Magadha

Magadha was an ancient Indian kingdom located in southern northeastern India and Nepal.It was succeeded by the Magadhan Empire . Over time, Magadha lost some of its lands to the Satavahanas in 28 BC and became a smaller principality.^[1]

Kingdom of Magadha and other kingdoms during the Second Urbanization period in ancient India.

During the time of the Mauryas, Magadha became a large empire, covering a big part of north India and Nepal. Magadha was central to the Nanda Empire, Maurya Empire, Shunga Empire, and Gupta Empire. The Pala Empire also ruled over Magadha and had a royal camp in Pataliputra.^[2] Even after the major empires, the Pithipatis of Bodh Gaya continued to call themselves Magadhādipati and ruled parts of Magadha until the 13th century.^[3]

Area of Magadha

Before Magadha expanded, its kingdom was limited by the Ganges, Son, and Campā rivers to the north, west, and east, while the southern border was formed by the eastern spurs of the Vindhya mountains. This initial Magadha kingdom covered what is now Patna and Gaya districts in the Indian state of Bihar.^[4]

Greater Magadha, which was part of the eastern Gangetic plains, included nearby areas and parts of Nepal, and had its own unique culture and beliefs.^[5]

History

Historical image of Bodh gaya temple before restoration.

The Magadha people are mentioned in ancient texts like the Atharvaveda along with other groups. The main part of their kingdom was in Bihar, south of the Ganges River. Their first capital was Rajagriha, later known as Rajgir, and then Pataliputra, which is modern Patna. Magadha grew by conquering Vajjika League and Anga, covering most of Bihar and parts of Bengal, Jharkhand, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal.^[6]

The kingdom is talked about in Jain and Buddhist texts, as well as in the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and the Puranas. The early rulers are not well-known, but the Haryanka dynasty led for about 200 years from 543 to 413 BCE. Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, lived in Magadha, gaining enlightenment in Bodh Gaya and giving his first sermon in Sarnath.^[7]

The Haryanka dynasty was followed by the Shishunaga dynasty, and later, Mahapadma Nanda ended their rule in 345 BCE. Chandragupta Maurya defeated the Nandas around 321 BCE, starting the Mauryan Empire. Under King Ashoka, it expanded across India. After the Mauryan Empire, the Shunga and Khārabēḷa empires followed, replaced by the Gupta Empire. The Gupta capital remained in Pataliputra in Magadha.^[8]

List of rulers

Following is the Chronology of rulers according to the Buddhist Mahavamsa:^[9]

Haryanka dynasty (c. 544 – 413 BCE)

List of Haryanka dynasty rulers

Ruler	Reign (BCE)
Bimbisara	544–491 BCE
Ajatashatru	491–461 BCE
Udayin	461–428 BCE
Anirudha	428–419 BCE
Munda	419–417 BCE
Darshaka	417–415 BCE
Nāgadāsaka	415–413 BCE

Shishunaga dynasty (c. 413 – 345 BCE)

List of Shishunga dynasty rulers

Ruler	Reign (BCE)
Shishunaga	413–395 BCE
Kalashoka	395–377 BCE
Kshemadharman	377–365 BCE
Kshatraujas	365–355 BCE
Nandivardhana	355–349 BCE
Mahanandin	349–345 BCE

Nanda Empire (c. 345 – c. 322 BCE)

List of Nanda dynasty rulers

Ruler	Reign (BCE)
Mahapadma Nanda	345–340 BCE
Pandhukananda	340–339 BCE
Panghupatinanda	339–338 BCE
Bhutapalananda	338–337 BCE
Rashtrapalananada	337–336 BCE
Govishanakananda	336–335 BCE
Dashasidkhakananda	335–334 BCE
Kaivartananda	334–333 BCE
Karvinathanand	333–330 BCE
Dhana Nanda	330–322 BCE