Eternal India Encyclopedia

LURE - THRU THE AGES

Eternal India encyclopedia

MAGADHAN EMPIRE (543 B.C. - 400 B.C.)

Overview * Magadha embraces the districts of Patna and Gaya. (South Bihar) * The earliest dynasty of Magadha was founded by Brihadratha (Mahabharata and the Puranas) * Saisunga dynasty under King Sisunaga ruled for 360 years (Mastya purana) * Powerful reign of Bimbisara (Haryanka dynasty). * Rule of Nandas. * Buddha, Mahavira - the 24th Jain Thirthankara, and Panini a great gram- marian lived during this age. * They were succeeded by the great Maury ans. * The second Buddhist Council was held at Vaishali. Advent The Magadha dynasty was founded by Brihadratha, the father of Jarasandha and son of Vasu (Mahabharata and the Puranas ); this dynasty came to an end during 6th C.; later Saisunga dynasty was founded by King Sisu- naga who ruled for 360 years, they were suc- ceeded by the Nandas who ruled for 100 years (the Puranas). Chronology * Brihadratha, * Sisunaga, * Kakavarna * Bimbisara, * Ajatasatru, * Darsaka * Udaya, * Nandivardhan, * Mahanandin * Mahapadmananda, * Dhanananda. * Note : This version of history is dependent upon the validity of Sandracottus - Chandragupta Maurya synchronism claimed by Sir William Jones in the 18th C. but as K.D. Sethna has amply demon- strated, this identity is questionable. A perfectly consistent history can be constructed by equating Sandracottus with Chandragupta, the founder of the Gupta Empire. Wars * Bimbisara's conquest and annexation of the kingdom of Anga. * Ajatasatru's war against Kosala, Vaishali and Avanti kingdoms. * Destruction of Pradyota dynasty of Avanti by Sisunaga. * Mahapadmananda's war against and de- feat of Uksharakus, Panchalas, Kasis, Kalingas, Asmakas, Kurus etc.

Achievements * Establishment of a strong Magadha em- pire in north India. * Teachings of Mahavira and Buddha. * Period of Panini - the great grammarian - Sanskrit work Paniniyam written in the form of Sutras, with 8 ( asta ) chapters. * Susruta, the great physician and writer on medicine, lived during this period, his works were translated into Arabic. Impact Bimbisara's annexation of Anga and Ajatashatru's conquests (Kosala, Vaishali, Avanti) resulted in the expansion and consoli- dation of the Magadhan empire. Strengths Powerful reign and conquests of Bimbis- ara and Ajatasatru. Weakness Sources like Puranas, Mahabharata are fictitious and abstract and it is very difficult to fix the exact period and extent of Magadhan empire based on them. Bimbisara (549-543 B.C.) : There is no definite data regarding the Haryanka dynasty and Bimbisara, but he was not the founder of the dynasty; He was an ambitious king and added to the prestige and strength of Magadha by his policies of matrimonial alliances. A person of determination and foresight, he gradually expanded his kingdom and built up an efficient administration, he conquered and annexed the kingdom of Anga after defeating Brahmadatta. The territory of Bimbisara in- cluded 80,000 villages; he had an efficient system of administration, exercised rigid con- trol over his officers and ministers, the penal code was harsh; there is no unanimity of opinion about the religion of Bimbisara. Buddhist texts say that he was a Buddhist and the Jain writings mention him as the follower and worshipper of Jainism; there is also con- flicting evidence regarding the period of his reign - 52 years (Mahavamsa), 603-551 B.C. (Dr. R.K. Mookerjee), 28 years from c. 582- 544 B.C. (V.A. Smith); he was succeeded by his son Ajatasatru after a brief war of succes- sion. Ajatasatru is stated to have ruled from 551 B.C. to 519 B.C. it was during his period that Haryanka dynasty reached its high water- mark; he was a great conquerer , he fought

with the king of Kosala, Vaishali and Avanti. The Jain and Buddhist texts claim that Ajatasa- tru was the follower of their respective faiths; he also met Buddha, this finds mention in the 'Bharhut Sculptures' of the 2nd C. B.C. He was succeeded by Darsaka (Puranas), later Sisunaga of Saisunga dynasty came to the power of Magadha, he destroyed the glory of the. Pradyota dynasty of Avanti, he was suc- ceeded by Kakavarna or Kalasoka (Puranas), the second Buddhist council met at Vaishali during his rule; Nandas succeeded the Sais- unga dynasty. The first Nanda king was Ma- hapadmananda and he was the destroyer of Kshatriyas (Puranas), defeated the Ikshuvakas, Panchalas, Kasis etc.; captured Asmaka; he had 20,000 cavalry, 200,000 infantry, 3000 elephants and 2,000 four-horsed chariots (Curtius), he ruled for 28 years; Dhanananda was the last king of the Nanda dynasty (Ma- habodhivamsha); the chief cause of the de- cline of the Nandas was their financial extor- tion, irreligiousness and hence they were over- thrown by the Maury as. Decline The Magadhan empire came to an end during the period of Nandas under Dhananda; the financial extortion, the irreligiousness (Adarmikah) and unpopular rule contributed to the decline of Nandas and the Magadhan empire. Chandragupta Maurya under the able guidance of Kautilya (Chanakya) uprooted the Nandas and established the Maury an empire inc. 321 B.C.