Megasthenes was a

Megasthenes was a Greek historian and diplomat who served as an ambassador to the court of Chandragupta Maurya [3]. He was sent by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, following a peace treaty between the Greeks and the Mauryan ruler [2]. During his stay in the capital city of Pataliputra, Megasthenes authored the 'Indica', which provides the first detailed written account of Indian administration, military organization, and social life [4]. Although the original text is lost, fragments preserved in the works of later Greek scholars remain vital for reconstructing Mauryan history [3]. His presence in the court established a tradition of diplomatic relations between the Mauryas and Greek kingdoms, which continued through the reigns of Bindusara and Ashoka [3].

Sources

1. [1] Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 5: The Rise of Empires > The rise of Chandragupta Maurya > p. 101
2. [3] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART I, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Kings, Farmers and Towns > 3.1 Finding out about the Mauryas > p. 32
3. [2] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 6: Polity and Society in Post-Mauryan Period > The Beginnings > p. 77
4. [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megasthenes