Pre historic period- dynasties of Indian history (544 BC-897 AD)
The Haryanka Dynasty 544 BC-412 BC: Bimbisara (544-492) Magadha came into prominence under the leadership of Bimbisara (544 BC-492), who belonged to the Haryanka dynasty. He was a contemporary of Gautama Buddha. He strengthened his position by marriage alliance. He was known as Seniya, and was the first king who had a regular army. The earliest capital of Magadha was at Rajgir, which was called Giri Vraja at the time.Ajatashatru (Kunika) (492-460 BC): Bimbisara was succeeded by his son Ajatashatru (492-460 BC). Ajatashatru killed his father and seized the throne for himself. He fought a terrible war against the Vajjis/Lichhvis and conquered the once considered invincible democratic Vaishali Republic. Ajatashatru with the help of his two ministers Sunidha and Vassakara built a fort near the banks of the river Ganges to strengthen the defense of Magadha and named it Patali Grama (village). Later it developed into a city, which soon became popular as Pataliputra.
Udayin (460-422 BC): Ajatashatru was succeeded by Udayin. His reign is important because he built the fort on the confluence of the river Ganga and sone at patna. This was dione because Patna lay in the centre of the Magadha kingdom. He was succeeded by Anuruddha, Munda and Naga-Dasak who were weak and parricides.
The Sisunaga dynasty (412-344 BC): later on Haryankas were succeeded by the dynasty of Sisunagas, who temporarily shifted the capital to Vaishali. Their greatest achievement was the destruction of the power of the Avanti with its capital at Ujjain. Sisunaga was succeeded by Kalashoka. He convented the second Buddhist Council at Vaishali.
The Nanda Dynasty (344-323 BC): the Sisu Nagas were succeeded by the Nandas, who proved to be the most powerful rulers of Magadha, so great was their power that Alexander, who invaded Punjab at that time, did not dare to move towards the east. The Nanda dynasty was headed by the usurper Mahapadma Nanda. He is described as the first empire builder in Indian history. The Nandas were the first non-kshatriya rulers. The last Nanda ruler was defeated by Chandragupta Maurya who founded the Maurya Empire.
The foreign Invasion: the Iranian ruler, Darius, penetrated into north-west India in 518 BC and annexed Punjab, west of the Indus and Sindh. Alexander succeeded his father, Philip to the throne of Macedonia, at the age of 20. After the conquest of Iran, Alexander moved on to Kabul, from where he marched towards India through the Khyber Pass. Ambhi, the ruler of Taxila, and Abhisara readily submitted to the invader but Porus (Puru) refused to do so. Alexander crossed the Jhelum and a fierce battle ensued in which Porus was defeated. But he was treated generously by Alexander and his kingdom was returned to him. Alexander remained in India for 19 months (326-325 BC), during which he kept on fighting. He began his homeward journey, but he died on reaching Babylon in 323 BC. He was 33 years of age.
Religious movements (600-400 BC): Buddhism and Jainism are two religions which evolved during the post-Vedic age. There were many reasons why the birth of these religions became imminent during a phase where friction between different sections of the society took centre stage.
Buddhism: Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism was born in 563 BCE (widely accepted); on the vaishakha poornima day at Lumbini. It lies in the foothills of Nepal. The name of his family was Gautama and his father was the ruler of small feudal kingdom of the Sakya clan. His mother died seven days after the birth and he was brought up by his aunt, the King’s second wife, Mahaprajapati Gautami. When he turned sixteen, he married yashodhara. She soon had a son who was named Rahul. At the age of 29, he renounced home and became a wandering ascetic. This was his Mahabhinishkramana. His first teacher was Alara Kalama who taught him meditation. Later Udraka Ramaputra became his teacher. At the age of 35, he attained Nirvana, under a peepal tree at the Bodh Gaya. It took 49 days of continuous meditation. Now he was fully enlightened or Tathagat. Buddha delivered his first speech at Sarnath, to his five disciples. This event is known as Dharmachakra Pravartan. Buddha died at the age of 80 at Kushinagar. This is known as Mahaparinirvana. The three jewels or Triratnas of Buddhism; Buddha, Dharma, Sangha.
Jainism: Jainism or the Jain religion flourished in India since ancient times. The term Jaina or Jain implies follower of Jina which means ‘the victorious one’. Popularly, Mahavira who was the last jaina Tirthankara is confounded to be the founder of this faith. But as per jaina records, 23 Tirthankaras preceded him. He was only the last and incidentally the most famous Tirthankara. Jaina tradition identifies Rishabha (also known as Adinath) as the first Tirthankar of this declining (avatar pini) time cycle (kalachakra). The last two Tirthankaras, Parshva and Mahavira, are historical figures whose existence is recorded. Mahavira was born in Kundagram (distt. Muzaffarpur, Bihar) in 599 BC. His father Siddhartha was the head of Jnatrika class. Mahavira’s mother Trishala was the sister of the king of Vaishali. He was married to Yashoda and had a daughter Anonja Priyandarshini whose Husband Jamali became his first disciple. At the age of thirty Mahavira renounced his kingdom and family, gave up his worldly possessions and spent twelve years as an ascetic. He exhibited exemplary control over his senses while enduring the penance during these years. His courage and bravery earned him the name Mahavira. These were the golden years of his spiritual journey at the end of which he achieved the arihant status. At the age of 42 he attained Kaivalya under a sal tree, at Jimbhikagrama. In 527 BC, at the age of 72 years and 4 and half months he attained nirvana in the area known as Pawapuri.
