conflict by his younger half-brother,

Ashoka Ashoka, also known as Asoka or Aśoka ( ; , ; – 232 BCE), and popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was List of Mauryan emperors, Emperor of Magadha from until #Death, his death in 232 BCE, and the third ruler from the Mauryan dynast ...

, who eventually succeeded Bindusara as the third Mauryan emperor.

Birth and family

Susima was the eldest son of the second Mauryan emperor, Bindusara. Not only was Susima the crown prince, but also his mother, Charumitra or Charumati,was a princess as opposed to Ashoka's mother, Subhadrangi, who was a commoner. He had two wives Chanda and Rupa and a son Nigrodh by Chanda.

Life

Susima was born to Bindusara, likely from his chief queen. He had several younger half-siblings, including Ashoka, born to Bindusara's second wife, Subhadrangi. Susima was well-educated and trained in the arts of war and statecraft. He was also a skilled archer and horseman. When Bindusara fell ill in 273 BC, Susima was the clear heir to the throne. However, Ashoka was a popular figure among the army and the people. In supposed contrast to Susima, who was known to be rowdy and arrogant. He also had the support of Bindusara's chief minister, Radhagupta. After Bindusara's death, a succession conflict broke out between Susima and Ashoka. Ashoka defeated Susima's forces and claimed the throne for himself. Susima was defeated in the fighting.

Cultural depictions

Ajith Kumar Ajith Kumar Subramaniam (born 1 May 1971) is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Tamil cinema. To date, he has starred in over 63 films, and won four Vijay Awards, three Cinema Express Awards, three Filmfare Awards South and three Ta ...

portrayed Sushim in the 2001

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...

film '' Aśoka''. * Ankit Arora portrayed the role of Sushim in the historical drama series

Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat ''Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat'' () is a 2015 Indian historical drama TV series that aired on Colors TV from 2 February 2015 to 7 October 2016. with Siddharth Nigam portraying the young version of the character. Series is based on the life of Em ...

. ** Sumedh Mudgalkar played the young version.

References

{{authority control Mauryan princes Mauryan dynasty