Mahajanapada Period

 In the sixth century BCE, 16 Mahajanapadas emerged, of which Magadha was the most powerful. The Buddhist text, Anguttara Nikaya, first mentions the 16 Mahajanapadas. Of these Mahajanapadas, Ashmaka was the only one in South India.

 Some of these Mahajanapadas, such as Vajji (Vaishali), Shakya (Kapilvastu), Malla, etc., had republican forms of government, while Anga, Kashi, Magadha, Kosala, etc., had monarchies. Magadha later became the most powerful empire.

The Magadha Empire

 During the Mahajanapadas, Magadha expanded its power and gradually conquered all of northern India.

 The first ruling dynasty to rule Magadha was the Haryanka dynasty. They were followed by the Shishunaga and Nanda dynasties. After the Nandas were overthrown, the Mauryan dynasty began its rule.

Haryanka Dynasty

• Founder: Bimbisara (544 BCE - 493 BCE).
• Capital: Initially Rajagriha (Girivarja), which was moved by Udayin to Pataliputra (the confluence of the Ganges and Son rivers).
• Patriocidal Dynasty: Ajatashatru killed his father Bimbisara, and Udayin killed his father Ajatashatru to gain power.
• Expansion: Bimbisara expanded Magadha through marital alliances (Kosala, Vaishali, Madra) and war (Anga Desh).
• Prominent Rulers:
  • Bimbisara (544-493 BCE): Contemporary of Buddha and Mahavira.
  • Ajatashatru (493-461 BCE): He organized the first Buddhist council after Buddha's death at Rajagriha.
  • Udayin (461-445 BCE): Laid the foundation of the city of Pataliputra.
  • Last ruler: Nagadaka, who was overthrown by his general Shishunaga, who established the Shishunaga dynasty.

Shishunaga Dynasty

• Founder: Shishunaga in 413 BCE.
• Prominent rulers: Shishunaga, Kalashoka (Kakavarna), Nandivardhana, and Mahanandin.
• Military and geographical expansion: Shishunaga incorporated Avanti (Ujjain) and Vatsa into the Magadha Empire.
• Capital: The initial capital was Girivraja (Rajagriha), which was shifted to Vaishali by Shishunaga, and later to Pataliputra by Kalashoka.
• Second Buddhist Council: Held in Vaishali in 383 BCE during the reign of Kalashoka.
• Falls: around 345 BCE, Mahapadmananda ended this dynasty and established the Nanda Dynasty.

Nanda Dynasty

• Founder: Mahapadma Nanda (He is known as 'Sarvakshatrantak', meaning destroyer of Kshatriyas, and 'Ekrata').
• Capital: Pataliputra
• Area of Rule: From Kuru to the Godavari Valley and from Magadha to the Narmada.
• Economic Prosperity: The Nanda kings developed a robust taxation system, making them very wealthy.
• Administration:They introduced a centralized system of government and carried out extensive land reforms.
• Army: The Nandas possessed a large and formidable army at the time of Alexander's invasion.
• Prominent rulers: Mahapadma Nanda and his eight sons, the last of whom was Dhanananda.

Alexander's Invasion

• Alexander invaded India in 326 BC. He was the son of Philip, ruler of Macedonia, Greece. Alexander was a disciple of Aristotle.
• At the time of Alexander's invasion, northwestern India was home to numerous small kingdoms and republics. Porus was the most powerful of these.
• Ambhi was the ruler of Taxila. He made a treaty with Alexander.
• At the time of Alexander's invasion, Magadha was ruled by Dhanananda, a ruler of the Nanda dynasty. Despite his unpopularity with the people, his military power was strong.
• Alexander fought the Battle of the Hydaspes (Battle of Jhelum) with Porus, the ruler of the region between the Jhelum and Chenab rivers. Porus was wounded and captured.
• Reaching the Beas River in 326 BC, Alexander's troops refused to advance further. The soldiers made this decision due to Magadha's strength and the harsh climate.
• Alexander had to yield to their soldiers' decision. Alexander died in Babylon in 323 BC on his way back to Greece.