Shishunaga dynasty

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According to tradition, the Shishunaga dynasty founded the Magadha Empire in 684 BCE, whose capital was Rajagriha, later Pataliputra, near the present day Patna in India. This dynasty was succeeded by the Nanda dynasty. Mahavira and Gautama Buddha lived during the period of this dynasty, and the accounts of the later kings are described in detail in the Buddhist texts.

1 History
2 Shishunaga dynasty Rulers

[edit] History

[edit] Shishunaga

Shishunaga (also called King Sisunaka) was the founder of a dynasty of 10 kings collectively called Shishunaga dynasty. He established the Magadha empire (in 684 BC), and this empire with its original capital in Rajgriha, then shifted to Pataliputra (both currently in the Indian state of Bihar), was one of the largest empires of the Indian subcontinent.

[edit] Bimbisara

The Haryanka king Bimbisara was responsible for expanding the boundaries of his kingdom through matrimonial alliances and conquest. The land of Kosala fell to Magadha in this way.

Estimates place the territory ruled by this early dynasty at 300 leagues in diamter, and encompassing 80,000 small settlements.

Bimbsara may have been contemporary to Buddha, and may have even met the prince.

[edit] Ajatashatru

In some sources, Bimbisara was imprisoned and killed by his successor, Ajatasatu, under whose rule, the dynasty reached its largest extent.

Vishali, ruled by the Licchavis, went to war with the kindgom of Magadha at some point, due to a border dispute involving gem mines.

He is thought to have ruled from 551 to 519 BCE.

[edit] Udaybhadra

The Mahavamsa tells that Udayabhadra eventually succeeded his father, Ajatasatu, moving the capital of the Magadha kingdom to Pataliputra, which under the later Mauryan dynasty, would become the largest city in the world.

He is thought to have ruled for sixteen years.

[edit] Later rulers

The kingdom had a particularily bloody succession. Anuruddha eventually succeeded Udaybhadra through assassination, and his son Munda succeeded him in the same fashion, as did his son Nagadasaka.

Due in part to this bloody dynastic feuding, it is thought that a civil revolt led to the emergance of the Shishunaga dynasty.

[edit] Shishunaga dynasty Rulers

Shishunaga (ruled from around 684 BCE)
Kakavarna
Kshemadharman
Kshatraujas
Bimbisara 544 BCE - 491 BCE
Ajatashatru 491 BCE - 461 BCE
Darshaka
Udayin
Nandivardhana
Mahanandin

Preceded by Pradyota dynasty	Magadha dynasties	Succeeded by Nanda dynasty

Middle kingdoms of India

Timeline:

Northern Empires

Southern Dynasties

Northwestern Kingdoms

6th century BCE
5th century BCE
4th century BCE

3rd century BCE
2nd century BCE

1st century BCE
1st century

2nd century
3rd century
4th century
5th century
6th century
7th century
8th century
9th century
10th century
11th century