Shishunaga dynasty
Shishunaga Empire | ||||||||||
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![]() Extent of the Shishunaga Empire | ||||||||||
Capital | Rajgir, Vaishali, later Pataliputra | |||||||||
Languages | Sanskrit | |||||||||
Religion | Jainism Buddhism | |||||||||
Government | Monarchy | |||||||||
King | ||||||||||
• | 413–395 BCE | Shishunaga | ||||||||
• | 367–345 BCE | Mahanandin | ||||||||
History | ||||||||||
• | Established | 413 BCE | ||||||||
• | Disestablished | 345 BCE | ||||||||
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The Shishunaga dynasty is believed to have been the third ruling dynasty of Magadha, an empire of ancient India.
According to the Puranas, this dynasty was the second ruling dynasty of Magadha, succeeding the legendary dynasty founded by Brihadratha.[1]
Shishunaga, the founder of the dynasty, was initially an amatya or "minister" of the last Haryanka dynasty ruler Nāgadāsaka and ascended to the throne after a popular rebellion in c. 413 BCE.[2] The capital of this dynasty initially was Rajgir but later shifted to Pataliputra, near the present day Patna during the reign of Kakavarna. According to tradition, Kakavarna was succeeded by his ten sons.[3] This dynasty was succeeded by the Nanda Empire in c. 345 BCE.[4]
Lineage
Puranas depict Shishunaga kings as Kshatriyas.[5]
Shishunaga
Shishunaga founded his Shishunaga or Shaishunaga empire in 413 BCE with its capital in Rajgir and later Pataliputra (both in what is now Bihar). Buddhist sources indicate that he had a secondary capital at Vaishali,[6] formerly the capital of Vajji, until it was conquered by Magadha. The Shishunaga dynasty ruled of one of the largest empires in the Indian subcontinent.
Kakavarna Kalashoka
According to the Puranas, Shishunaga was succeeded by his son Kakavarna and according to the Sinhala chronicles by his son Kalashoka. On the basis of the evidence of the Ashokavadana, Hermann Jacobi, Wilhelm Geiger and Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar concluded that both are same. During Shishunaga's reign, he was the governor of Varanasi. Two most significant events of his reign are the Second Buddhist council at Vaishali in 383 BC and the final transfer of capital to Pataliputra.[7] According to the Harshacharita, he was killed by a dagger thrust in to his throat in the vicinity of his capital.[8] According to Buddhist tradition, he had nine or ten sons, who were ousted by Ugrasena Nanda.[9]
Later rulers
According to tradition, ten sons of Kalashoka ruled simultaneously. The Mahabodhivamsa states their names as Bhadrasena, Korandavarna, Mangura, Sarvanjaha, Jalika, Ubhaka, Sanjaya, Koravya, Nandivardhana and Panchamaka. Only one of them is mentioned in the Puranic lists, Nandivardhana.[3] Nandivardhana or Mahanandin was probably the last ruler of this dynasty, his empire was inherited by his illegitimate son Mahapadma Nanda.
Puranas list Nandivardhana as the ninth Shishunaga king and his son Mahanandin as the tenth and the last Shishunaga king. Mahanandin was killed by his illegitimate son from a Shudra wife named Mahapadma.[10]
Shishunaga dynasty rulers
- Shishunaga (413-395 BCE) - was a former amatya (official) under the Haryankas.
Kalasoka's had ten sons who successively ruled the kingdom for twenty-two years, the most important being:
- Kakavarna Kalashoka (395-367 BCE)
- Nandivardhana
- Ksemadharman
- Ksemajit or Ksatraujas
- Bimbisara
- Mahanandin (367-345 BCE)
Decline
According to Puranas, Shishunagas were followed by Nanda Empire.[5]
Notes
- ↑ Raychaudhuri 1972, p. 103.
- ↑ Raychaudhuri 1972, pp. 193,201.
- 1 2 Raychaudhuri 1972, p. 196.
- ↑ Raychaudhuri 1972, p. 201.
- 1 2 Mookerji 1988, p. 8.
