Rise of Magadha and its various stages of imperialism

According to Devadatta Ramakrishna Bhandarkar, the most important political event of Buddha's lifetime was the rise of four kingdoms in India. These states were - Kosambi (Vats), Avanti, Kaushal and Magadha. According to the policy of expansion, their states took possession of the neighboring lands. 

Its result was a mutual conflict, which ultimately led to the rise of the single mighty kingdom of Magadha. The expansion of the Magadha kingdom was in the districts of Patna and Gaya located in the southern part of present-day Bihar. To its north and west were the Ganges and Son rivers respectively, to the south. There were ranges of Vindhya Mountains and in the east was the Champa River. Its first capital was Girivraj or Rajgriha, whose other names were Magadhapur, Vridrathpur, Vasumati, Kushagrapur and Bimbisarapuri. In Vedic literature, the land of Magadha has been called Upavan.

Its political power and influence was established by the royal family of Vridratha. This dynasty came to an end in the 6th century BC. At that time Magadha was ruled by Vimbisara of Haryanka clan, that is, by then this Rajkul had ended.

Magadha has a special place in ancient Indian history. In ancient times, India was the power of many small and big states. The majestic kings of Magadha conquered these states and established a vast and powerful empire over a large part of India, and thus the rulers of Magadha first displayed their imperialist tendencies. Even before the establishment of the Maurya dynasty in Magadha, many rulers had made the Magadha Empire powerful with their muscle and valor.

Reason for the rise of Magadha Empire

Magadha was in a very safe place between the upper and lower parts of the vast coastal plains of North India, being situated in an inaccessible place between five hills, it was almost impossible for the enemies to reach there.

Merchant facilities in Magadha also increased due to the Ganga river and the importance of Magadha increased from an economic point of view. The land of Magadha Empire was very fertile, hence Magadha was a prosperous state economically. The abundance of elephants in the Magadha Empire's flourishing also contributed significantly to the rise of the Magadha Empire.

Iron was found in abundance and easily in the Magadha Empire. This was an important source of Magadha's power. With this, the land could be cleared for cultivation by clearing the forest and the yield could be increased.

Rise of Magadha and various stages of its imperialism

The political history of this period for a long time is mainly an account of the struggle for supremacy in the above states. Over time, Magadha emerged as the most powerful kingdom and spread into a vast empire.

Magadha became powerful during the reign of King Bimbasara (544-492-BC). He was a contemporary of Lord Buddha and belonged to the Haryanka dynasty. From the very beginning Bimbasara followed the policy of expansion. He had some facilities to strengthen his position. His kingdom was protected by rivers and hills all around.

His capital was along the Rajgir hills. The rich and fertile soil of his empire yielded a lot. The Hiranyavata or Son river encouraged trade. Thus trade and land taxes were the main sources of income of the state.

The iron-rich mines of Magadha and the surrounding regions helped in the manufacture of iron weapons. The inclusion of Anga in his kingdom was one of the most important achievements of Bimbassara. The capital of Anga, Champa was an important center of trade.

Bimbasara made his son Ajatashatru the governor of this state. Avanti was the main enemy of Magadha. Bimbasara had a long war with its ruler Pradyot Mahasen, which however eventually turned into friendship. In Buddhist texts we learn that Bimbasara had sent his physician Jivaka to treat Pradyota Mahasena, who was suffering from a serious illness. Bimbasara established matrimonial relations with the important royal families of Kosala, Vaishali and Bhadra.

In marriage to the sister of the Kosala king Prasenjit, Bimbasar received a large number of villages in dowry. These marriages strengthened his position and increased his prestige. In this way, by matrimonial relations and conquests, Bimbasara made Magadha a very powerful kingdom.

Bimbasar organized efficient administration. Both Mahavira and Buddha preached his doctrines during his reign and it is said that he had a close relationship with both. He was probably killed at the hands of Ajatashatru who captured the throne.

Ajatashatru found himself surrounded by many enemies. King Prasenjit declared war against him and he also had long wars with the Lichchhavis and the Vijjis. The kingdoms of Kashi and Avanti also became his enemies. Ajatashatru faced these challenges with courage and success and made Magadha a bigger kingdom.