The triple Gems of Jainism: right vision or view (Samyak Darshana), right knowledge (samyak gyan) and right conduct (samyak charitra)-provide the path of liberation from the cycles of birth and death.
Pancha Maha Vratas: five vows of Jainism are Ahimsa (Nonviolence), Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (Non-stealing), Brahmacharya (celibacy) and Aparigraha (non-possession, non materialism).
The first jain council was held at Pataliputra about 300 BC under the leadership of Sthulibhadra. The second Jain council was held at Vallabhi in the 5th century BC by the Svetambaras under the leadership of Devarshi Kshama Ramana. During this council, the 12 Angas and 12 Upangas were finally compiled here in Ardh Magadhi language.
Maurya Dynasty (322 BC-184 BC): Chandragupta Maurya (322-298 BC) Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of the Mauryan empire. He succeeded in conquering almost all of the Indian subcontinent and is considered the first unifier of India as well as its first genuine emperor. Chandragupta dethroned the last Nanda ruler, Dhanananda, and occupied Pataliputra in 322 BC with the help of Kautilya (Chanakya). Seleucus Nicator sent Megasthenes as an ambassador to the court of Chandragupta. He gave up his throne in 298 BC when he was 42 years old became an ascetic under the Jain saint Acharya Bhadrabahu, and migrated towards south to pass his enduing days in ‘Sallekhana’ at Shravanabelagola at present Karnataka.
Bindusara (298-273 BC): Bindusara was the second Mauryan emperor. The Greeks called him Amitrochates or Allitrochades- the Greek transliteration for the Sanskrit word ‘Amitraghata’ (slayer of enemies). He is said to carry his arms up to Mysore, in the Deccan. Unlike his father Chandragupta who followed Jainism, Bindusara believed in the Ajivika sect.
hereAshoka (273 BC-236 BC): According to Divyavandana (Vedic source) when Bindusara died, a two year long war for the succession erupted between Ashoka and his half brothers. The coronation happened in 269 BC. The battle was fierce and caused the deaths of more than 1, 00,000 soldiers and many civilians who rose up in defense; over 150000 were deported. Ashoka had led the invasion in person, and he went out to the capital city of the Kalinga after his victory to survey the damage. The ruined houses and bloodied corpses sickened the emperor. Although he had considered himself more or less Buddhist prior to that day, the carnage at Kalinga led Ashoka to devote himself to Buddhism. He vowed to practice ahimsa from that day onward. He became the Buddhist under Upagupta. He sent missionaries to the Chola and Pandya kingdoms, and also to the five states ruled by the Greek kings (Antiochus 1, Syria; Ptolemy 2, Egypt; Antigonus, Macedonia; Magus, Syrina and Alexander, Epirus). He sent his missionaries to Lankadeepa (sri lanka) and Suvarnabhumi (Thailand/Myanmar).
Post- Maurya/ Pre Gupta Period
Sunga Dynasty 184-73 BC): the Sunga dynasty was established in 184 BC when the emperor Brihadratha, the last Mauryan ruler was assassinated by his commander-in-chief, Pushyamitra sunga, while he was taking the Guard of Honour of his forces. Pusyamitra Sunga then ascended to the throne. He was the first Brahmin emperor, and is believed to have persecuted Buddhist and contributed to a resurgence of Brahmanism by son Agnimitra. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and the Mahabhasya were composed in this period.
Kanva Dynasty 73-28 BC): the last ruler of the Sunga dynasty, Devbhuti, was overthrown by Vasudeva of the Kanva dynasty in 73 BC. Magadha was ruled by four Kanva rulers. Little is known about the Kancas; however their dynasty was brought to an end by the Satavahanas of the south in 28 BC.
Satavahana dynasty 60 BC-225 AD): the Satavahana Empire or Andhra Empire was a royal Indian dynasty spread over Dharanikota and Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh as well as Junnar Pune and Prathisthan paithan in Maharashtra. Pulumavi-I, a Satavahana ruler, killed the last Kanva ruler susarama and ended the Kanva rule by occupying Kanva territories in 28 BC.
Simukah Satva Raja: the founder of Satavahana dynasty emerged as prominent figure in about 271 BC. With Ashoka’s show of force in Kalinga, sumukha was content with semi-independent status rule. His territories covered modern Maharashtra, northern karnataka, and Telangana. Paithan or Pratisthana was his capital.
Gautamiputra Satakarni: he was the greatest of Satavahanas who ruled from about 62 CE to 86 CE. He revived the fortunes of Satavahanas and enhanced the empire to its heights. He expanded the empire to its maximum limits and won back the territories from Saka successors of Nahapana on his western borders. After conquering Saurashtra, malwa and part of Rajasthan. Nahapana coins were re-struck in his name.
continue reading click here
No comments:
Post a Comment