- ↑ Singh 2008, p. 272.
- ↑ Raychaudhuri 1972, pp. 195–6.
- ↑ Mahajan 2007, p. 251.
- ↑ Sastri 1988, p. 14.
- ↑ Mookerji 1988, p. 10.
References
- Mookerji, Radha Kumud (1988) [first published in 1966], Chandragupta Maurya and his times (4th ed.), Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-0433-3
- Singh, Upinder (2008), A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century, India: Pearson Education
- Raychaudhuri, H.C. (1972), Political History of Ancient India, Calcutta: University of Calcutta
- Sastri, K. A. Nilakanta, ed. (1988) [1967], Age of the Nandas and Mauryas (Second ed.), Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-0465-1
- Mahajan, V.D. (2007) [1960], Ancient India, New Delhi: S. Chand, ISBN 81-219-0887-6
Preceded by Haryanka dynasty (Magadha) Pradyota dynasty (Avanti) |
Shishunaga Dynasty 413–345 BCE |
Succeeded by Nanda Dynasty |
Middle kingdoms of India | ||||||
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Timeline and cultural period |
Northwestern India | Indo-Gangetic Plain | Central India | Southern India | ||
Western Gangetic Plain | Northern India (Central Gangetic Plain) |
Northeastern India | ||||
IRON AGE | ||||||
Culture | Late Vedic Period | Late Vedic Period (Brahmin ideology)[lower-alpha 1] |
Late Vedic Period (Kshatriya/Shramanic culture)[lower-alpha 2] |
Pre-history | ||
6th century BC | Gandhara | Kuru-Panchala | Magadha | Adivasi (tribes) | ||
Culture | Persian-Greek influences | "Second Urbanisation" Rise of Shramana movements |
Pre-history | |||
5th century BC | (Persian rule) | Shishunaga dynasty | Adivasi (tribes) | |||
4th century BC | (Greek conquests) | |||||
HISTORICAL AGE | ||||||
Culture | Spread of Buddhism | Pre-history | Sangam period (300 BC – 200 AD) | |||
3rd century BC | Maurya Empire | Early Cholas 46 other small kingdoms in Ancient Thamizhagam | ||||
Culture | Preclassical Hinduism[lower-alpha 3] - "Hindu Synthesis"[lower-alpha 4] (ca. 200 BC - 300 AD)[lower-alpha 5][lower-alpha 6] Epics - Puranas - Ramayana - Mahabharata - Bhagavad Gita - Brahma Sutras - Smarta Tradition Mahayana Buddhism |
Sangam period (continued) | ||||
2nd century BC | Indo-Greek Kingdom | Shunga Empire | Adivasi (tribes) | Early Cholas 46 other small kingdoms in Ancient Thamizhagam | ||
1st century BC | Yona | Maha-Meghavahana Dynasty | ||||
1st century AD | Kuninda Kingdom | |||||
2nd century | Pahlava | Varman dynasty | ||||
3rd century | Kushan Empire | Western Satraps | Kamarupa kingdom | Kalabhra dynasty | ||
Culture | "Golden Age of Hinduism"(ca. AD 320-650)[lower-alpha 7] Puranas Co-existence of Hinduism and Buddhism | |||||
4th century | Gupta Empire | Kalabhra dynasty | ||||
5th century | Maitraka | Adivasi (tribes) | Kalabhra dynasty | |||
6th century | Badami Chalukyas | |||||
Culture | Late-Classical Hinduism (ca. AD 650-1100)[lower-alpha 8] Advaita Vedanta - Tantra Decline of Buddhism in India | |||||
7th century | Indo-Sassanids | Vakataka dynasty Empire of Harsha |
Mlechchha dynasty | Adivasi (tribes) | Pandyan Kingdom(Under Kalabhras) | |
8th century | Kidarite Kingdom | Pandyan Kingdom | ||||
9th century | Indo-Hephthalites (Huna) | Gurjara-Pratihara | Rashtrakuta dynasty | |||
10th century | Pala dynasty | Kalyani Chalukyas | ||||
References and sources for table References Sources
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