His son Udayana (460 BC - 444 BC) built the city of Pataliputra, which became the new capital of Magadha. The dynasty of Bibisar was followed by the rule of Shishunagas and finally the throne of Magadha was usurped by Mahapadma Nanda.

According to the Puranas, the Nandas belonged to the lower caste and were not Kshatriyas. But he proved himself to be the most powerful ruler and probably annexed Kalinga to his empire. At the time of Alexander's invasion (326 BC), the Nanda were ruling Magadha.

According to some historical records, the power of the Nandas discouraged Sikandar from moving further in India and forced him to return home. According to Greek accounts, Dhanananda had a huge army of 20,000 horses, 2,00,000 padatis, 2,000 chariots and at least 3,000 elephants. Nand became unpopular due to various reasons.

They imposed heavy taxes on the people to maintain a huge army and they became oppressive as well as very arrogant. According to tradition, the autocratic rule of the Nandas was established by Chandragupta Maurya in about 323 BC. I uprooted. It is also believed that a Brahmin named Chanakya helped Chandragupta a lot in this achievement. Some of the Mahajanapadas were imperialistic and some were democratic.

Magadha emerged as a very powerful state during the reign of Bimbasara and Ajatashatru. During the reign of the Nanda kings, Sikandar entered the Punjab, but did not change further due to the fear of Nanda's army. Chandragupta Maurya defeated King Nanda and got the rule of Magadha. He ascended the throne of Macedonia (a kingdom of Greece) at the age of 20 after the death of his father.

After two years he left for world conquest with a huge army. 331 BC In 327 BC he destroyed the vast Velvet Empire and in 327 BC. By taking possession of Balkh or Bactrian, he knocked on the Indian door. Alexander's inner campaign had two phases.

Alexander's campaign to the Beas River Alexander's return to the 4th century BC Greece and Persia fought for authority over Western Asia during the Ultimately, the Greeks under the leadership of Alexander of Macedonia destroyed the Ichmani kingdom. He conquered Asia Minor, Iraq and Iran and then proceeded towards India.

According to the Greek historian Hirodotam, Alexander was very much attracted by the wealth of India. At the time of Alexander's invasion, North-West India was divided into small monarchies. The lack of unity helped the Greeks to win them one after the other. Among them the most important kings were Ambhi and Porus. Had they put aside their differences and took a united front, perhaps the Greeks could have been defeated. In contrast, the Taxila king Ambhi helped Alexander against Porus.

Ambhi surrendered to Alexander without any protest. But Bahadur Porus, whose kingdom was on the banks of the Jhelum, protested strongly. Although he was defeated, Alexander was impressed by his bravery and treated him with respect and returned his kingdom. After this, Alexander moved towards the Vyas river and he defeated many of the states of Punjab. He wanted to advance in the east, but his soldiers heard about the huge army and power of Nanda of Magadha and, being discouraged, refused to proceed.

According to Greek historians, after a long campaign of ten years, he was also haunted by the memory of home. Despite Alexander's repeated requests, the soldiers refused to move towards the east and Alexander had to return. Thus his dream of establishing an empire in the east was not fully realized. On his return journey, Alexander defeated many minor republics like Sibi and Shudraka. Alexander lived in India for 19 months (326 BC-325 BC). In these months he fought only wars. 323 BC He died in Babylon (near Baghdad) at the young age of 32 years. Alexander did not find time to organize his conquests.

Most of the states were returned to his rulers, who accepted his authority. He divided his occupied territories, which included some parts of Eastern Europe and a large part of West Asia, into three parts. For him Alexander appointed three governors. The eastern part of his empire went to Seleucus Nicator, who, after the death of his master, Alexander, declared himself king. Alexander's invasion paved the way for political unity in India. Alexander had conquered all the small and quarrelsome kingdoms, and the expansion of the Mauryas in this area became easy. Alexander 326 BC I invaded India.

He had conquered Punjab up to the river Jhelum. But he could not organize his empire. Alexander's invasion helped in the process of political integration. 6th century BC In the time of Lord Buddha there were sixteen Mahajanapadas or elaborate regional kingdoms. Some of them were imperialistic and some were democratic. Of these sixteen kingdoms, Magadha eventually became the supreme power.

Some factors were responsible for the rise of Magadha. The iron mines found there helped the people to make strong weapons. Fertile land, additional food and rivers providing sea routes helped in the development of trade and commerce. As a result, Magadha became the most prosperous and powerful state. Bimbasara was the first king who made Magadha great. He did this through conquests and marital relations. Magadha became a huge empire during the reign of Ajajashatru.

