The Shaishunaga dynasty (IAST: Śaiśunāga, literally "of Shishunaga") is the fourth ruling dynasty of Magadha, an empire of ancient India. According to the Hindu Puranas, this dynasty was the second ruling dynasty of Magadha, succeeding Nagadashaka of the Haryanka dynasty.

Shishunaga, the founder of the dynasty, was initially an amatya or "minister" of the last Haryanka dynasty ruler Nāgadāsaka and ascended to the throne after a popular rebellion in c. 413 BCE.^[3] The capital of this dynasty initially was Vaishali; but later shifted to Pataliputra, near the present day Patna, during the reign of Kalashoka. According to tradition, Kalashoka was succeeded by his ten sons.^[4] This dynasty was succeeded by the Nanda Empire in c. 345 BCE.^[5]

Establishment

According to Buddhist tradition, Shishunaga was amatya in Haryanka kingdom, who revolted and became the king.^[6]

Rulers

Shishunaga

Main article: Shishunaga

Shishunaga founded his dynasty in 413 BCE with its capital in Rajgir and later Pataliputra (both in what is now Bihar). Buddhist sources indicate that he had a secondary capital at Vaishali,^[6] formerly the capital of Vajji, until it was conquered by Magadha. The Shaishunaga dynasty ruled one of the largest empires in the Indian subcontinent. Most important achievement of Shisunga was destruction of the Pradyota dynasty of Avanti. This brought to an end the hundred year old rivalry between Magadh and Avanti. From then Avanti became a part of Magadh.

Kakavarna/Kalashoka

Main article: Kalashoka

According to the Puranas, Shishunaga was succeeded by his son Kakavarna and according to the Sinhala chronicles by his son Kalashoka.^[6] On the basis of the evidence of the Ashokavadana, Hermann Jacobi, Wilhelm Geiger and Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar concluded that both are the same. During Shishunaga's reign, he was the governor of Varanasi. The two most significant events of his reign are the Second Buddhist council at Vaishali in 383 BC and the final transfer of the capital to Pataliputra.^[6]^[7] According to the Harshacharita, he was killed by a dagger thrust into his throat in the vicinity of his capital.^[8] According to Buddhist tradition, he had nine or ten sons, who were ousted by Ugrasena Nanda.^[9]

Later rulers

According to Buddhist tradition,^[which?] ten sons of Kalashoka ruled simultaneously. The Mahabodhivamsa states their names as Bhadrasena, Korandavarna, Mangura, Sarvanjaha, Jalika, Ubhaka, Sanjaya, Koravya, Nandivardhana and Panchamaka. Only one of them is mentioned in the Puranic lists, Nandivardhana.^[4]

The Puranas list Nandivardhana as the ninth Shaishunaga king and his son Mahanandin as the tenth and the last Shaishunaga king. Mahanandin was killed by Mahapadma, his illegitimate son from a Shudra wife.^[10]

Coins during the Shaishunaga dynasty of Magadha.

Decline

According to Puranas, Shaishunagas were followed by Nanda Empire, which was established by Mahanandin's son Mahapadma Nanda.^[6]

References

Citations

^ Schwartzberg, Joseph E. (1978). A Historical atlas of South Asia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 145, map XIV.1 (a). ISBN 0226742210.
^ Upinder Singh 2016, p. 273.
^ Raychaudhuri 1972, pp. 193, 201.
^ ^a ^b Raychaudhuri 1972, p. 196.
^ Raychaudhuri 1972, p. 201.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Upinder Singh 2016, p. 272.
^ Raychaudhuri 1972, pp. 195–196.
^ Mahajan 2007, p. 251.
^ Sastri 1988, p. 14.
^ Mookerji 1988, p. 10.

Sources

Mookerji, Radha Kumud (1988) [first published in 1966], Chandragupta Maurya and his times (4th ed.), Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-81-208-0433-3
Singh, Upinder (2016), A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century, Pearson PLC, ISBN 978-81-317-1677-9
Raychaudhuri, H.C. (1972), Political History of Ancient India, Calcutta: University of Calcutta
Sastri, K. A. Nilakanta, ed. (1988) [1967], Age of the Nandas and Mauryas (Second ed.), Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-81-208-0465-4
Mahajan, V.D. (2007) [1960], Ancient India, New Delhi: S. Chand, ISBN 978-81-219-0887-0

Preceded byHaryanka dynasty (Magadha) Pradyota dynasty (Avanti) Shaishunaga Dynasty 413–345 BCE Succeeded byNanda Dynasty

