Queen Maya died soon after giving birth. Young Sakyamuni was brought up by his aunt (his mother’s sister) Princess Prajapati. As a child he began to learn literature, philosophy, arithmetic and so on from Brahmin scholars and gained a broad and profound knowledge. He also learned martial arts from warriors and became a master at riding, shooting and fencing. Because of his great intelligence and striking features, his father, king Suddhodana, hoped that he would become a universal ruler (Raja Cakkavattin, a king who could unify the whole world and perform meritorious services after he succeeded the throne. (From Essentials of Buddhism: Questions and Answers)