UG-2nd Semester, 20
UG-2nd Semester, 20
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Paper III: History of India II
(BG/BB)
Sixteen Mahajanapadas:
In the sixth century B.C. there was no paramount power in India. According to
‘Anguttara Nikaya’, the Buddhist text and ‘Bhagavati Sutra’, the Jain text –
sixteen large states or ‘Mahajanapadas’ emerged in the age immediately prior
to the rise of Buddhism. These ‘Mahajanapadas’ were 1. Kashi, 2. Koshala, 3.
Anga, 4. Magadha, 5. Briji, 6. Malla, 7. Chedi, 8. Batsa, 9. Kuru, 10. Panchala,
11. Matsya, 12. Shurasena, 13. Ashmaka, 14. Avanti, 15. Gandhara and 16.
Kamboja. Most of these states were situated basically in North India excepting
Ashmaka (Deccan). Other than Briji and Malla which were republics, all other
states were ruled by kings. At that time conflict was going on among these
Mahajanapadas to establish supremacy over others. As a result of that, defeating
and occupying others twelve Mahajanapadas - Koshala, Batsa, Avanti and
Magadha were emerged very powerful monarchical states. They again fought
among themselves for political hegemony and lastly Magadha emerged
victorious and subsequently rose to the position of the first historical imperial
state in India.
Rise of Magadha
Actually the rise of Magadha as a first historical empire in India was possible
due to the worthy leadership of very promising rulers of four subsequent
dynasties in ancient India. They were Haryanka dynasty, Sisunaga dynasty,
Nanda dynasty and of course Mauryan dynasty.
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Haryanka Dynasty:
Bimbisara (545 B.C.): The rise of Magadha was started with the accession of
Bimbisara (assumed the epithet Shrenika) in 545 B.C. Bimbisara strengthened
his position by matrimonial alliances with the ruling families of Koshala,
Videha, Lichchhavi and Madra. He married Koshaldevi, sister of Koshalan king
Prasenjit and obtained Kashi village, as dowry. Kashi village yielded revenue
of one lakh of rupees per year. Bimbisara also married Chellana, daughter of
Chetak, Lichchhavi chief of Vaishali; Vasabi, a Videhan princes and Khema, a
daughter of the king of Madra.
Bimbisara also maintained a friendly relation with Prodyut, king of Avanti and
Pukkusati, king of Gandhara.
During his time thirty-six republics including Vriji and Malla formed a
confederacy and started war with Magadha. Ajatasatru with the help of his
prime minister namely Bashmakar was able to make division in the confederacy.
The war continued for sixteen years and ultimately Ajatasatru came into
victorious and annexed the kingdom of Vaisali.
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According to Dr. H. C. Roychoudhury, the most potent cause of this war was
the rising imperialism of Magadha.
Udayin or Udaybhadra (459 B.C.) – was the son and successor of Ajatasatru.
He ascended the throne of Magadha in 459 B.C. by killing his father.
According to Buddhist tradition they were all patricides. Being disgusted with
the rule of the patricidal dynasty people banished Nagadashaka and raised
Sisunaga, a popular minister, to the throne of Magadha in 430 B.C.
Sisunaga Dynasty:
His name is associated with the Second Buddhist Council, held at Vaisali.
Mahapadma Nanda assassinated him along with his sons and usurped the throne
of Magadha.
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Nanda Dynasty:
According to Dr. Radha Kumud Mukherjee, “ Mahapadma Nanda was the first
great historical emperor of northern India”.
Dhana Nanda: After Mahapadma Nanda his eight sons ascended the throne of
Magadha one after another. Dhana Nanda was the last Nanda king. He had a
huge army consisted of 20,000 cavalry, 200,000 infantry, 3,000 elephants and
2,000 chariots.
Dhana Nanda was so powerful that when Alexander’s soldiers heard of the
military strength of the Magadhan empire they expressed their unwillingness to
proceed to Magadha. So, Alexander went back from India.
Dhana Nanda was very unpopular because of imposition heavy taxes on the
people. Taking advantage of this situation Chandragupta Maurya overthrew
Dhana Nanda with the help of Kautilya, a shrewd Brahman and founded the
Maurya Dynasty in Magadha.
The Maurya rule marked the beginning of a new epoch in the history of India.
This age witnessed remarkable progress in all spheres of life. The history of
Mauryas, unlike that of the earlier ruling houses, is rendered reliable by a
variety of evidences drawn from such sources as the Buddhist and the Jain
tradition. The Greek accounts like works of Megasthenes, Pliny, Arrian and
Justin; the ‘Arthasastra’ of Kautilya, Kathasarit Sagar of Somdeva Bhatta,
Brihatkatha Manjuri of Kshemendra are chief sources of information
regarding this age. The first decipherable inscription of Ashoka (deciphered by
James Princep in 1837) and his various edicts, the archaeological remain are
also valuable sources of information.
Thereafter he formed an army with the tribal people living in the forests of the
Vindhyas and overthrew Nandas from the throne of Magadha between 325-322
B.C. In those days the vast area from the border of the Punjab to the Godavari in
the south was known as the Magadhan empire.
It is known that after the death of Alexander his vast empire was divided
among his generals. Syria and India fell to Seleucos’s share. In order to
recover his Indian territory, Seleucos arrived on the banks of river Indus as
the head of his army. The war took place between the two sides in 305 B.C.
Historians are silent about the result of the war but they have referred to the
signing of a treaty between Seleucos and Chandragupta. According to the
terms of the treaty Seleucos had to cede to Chandragupta the territories of
Kabul, Kandahar, Herat and Makran in exchange of 500 elephants.
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From the terms of the treaty it is almost clear that Chandragupta won
the battle. The treaty also provided for an matrimonial alliance.
Towards the end of his life, he adopted Jainism (300/ 298 B.C.),
abdicated the throne and fasted unto death in an orthodox Jain manner at
Sravan Belagola near Mysore on Chandragiri hill.
It is found that through the ages the Indian potentates had a dream to form an all
India empire, but somehow they were not able to do that. It was Chandragupta
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Maurya who first almost realised this dream. Starting his career as a soldier of
fortune he succeeded in building a vast and sovereign empire in India. Not only
that, he set up an efficient administrative system which helped to stabilise his
empire. Therefore, as the founder as well as consolidator of the Mauryan
Empire, he deserves a unique place of pride among the Indian rulers in all times.