History of Bihar
History of Bihar
Mainarticle:Magadha Seealso:Shishunagadynasty,NandaDynasty,Mauryandynasty,Shungadynasty,andKanvadynasty Furtherinformation:Bimbisara,Ajatashatru,MahapadmaNanda,ChandraguptaMaurya,Bindusara,Ashoka,Samprati,andPushyamitraShunga Furtherinformation:KalingaWar,Rajgriha,Pataliputra,EdictsofAshoka,Ashokavadana,Arthashastra,andEmblemofIndia Furtherinformation:Ambapali,Chanakya,andBrhadrata Shishunaga(alsocalledKingSisunaka)wasthefounderofadynastycollectivelycalledtheShishunagadynasty.HeestablishedtheMagadhaempire(in684BCE).Dueinparttothisbloodydynasticfeuding,itisthoughtthatacivilrevoltledtotheemergenceoftheShishunagadynasty.Thisempire,withitsoriginalcapitalinRajgriha,latershiftedtoPataliputra(bothcurrentlyintheIndianstateofBihar).TheShishunagadynastywasoneofthelargestempiresoftheIndiansubcontinent. TheHariyankadynastykingBimbisarawasresponsibleforexpandingtheboundariesofhiskingdomthroughmatrimonialalliancesandconquest.ThelandofKosalafelltoMagadhainthisway.Estimatesplacetheterritoryruledbythisearlydynastyat300leaguesindiameter,andencompassing80,000smallsettlements.BimbisaraiscontemporarywiththeBuddha,andisrecordedasalaydisciple.Bimbisara(543–493BCE)wasimprisonedandkilledbyhisownsonwhobecamehissuccessor,Ajatashatru(491–461BCE),underwhoserule,thedynastyreacheditslargestextent. Magadha Bimbisara'sjail,whereKingBimbisarawasimprisonedbyhissonAjatashatru,inRajgir Ajatashatru'sstupainRajgir,wherehisasheswereinterred. VaishaliwasthecapitalofVajjianConfederacy,believedtobetheworld'searliestrepublic.[10][38][39][40] AshokanPillaratVaishali. Licchaviwasanancient—beforethebirthofMahavira—republicinwhatisnowtheBiharstateofIndia.[10]VaishaliwasthecapitalofLicchaviandtheVajjianConfederacy.TheMahavamsatellsthatacourtesaninthatcity,Ambapali,wasfamousforherbeauty,andhelpedinlargemeasureinmakingthecityprosperous.[41] AjatashatruwenttowarwiththeLicchaviseveraltimes.Ajatashatruisthoughttohaveruledfrom551BCEto519BCEandmovedthecapitaloftheMagadhakingdomfromRajagrihatoPataliputra.TheMahavamsatellsthatUdayabhadraeventuallysucceededhisfather,Ajatashatru,andthatunderhimPataliputrabecamethelargestcityintheworld.Heisthoughttohaveruledforsixteenyears.Thekingdomhadaparticularlybloodysuccession.AnuruddhaeventuallysucceededUdaybhadrathroughassassination,andhissonMundasucceededhiminthesamefashion,asdidhissonNagadasaka. TheNandaEmpireatitsgreatestextentunderDhanaNandac.323BCE. Thisdynastylasteduntil424BCE,whenitwasoverthrownbytheNandadynasty.ThisperiodsawthedevelopmentinMagadhaoftwoofIndia'smajorreligions.GautamaBuddhainthe6thor5thcenturyBCEwasthefounderofBuddhism,whichlaterspreadtoEastAsiaandSoutheastAsia,whileMahavirarevivedandpropagatedtheancientsramanicreligionofJainism. TheNandadynastywasestablishedbyanillegitimatesonofKingMahanandinfromthepreviousShishunagadynasty.TheNandadynastyruledMagadhaduringthe5thand4thcenturiesBC.Atitsgreatestextent,theNandaEmpireextendedfromBurmaintheeast,BalochistaninthewestandprobablyasfarsouthasKarnataka.[42]MahapadmaNandaofNandadynasty,hasbeendescribedasthedestroyerofalltheKshatriyas.HedefeatedtheIkshvakudynasty,aswellasthePanchalas,Kasis,Haihayas,Kalingas,Asmakas,Kurus,Maithilas,SurasenasandtheVitihotras.HeexpandedhisterritorytothesouthofDeccan.MahapadmaNandadiedattheageof88and,therefore,heruledduringmostoftheperiodofthisdynasty,whichlasted100years. TheMauryaEmpireatitslargestextentunderAshokatheGreat. SilverpunchmarkcoinoftheMauryaempire,withsymbolsofwheelandelephant.3rdcenturyBC. In321BC,exiledgeneralChandraguptaMaurya,withthehelpofChanakya,foundedtheMauryadynastyafteroverthrowingthereigningNandakingDhanaNandatoestablishtheMauryaEmpire.TheMauryaEmpire(322–185BC),ruledbytheMauryandynasty,wasgeographicallyextensive,powerfulandapolitical-militaryempireinancientIndia.Duringthistime,mostofthesubcontinentwasunitedunderasinglegovernmentforthefirsttime.TheexceptionswerepresentdayTamilNaduandKerala(whichwasaTamilkingdomatthattime).TheempirehaditscapitalcityatPataliputra(nearmodernPatna).TheMauryanempireunderChandraguptaMauryawouldnotonlyconquermostoftheIndiansubcontinent,defeatingandconqueringthesatrapsleftbyAlexandertheGreat,butalsopushitsboundariesintoPersiaandCentralAsia,conqueringtheGandhararegion.ChandraguptaMauryathen

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