Magadh, Mauryan & Post Mauryan or Pre Gupta Dynasties

Magadh Empire

Magadha Empire was established by Brihadratha. Its Capital was Gribraja / Rajgriha.

Haryanka dynasty was established by Bimbisar.

He was contemporary of Buddha.
He conquered Anga defeating Brahmadutta.
His main objective behind the conquering Anga was to gain control over the trade route of the southern states.
His capital was Rajgir (Gribraja).
He adopted matrimonial alliance with other states to spread his dynasty.
He married Mahakosala, sister of the king of Kosala Prasenjit, Chellana, and daughter of the king of Vaishali Chetak and Kshema, Princess of the Madra desh (Modern Punjab).

Udayan is the son of Ajatshatru.
He killed his father and seized the throne in 461BC.
He founded the new town Pataligram and transferred his capital here. It was situated at the confluence of the Ganga & Son.
The last king of Haryanka dynasty was Nagdashaka.

Considered by many as the first non-kshatriya dynasty.
Its founder was Mahapadma Nanda.
Last king of Nanda Dynasty was Dhananda. He was defeated by Chandra Gupta Maurya.

Founder of Mauryan Dynasty was Chandragupta Maurya.

He was born in 345 BC.
With the help of Chanakya, known as Kautilya or Vishnugupta or Devputra, he overthrew the Nandas and established the rule of Mauryan Dynasty.
Chandragupta defeated Seleucus Nikoter, one of the generals of Alexander in 305 BC.
Then he got married with Karnolia, daughter of Seleucus Nicator. So there was also a marriage alliance between two families.
The Economic condition of Mauryan Dynasty is known from Indica written by Megasthenes (A Greek ambassador sent by seleucus to the court of Chandragupta Maurya) and from Arthashastra written by Kautilya.
Chandragupta adopted Jainism and went to Sravanabelagola (near Mysore) with Bhadrabahu. He died in Sravanbelagola by slow starvation in 298 BC.

He is called Amitraghat by Greek writers.
Chandragupta was succeeded by his son Bindusara in 298 BC.
In Vayupurana he was called Bhadrasara or Barisara.
The king of Syria, Antiyokasha send an Ambassador called Dimakes in the court of Bindusara.
Bindusara patronized Ajivokas.

After Bindusara Asoka, son of Bindusara came to the throne.
During the period of his father Asoka was appointed the viceroy of Taxila and Ujjain.
Acording to the Buddhist literature Asoka came to throne after killing his 99 brothers.
Asoka crowned himself in 269BC.
He was the first ruler to maintain direct contact with people through inscription.
In his inscriptions following languages have been used: Brahmi, Kharoshthi, Armaic and Greek.
The inscriptions were first discovered by padreti fantheller in 1750.
James Princep first deciphered the inscriptions in 1837.
The kalinga war was fought in 261BC, according to the xiii rock edict of Asoka.
This war changed his point of view about life. Asoka became a Buddhist after this.
Asoka adopted Buddhism under Upagupta.
In Purana Asoka is called Asokbardhana.
The emblem of India republic has been adopted from the 4-lion capital of the Asokan Piller at Sarnath.
He built the Sanchi stupa. At present Sanchi Stupa is situated in Madhya Pradesh.
The last Mauryan king Brihadratha was killed by Pushyamitra Sunga who was the commander in chief of Brihadratha in 185BC.
Pushyamitra Sunga started the Sunga Dynasty in Magadha.
The Mauryan Dynasty continued for 137 years.

Sunga Dynasty was founded by Pushyamitra Sunga.
His capital was Bidisha.
Indo-Greek ruler Minander was defeated by Pushyamitra Sunga.
Pushyamitra Sunga arranged Asvamedha Yajnas for 2 times. Patanjali was the priest of that.
The great Buddhist stupa Bharhut (in M.P) was built by Pushyamitra Sunga.
The last ruler of Sung Dynasty was Devbhuti

Debvuti was killed in 73BC by his minister vasudeva who established the Kanvya Dynasty.
The last ruler of Kanvya Dynasty was Susharma.

In the Deccan and Central India Satvahanas were the most important native successor of Mauryans.
The Satvahanas are mentioned as ‘Andhras’ in Purana.
The Dynasty of Satavahana was actually the Dynasty of Brahmins so it is also called the Brahmin Dynasty.
This Dynasty was established in 60BC by Shimuka.
Its capital was Pratisthan.
Important king was Gautamiputra Satakarni.
Hala and Gunadhay 2 famous author were related with this dynasty.
Hala is the auther of Gathasaptasatak and Gunadhya is the author of Vrihat Katha. Both texts were written in Prakrit.
In this Dynasty the official language was Prakrit and the Script was Brahmi.
In this Dynasty Lead and Potin coins were mostly issued.
The 2 common religious constructions, the Buddhist temple that was called Chaitya and the Monstries which were called Vihara were built during this Dynasty. The most famous Chaitya is that of Karle was also built in this period. In that period Amravati art was developed.
Satvahanas started the practice of donating land to the Brahmins.