It reached its peak during the Nadana period. Gradually Magadha annexed many border states with itself. When Alexander invaded Northwest India, the Nanda were the rulers. Instead of making much progress in India, the Greek leader soon withdrew. The Greeks probably thought that it was not wise to compete with the strong Magadha Empire.

The Persian or Ichmanian Empire under the leadership of Cyrus the Great and Terius grew into one of the largest empires in the world. Later empires idealized it in many respects. The power of the emperor lies in the enforcement of the policy adopted by Cyrus. He allowed the conquered people to follow their customs and religion. In return he asked for taxes and obedience from them.

This empire was divided into princely states called Kshatrapi, whose head was a governor who was called a Kshatrapa. A Persian garrison (a small troop) and a royal inspector (called the king's eyes and ears) supervised the work of the satraps. A separate secretariat corresponded with the satraps. Various measures were taken to maintain the unity of the empire. A uniform monetary system was introduced. A major part of the amount received from the princely states was spent on the construction of roads. Rest houses were constructed at regular intervals.

The greatness of the Persian Empire is reflected in their architecture. The beautiful, magnificent ruins of Persepolis show a group of royal palaces built on high platforms by the kings of Ferius and Bagh. The plates along the stairs depict soldiers, representatives of countries and regions bringing gifts to the king. The diverse full character of this empire is revealed.

The humanism of Persian life probably came from their religion Zoroastren which inspires good thoughts, actions, and words. Although Zoroastren has been wiped out from Persia, it is still there in the Persians of India. In this way the Persian Empire became a real great empire, whose influence was also seen in the later periods.

Effects of Persian Invasions

The Persian rule in Northwest India lasted for almost two centuries. During this time there would have been regular contact between these two countries. Perhaps Skylax's maritime expedition increased trade and commerce between Persia (Iran) and India. Some ancient coins of gold and silver have been found in Punjab. Although the mountain ranges of the north-west frontier were used much earlier, it appears that a regular army led by the great Ichmanian ruler Terius first entered India at these rates.

Later, when Alexander's army attacked Punjab, it came through this route. The administrative structure of this empire was very similar to that of the Ikhmani kingdom of Persia. The Persian term satyap (governor) was used for a long time as a satrap for the governor of Indian kings.

Cultural contacts with the Persians are also very important. Persian writers brought a new style of writing to India. This style, derived from the Aramaic script, is called Kharoshthi and is written from right to left. Many inscriptions of Ashoka found in North-West India have been written in Kharoshta itself. This script continued to be used in North-Western India till the third century AD.

The Persian influence can also be seen in the preface to Ashoka's edicts. Mauryan art and architecture were also greatly influenced by Persian art. The monolithic pillars of Ashoka's laurels, whose tops are in the shape of ivory bells, are similar to the Victory Pillars of the emperors found at Persepolis.

Magadha grew into a large state under a strong central government, the result of the hard work of many ambitious kings such as Bimbasara, Ajatashatru and Mahapadma Nanda, who increased their power under an imperialist policy. Magadha also became very important from the religious point of view. Jainism and Buddhism both developed in this region, which greatly influenced the social life of the people. The Vaish community prospered with the development of agriculture and trade, but it did not get any recognition from the Brahminical society.

Therefore they preferred to accept Jainism and Buddhism, which did not recognize the orthodox caste system and also banned animal sacrifice, which were very important in the agricultural economy. As mentioned earlier, the Magadha people used the rich iron mines available in the region to make strong weapons and agricultural implements. This helped them to attain a position of advantage politically and economically.

Magadha also had some other facilities. Both the capitals of Magadha, first Rajgir and later Pataliputra, were in a socially important position. The fort of Rajgir was surrounded by five hills. Hence it was also called Girivajra. It was very difficult for the invaders to enter from the capital.

fifth century BC The capital of Magadha was shifted to Pataliputra, which was built by Udayin, the son of Ajatashatru. Pataliputra was situated at the confluence of three rivers, the Ganges, the Gandak and the Son. The fourth river Saryu also joined the Ganges near Pataliputra. It was surrounded on all sides by rivers, which made it virtually a "Jaldurg" where it was almost impossible for the enemy to reach. Using these rivers as highways, the Magadha kings could send their soldiers in any direction.

