.jpg "Magadha Empire upsc")
Magadha Empire upsc
We find Magadha organized in the form of a powerful monarchy in the Budh period, in the course of time Magadha developed progressively and in a way, the history of Magadha became the history of the whole of India. The glory of Magadha remained parallel from Bimbisara to the Gupta kings. Magadha holds the saga of rise and fall of many kingdoms in its womb.
History of Magadha
Magadha was almost the entire area of the Gaya and Patna districts of modern Bihar. It was situated between the Ganges (in the north), the Son (in the west), the Vindhya ranges (in the south) and the Champa (in the east). Its earliest capital was Girivraja (a city surrounded by mountains) and the ancient Rajagriha. In the Mahavagga, it is called 'Girribhaja of Magadha', so that it can be identified separately from Kaikeya's Girivraja. In the Mahabharata it has been called Girivraj, Rajagriha, Brihadrathapur and Magadhapur, and it is said that being surrounded by hills on five sides was an almost impregnable city. In the Ramayana, she is called by the name Vasumathi. Huen-sang calls it Kushagrapur. Whereas Buddhaghosa has given its seventh name as Bimbisarapuri. Primarily, the outer ramparts of the Rajagriha provide the earliest evidence of post-Harappan fortifications in India.
First Dynasty - Haryanka Dynasty (544 to 412 BCE)
From the Puranas and Buddhist texts, we get information about the dynasties that ruled Magadha, although there are many different opinions.
According to the Puranas, Magadha was first ruled by the Brihadratha dynasty, the king of this dynasty was Jarasangha who made Girivraj his capital. After that the rule of Pradyot dynasty was established there. By ending the Pradyot dynasty, Shishunag established his own dynasty. The Nanda dynasty ruled after the Shishunaga dynasty. From the texts we get information about the dynasties that ruled Magadha, although there are many different opinions in this.
The Buddhist texts and authors do not make any mention of the Brihadratha dynasty. They relate Pradyota and his lineage to Avanti, Bimbisara and his successors as the forerunners of Shishunaga and finally the Nandas.
Kalashoka or Kakavarna, son of Shishunaga, during whose time the second Buddhist council was held in Vaishali. Vaishali was first conquered by Ajatashatru and merged in Magadha. It is clear from this that Kalashoka became the king after Ajatashatru.
According to the Puranas, Pataliputra was founded by Udayin, the son of Ajatashatru.
Therefore, we can say that Shishunaga has been described as the first ruler of Magadha due to the myths of the Puranas. The Haryanka dynasty was the first dynasty of Magadha and its first ruler was Bimbisara.
1-Bimbisara (544-492)-
Bimbisara was the first ruler who established Magadha as a vast empire. He belonged to Haryanka dynasty. The people of Haryaka clan were from the sub-branch of the Naga dynasty.
Dr. Bhandarkar states in his opinion that Bimbisara was probably the commander of the Lichchhavis in the beginning of his life, because at that time Magadha was ruled by the Lichchhavis.
Bimbisara's father was the ruler of Rajgriha, the name of the Deepvansh tells 'Bodhis'.
In the Matsya Purana, his name has been given as Kshetraujas.
So this is an indication that Bimbisara's father was the king himself. In such a situation the question of Bimbisara being the commander of the Lichchhavis does not arise. Another name we get from Jain literature - 'Srenik' was probably his surname.
Bimbisara secured the northern border of Magadha by marrying Chelna (Chalna), the daughter of Chetak, the ruler of the Lichchavi Republic.
Bimbisara did the second marriage with Mahakaushala, sister of Kaushal Naresh Prasenjit. As a result of this marriage, not only did she establish a friendly relationship with the King of Kaushal, but in dowry she also received Kashi Paranat or some of his villages whose annual income was one lakh.
Bimbisara married for the third time with a girl from the country of Madra (near Kuru). His wife's name was Kshema.
The princess Khema or Kshema of Shakal (Madra) is said to be the main wife of Bimbisara.
Mahavagga - The book tells about the five hundred queens of Bimbisara.
Bimbisara also established friendly relations with King Pradyot of Avanti. When once Pradyota was suffering from Pandu disease, Bimbisara sent his royal doctor, Jivaka, for his treatment.
Bimbisara attacked Anga (Champa) and executed the ruler Brahm Dutt, and appointed his son Ajatashatru as the viceroy there.
According to Buddhaghosa, there were 80,000 villages in the kingdom of Bimbisara and its extension was 300 leagues (about 900 miles).
Bimbisara was a friend and protector of Mahatma Buddha.
