The ancient Greco-Roman writers called him Amitrochates, a name likely derived from his Sanskrit title Amitraghāta ("slayer of enemies").

Bindusara was the son of the dynasty's founder Chandragupta and the father of its most famous ruler Ashoka.

The 16th century Tibetan Buddhist author Taranatha credits his administration with extensive territorial conquests in southern India, but some historians doubt the historical authenticity of this claim.

[4] While these legends can be used to make several inferences about Bindusara's reign, they are not entirely reliable because of the close association between Ashoka and Buddhism.

[6] The prose version of Ashokavadana states that Bindusara was the son of Nanda and a 10th-generation descendant of Bimbisara.

[6] Chandragupta had a marriage alliance with the Seleucids, which has led to speculation that Bindusara's mother might have been Greek or Macedonian.

[13] According to the 12th century Jain writer Hemachandra's Parishishta-Parvan, the name of Bindusara's mother was Durdhara.

[7] The Greek writers Strabo and Athenaeus call him Allitrochades (Ἀλλιτροχάδης) and Amitrochates (Ἀμιτροχάτης) respectively; these names are probably derived from the Sanskrit title.

Fleet believed that the Greek name was derived from the Sanskrit word Amitrakhāda ("devourer of enemies"), a title of Indra.

[18] The Jain text Parishishta-Parvan names the empress as Durdhara, and states that Chanakya entered the room the very moment she collapsed.

The mother of Ashoka and Vigatashoka was a woman named Subhadrangi, the daughter of a Brahmin of the Champa city.

Bindusara was initially apprehensive about her low class, but made her the chief empress after learning about her Brahmin descent.

[7] The 16th century Tibetan Buddhist author Taranatha states that Chanakya, one of Bindusara's "great lords", destroyed the nobles and kings of 16 towns and made him master of all the territory between the western and the eastern seas (Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal).

Based on this, Sen concludes that Bindusara did not extend the Mauryan empire, but managed to retain the territories he inherited from Chandragupta.

[22] K. Krishna Reddy, on the other hand, argues that Ashoka's inscriptions would have boasted about his conquest of southern India, had he captured Deccan.

Daniélou, however, believes that Bindusara brought the southern territories of the Cheras, the Cholas and the Satyaputras under nominal Mauryan control, although he could not overcome their armies.

According to Daniélou, Bindusara's main achievement was organization and consolidation of the empire he inherited from Chandragupta.

Ashoka then entered the city without opposition, and the devatas declared that he would rule the entire earth one day.

Meanwhile, Bindusara learned of the detailed circumstances of his birth, and implored Chanakya to resume his ministerial duties.

It names two officials – Khallataka and Radhagupta – who helped his son Ashoka became the emperor after his death.

[29] The 3rd century Greek writer Athenaeus, in his Deipnosophistae, mentions an incident that he learned from Hegesander's writings: Bindusara requested Antiochus to send him sweet wine, dried figs and a sophist.

[11] Antiochus replied that he would send the wine and the figs, but the Greek laws forbade him to sell a sophist.

[33] Diodorus states that the king of Palibothra (Pataliputra, the Mauryan capital) welcomed a Greek author, Iambulus.

[7][35] Some Buddhist texts mention that an Ajivika astrologer or priest at Bindusara's court prophesied the future greatness of the prince Ashoka.

[38] The Mahavamsa commentary states that Janasana (also Jarasona or Jarasana) was the Empress's kulupaga (ascetic of the imperial household).

He had been born as a python during the period of Kassapa Buddha, and had become very wise after listening to the discussions of the bhikkhus.

Ashoka then sent a carriage to bring back Janasana, who was residing at an unnamed place far from the capital, Pataliputra.

[41] All sources agree that Bindusara was succeeded by his son Ashoka, although they provide varying descriptions of the circumstances of this succession.

[12] According to the prose version of Ashokavadana, Bindusara's favourite son Sushima once playfully threw his gauntlet at the prime minister, Khallataka.

Therefore, he approached the 500 imperial councillors, and suggested appointing Ashoka as the emperor after Bindusara's death, pointing out that the devatas had predicted his rise as the universal ruler.