Shaishunaga dynasty
The Shaishunaga dynasty (IAST: Śaiśunāga, literally "of Shishunaga") is believed to have been the third ruling dynasty of Magadha, an empire of ancient India. According to the Hindu Puranas, this dynasty was the second ruling dynasty of Magadha, succeeding Nagadashaka of the Haryanka dynasty.
Shaishunaga dynasty | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 413 BCE–345 BCE | |||||||||
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| Capital | Rajgir (primary) Vaishali (secondary) later Pataliputra | ||||||||
| Common languages | Sanskrit Magadhi Prakrit Other Prakrits | ||||||||
| Religion | Hinduism Buddhism Jainism[1] | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
• 413–395 BCE | Shishunaga | ||||||||
• 395–367 BCE | Kalashoka | ||||||||
• | Nandivardhana | ||||||||
• ?–345 BCE | Mahanandin | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Established | 413 BCE | ||||||||
• Disestablished | 345 BCE | ||||||||
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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. 421 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]
Establishment
According to Buddhist tradition, Shishunaga was amatya in Haryanka kingdom, who revolted and became the king.[5]
Rulers
Shishunaga
Shishunaga founded his dynasty 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,[5] formerly the capital of Vajji, until it was conquered by Magadha. The Shaishunaga dynasty ruled one of the largest empires in the Indian subcontinent.Most important achievement of Shisunga was destruction of the pradyota dyanasty of Avanti.This brought to an end the hundred year old rivalry between Magadh and Avanti .From then Avanti became a part of Magadh rule
Kakavarna/Kalashoka
According to the Puranas, Shishunaga was succeeded by his son Kakavarna and according to the Sinhala chronicles by his son Kalashoka.[5] On the basis of the evidence of the Ashokavadana, Hermann Jacobi, Wilhelm Geiger and Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar concluded that both are the same. During Shishunaga's reign, he was the governor of Varanasi. The two most significant events of his reign are the Second Buddhist council at Vaishali in 383 BC and the final transfer of the capital to Pataliputra.[5][6] According to the Harshacharita, he was killed by a dagger thrust into his throat in the vicinity of his capital.[7] According to Buddhist tradition, he had nine or ten sons, who were ousted by Ugrasena Nanda.[8]
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]
The Puranas list Nandivardhana as the ninth Shaishunaga king and his son Mahanandin as the tenth and the last Shaishunaga king. Mahanandin was killed by his illegitimate son from a Shudra wife named Mahapadma.[9]
Decline
According to Puranas, Shaishunagas were followed by Nanda Empire, which was established by Mahanandin's illegitimate son Mahapadma Nanda.[5]
References
Citations
- Upinder Singh 2016, p. 273.
- Raychaudhuri 1972, pp. 193,201.
- Raychaudhuri 1972, p. 196.
- Raychaudhuri 1972, p. 201.
- Upinder Singh 2016, p. 272.
- Raychaudhuri 1972, pp. 195–196.
- Mahajan 2007, p. 251.
- Sastri 1988, p. 14.
- Mookerji 1988, p. 10.
Sources
- Mookerji, Radha Kumud (1988) [first published in 1966], Chandragupta Maurya and his times (4th ed.), Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-81-208-0433-3
- Singh, Upinder (2016), A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century, Pearson PLC, ISBN 978-81-317-1677-9
- 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 978-81-208-0465-4
- Mahajan, V.D. (2007) [1960], Ancient India, New Delhi: S. Chand, ISBN 978-81-219-0887-0
| Preceded by Haryanka dynasty (Magadha) Pradyota dynasty (Avanti) |
Shaishunaga Dynasty 413–345 BCE |
Succeeded by Nanda Dynasty |
| Timeline and cultural period |
Northwestern India (Punjab-Sapta Sindhu) |
Indo-Gangetic Plain | Central India | Southern India | ||
| Upper Gangetic Plain (Ganga-Yamuna doab) |
Middle Gangetic Plain | Lower Gangetic Plain | ||||
| IRON AGE | ||||||
| Culture | Late Vedic Period | Late Vedic Period (Srauta culture)[lower-alpha 1] Painted Grey Ware culture |
Late Vedic Period (Shramanic culture)[lower-alpha 2] Northern Black Polished Ware |
Pre-history | ||
| 6th century BC | Gandhara | Kuru-Panchala | Magadha | Adivasi (tribes) | ||
| Culture | Persian-Greek influences | "Second Urbanisation" Rise of Shramana movements Jainism - Buddhism - Ājīvika - Yoga |
Pre-history | |||
| 5th century BC | (Persian conquests) | Shaishunaga dynasty | Adivasi (tribes) | |||
| 4th century BC | (Greek conquests) | Nanda empire | ||||
| HISTORICAL AGE | ||||||
| Culture | Spread of Buddhism | Pre-history | Sangam period (300 BC – 200 AD) | |||
| 3rd century BC | Maurya Empire | Early Cholas Early Pandyan Kingdom Satavahana dynasty Cheras 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) (300 BC – 200 AD) | ||||
| 2nd century BC | Indo-Greek Kingdom | Shunga Empire Maha-Meghavahana Dynasty |
Early Cholas Early Pandyan Kingdom Satavahana dynasty Cheras 46 other small kingdoms in Ancient Thamizhagam | |||
| 1st century BC | ||||||
| 1st century AD | Kuninda Kingdom | |||||
| 2nd century | Kushan Empire | |||||
| 3rd century | Kushano-Sasanian Kingdom | Kushan Empire | Western Satraps | Kamarupa kingdom | Kalabhra dynasty Pandyan Kingdom (Under Kalabhras) | |
| Culture | "Golden Age of Hinduism"(ca. AD 320-650)[lower-alpha 7] Puranas Co-existence of Hinduism and Buddhism | |||||
| 4th century | Kidarites | Gupta Empire Varman dynasty |
Kalabhra dynasty Pandyan Kingdom (Under Kalabhras) Kadamba Dynasty Western Ganga Dynasty | |||
| 5th century | Hephthalite Empire | Alchon Huns | Kalabhra dynasty Pandyan Kingdom (Under Kalabhras) Vishnukundina | |||
| 6th century | Nezak Huns Kabul Shahi |
Maitraka | Adivasi (tribes) | Badami Chalukyas Kalabhra dynasty Pandyan Kingdom (Under Kalabhras) | ||
| 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) Pandyan Kingdom(Revival) Pallava | |
| 8th century | Kabul Shahi | Pala Empire | Pandyan Kingdom Kalachuri | |||
| 9th century | Gurjara-Pratihara | Rashtrakuta dynasty Pandyan Kingdom Medieval Cholas Pandyan Kingdom (Under Cholas) Chera Perumals of Makkotai | ||||
| 10th century | Ghaznavids | Pala dynasty Kamboja-Pala dynasty |
Kalyani Chalukyas Medieval Cholas Pandyan Kingdom (Under Cholas) Chera Perumals of Makkotai Rashtrakuta | |||
References and sources for table References
Sources
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