It is known from the Vinaya Pitaka that after meeting Buddha, he adopted Buddhism and gave a garden named Beluban for the sake of Buddha and the Sangha.
Historical texts show that Bimbisara ruled for about 52 years. Buddhists and Jains tell about the death of Bimbisara that his end was very sad. Ajatashatru imprisoned him and put him in prison where he was put to death by severe torture. Bimbisara died around 492 BC.
2- Bimbisara's successor - Ajatashatru / Kunik - (492-460)-
Ajatashatru became the ruler of Magadha after the death of Bimbisara.
Ajatashatru was married to Bajira who was the daughter of King Prasenjit of Kashi.
In the time of Ajatashatru, there was a struggle between Magadha and Vajji Sangha to establish control over the Ganges River, as this river was the main medium of trade in eastern India.
According to Bhas, Ajatashatru's daughter Padmavati was married to Vatsaraj Udayan.
Ajatashatru worshiping Lord Buddha (Ajatashatru Bhagavato Bandate) on top of a bed of Bharhut Stupa has been found engraved which is the archaeological evidence of his being a Buddhist.
In the year 8 of the reign of Ajatashatru, Mahatma Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana.
After the Mahaparinirvana of Mahatma Buddha, he got a stupa built in Rajgriha on his relics.
The first Buddhist council was organized in the Saptaparni cave of Rajagriha during the reign of Ajatashatru, immediately after the Mahaparinirvana of Mahatma Buddha.
In the first Buddhist association, the teachings of the Buddha were divided into two pitakas, the Suttapitaka and the Vinayapitaka.
Ajatashatru ruled for about 32 (till 460 BCE) years. Udayin killed him.
3-Udayin-(460-444)-
After Ajatashatru, his son Udayin or Udaybhadra became the king of Magadha. In Jain texts her mother's name Padmavati is found, in Buddhist texts she is called Pitruhanta.
- Udayin is credited with the establishment of the city of Pataliputra.
- Udayan was a mother of Jainism.
- Udayin was murdered by the king of Avanti.
- The successors of Udayin ruled till about 412 BCE.
Shishunaga/Shashunaga dynasty (412-344 BCE)-
Shishunag- Shishunag was also related to Nagvansh itself. In the Mahavansh commentary, he is said to have originated from the prostitute wife of a Lichchavi king.
The Puranas call him a Kshatriya.
Shishunaga was the chief commander of Nagdashak. Thus Nagdasaka was the last ruler of the Haryaka dynasty.
Kalashoka (Kakavarna)
Shishunaga ruled from about 412 BC to 394 BC.
Kalashoka became the next ruler of Magadha.
In the Puranas, Kala Ashok has been called Kakavarna.
During the reign of Kalashoka, the second council of Buddhism was organized in Vaishali. In this, a distinction arose in the Buddhist Sangha and it was clearly divided into two sects - the Sthavira and the Mahasandhika.
The people who have faith in the traditional rules are called this sthavira, and those who have incorporated some new rules in the Buddha Sangha are called bay Mahasandhikas. The Hinayana and the Mahayana respectively emerged from these two sects.
The Harshacharita of Banabhatta reveals that while walking near the capital of Kakavarna, a man stabbed to death (Kakavarna: Shaishunagi, Nagaropakanthe Nichkrte Nistrishen-Harshacharita). This kingship was none other than Mahapadmanand, the first king of the Nanda dynasty. Kalashoka probably ruled till 366 BC.
Another of this dynasty happened around 344 BC.
Nanda Dynasty - (344-to-324-23 BCE)
A person belonging to a lower caste (Mahapadmananda) put an end to the Shishunaga dynasty.
The Puranas call him Mahapadam.
Mahabodhivansh calls him Ugrasen.
The evidence, both Indian and foreign, clearly indicates the origin of the Nandras in the Shadra or lower castes.
It is described in the Puranas about Mahapadmananda that the child was born from the womb of a Shudra woman (Shudragarbhadbhava), who was the wife of the last king of the Shishunaga dynasty.
It is said in Vishnu Purana that Mahapadam, born of Shudra of Mahanandi, will be very greedy and strong and destroyer of all Kshatriyas like Parashurama.
According to Appendix Parvan, he was the son of the Napit (barber) father and the prostitute mother.
The essential source calls him Napitadasa (the barber's slave).
Mahapadmanand defeated all the major dynasties of that time and assumed the title of 'Ekrat'.
Dhananand was the last ruler of this dynasty who was contemporary of Alexander. According to Greek writers, he had a limitless army and wealth. .
The Nanda dynasty came to an end by the Maurya ruler Chandragupta Maurya.