The fertile alluvial soil brought by the Ganges and its tributaries made the Magadha region very prosperous. By clearing the forests with iron tools and implements, more and more land was cultivated. The warm climate and heavy rainfall enabled the farmers to grow heavy crops without much difficulty. It is mentioned in Buddhist texts that the farmers of Magadha used to grow many varieties of rice. The surplus produce could be used by the king to pay salaries to his soldiers and officers.

Business also flourished due to the extra food. The waterways of Magadha controlled the trade and commerce of East India. Many important towns developed along the banks of these rivers as important trading centres, which prompted the Magadha kings to impose a road tax on the sale of goods. This helped them to amass immense wealth and maintain a huge army.

War elephants were a special part of Magadha's army. Magadha was the first state, which used elephants on a large scale in war. The rest of the other kingdoms were often dependent on chariots and horses. Elephants were useful in demolishing forts and walking in swamps. From Greek sources we learn that Magadha's army had 6,000 elephants, which created panic in the minds of the soldiers who had captured Punjab under the leadership of Alexander.

Perhaps this was one of the reasons why he returned to Greece instead of attacking the Magadha Empire. The non-conservative character of Magadha's society also indirectly helped in its development. Some prominent historians are of the opinion that the main reason for the rise of Magadha as a powerful state was the ethnic mix of the people of this region. Many communities were mixed in Magadha, leading to the development of a mixed culture, which was very different in nature from the orthodox Vedic society. 

The geographical location of Magadha greatly influenced its history. It protected it from foreign invasions and increased trade and agriculture in the interest of its inhabitants. Its iron-rich mines helped the people of Magadha to make iron weapons and tools. The ethnic mix of the people of Magadha made them non-Orthodox.

Effect of greek invasion

Contact with the Macedonians and ancient Indians was short-lived, but its influence was widespread. Smith wrote that the Indians bowed their heads in the face of the storm and let it pass and they were again in contemplation. It is true that Alexander lived in India for only 19 months and his vast empire soon disintegrated like a pack of cards. But it cannot be said that Alexander's attack was of absolute importance.

1. Political influence

Alexander's invasion paved the way for political unity in the region by conquering the quarrelsome tribes of northwestern India. It seems that with this campaign, Alexander facilitated Chandragupta Maurya's task of conquering this region. Soon after Alexander's departure, Chandragupta Maurya took control of northwestern India up to Afghanistan by defeating his general Seleucus Nicator.

2. Cultural Influence

 The influence of Greek art can also be seen in the development of Indian sculpture. The fusion of Greek and Indian styles produced the Gandhara school of art. Indians also learned from the Greeks the art of smoky and beautiful silver-gold coins. The Greeks also left some influence on Indian astrology.

According to Paul Mason Orsel, “Eight years of Greek occupation marked the beginning of an era of several centuries. In those centuries, Greek culture remained a major component in the field of civilization and it also had a significant impact on the administration in the western region of India. The Mediterranean civilization had a direct relationship with the civilization of Punjab and Central Asia. Semitic Babylonia and the Iranian Empire could not stand as a wall between East and West.

3. Social Influence

 We get many valuable information about the social and economic conditions of the then northern and north-western India from the accounts of the Greeks Aryan, the navigator Nyarcus and Megasthenes. They tell us about the developed forms of many crafts, the status of active trade abroad and the income-rich condition of the country. Carpentry has been mentioned in many places in these articles as a growing business. It seems that the fleet that Alexander sent along the western coast under the leadership of Niyarkas was made in India itself.

Alexander's daring expedition helped the West learn about Indian life and ideas. It is said that the ideas on Indian philosophy and religion reached the Roman Empire due to the same path that Alexander opened. Greek writers have left clear date-wise details of Alexander's campaign. These help us a lot in organizing the ancient Indian history time wise. The date of Alexander's invasion is 326 BC. There is a fixed notation point which allows us to arrange the before and after events around it.

After Alexander's invasion, India and the West came very close. The Gandhara school of art developed from the fusion of Greek and Indian art. From this contact, Europe also learned and received something about Indian philosophy and religion. The date of Alexander's invasion proved to be very helpful in arranging the events of ancient Indian history.