Middle kingdoms of India

Timeline and cultural period	Northwestern India (Punjab-Sapta Sindhu)	Indo-Gangetic Plain			Central India	Southern India
Timeline and cultural period	Northwestern India (Punjab-Sapta Sindhu)	Upper Gangetic Plain (Ganga-Yamuna doab)	Middle Gangetic Plain	Lower Gangetic Plain	Central India	Southern India
IRON AGE
Culture	Late Vedic Period	Late Vedic Period (Srauta culture)^[a] Painted Grey Ware culture	Late Vedic Period (Shramanic culture)^[b] Northern Black Polished Ware		Pre-history
6th century BCE	Gandhara	Kuru-Panchala	Magadha		Adivasi (tribes)	Assaka
Culture	Persian-Greek influences	"Second Urbanisation" Rise of Shramana movements Jainism - Buddhism - Ājīvika - Yoga			Pre-history
5th century BCE	(Persian conquests)		Shaishunaga dynasty		Adivasi (tribes)	Assaka
4th century BCE	(Greek conquests)	Nanda empire			Adivasi (tribes)
HISTORICAL AGE
Culture	Spread of Buddhism				Pre-history
3rd century BCE	Maurya Empire					Satavahana dynasty Sangam period (300 BCE – 200 CE) Early Cholas Early Pandyan Kingdom Cheras
Culture	Preclassical Hinduism^[c] - "Hindu Synthesis"^[d] (ca. 200 BC - 300 CE)^[e]^[f] Epics - Puranas - Ramayana - Mahabharata - Bhagavad Gita - Brahma Sutras - Smarta Tradition Mahayana Buddhism
2nd century BCE	Indo-Greek Kingdom		Shunga Empire Maha-Meghavahana Dynasty			Satavahana dynasty Sangam period (300 BCE – 200 CE) Early Cholas Early Pandyan Kingdom Cheras
1st century BCE	Indo-Greek Kingdom		Shunga Empire Maha-Meghavahana Dynasty
1st century CE	Indo-Scythians Indo-Parthians		Kuninda Kingdom
2nd century	Kushan Empire
3rd century	Kushano-Sasanian Kingdom	Kushan Empire	Western Satraps	Kamarupa kingdom	Adivasi (tribes)
Culture	"Golden Age of Hinduism"(ca. CE 320-650)^[g] Puranas Co-existence of Hinduism and Buddhism
4th century	Kidarites	Gupta Empire Varman dynasty				Andhra Ikshvakus Kalabhra dynasty Kadamba Dynasty Western Ganga Dynasty
5th century	Hephthalite Empire	Alchon Huns				Vishnukundina Kalabhra dynasty
6th century	Nezak Huns Kabul Shahi		Maitraka		Adivasi (tribes)	Vishnukundina Badami Chalukyas Kalabhra dynasty
Culture	Late-Classical Hinduism (ca. CE 650-1100)^[h] Advaita Vedanta - Tantra Decline of Buddhism in India
7th century	Indo-Sassanids		Vakataka dynasty Empire of Harsha	Mlechchha dynasty	Adivasi (tribes)	Badami Chalukyas Eastern Chalukyas Pandyan Kingdom (Revival) Pallava
8th century	Kabul Shahi		Pala Empire			Eastern Chalukyas Pandyan Kingdom Kalachuri
9th century	Kabul Shahi		Gurjara-Pratihara			Rashtrakuta dynasty Eastern Chalukyas Pandyan Kingdom Medieval Cholas Chera Perumals of Makkotai
10th century	Ghaznavids			Pala dynasty Kamboja-Pala dynasty		Kalyani Chalukyas Eastern Chalukyas Medieval Cholas Chera Perumals of Makkotai Rashtrakuta
References and sources for table References ^ Samuel ^ Samuel ^ Michaels (2004) p.39 ^ Hiltebeitel (2002) ^ Michaels (2004) p.39 ^ Hiltebeitel (2002) ^ Michaels (2004) p.40 ^ Michaels (2004) p.41 Sources Flood, Gavin D. (1996), An Introduction to Hinduism, Cambridge University Press Hiltebeitel, Alf (2002), Hinduism. In: Joseph Kitagawa, "The Religious Traditions of Asia: Religion, History, and Culture", Routledge Michaels, Axel (2004), Hinduism. Past and present, Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press Samuel, Geoffrey (2010), The Origins of Yoga and Tantra. Indic Religions to the Thirteenth Century, Cambridge University Press