The Mighty Magadha! Part II

We have successfully reached 100 A.D in our journey from 3300 B.C to present. Now, let's find out what happened in India, Magadha Empire in particular, from 100 A.D to 600 A.D. Basically, after the fall of Ashoka- The Great, all the vassals who were under him gained independence. One such large piece of land which became independent was Andhra Kingdom. The independence was supposedly declared by its first King Simuka in 230 B.C(Ashoka's death: 232 B.C).

So, looking at the big picture. The following things happened in India after the fall of one great King, Ashoka:

1. We have Sunga's (Pushyamitra Sunga) who had taken over the throne of Magadha in the north-east India. Later it was taken over by Kanva kings and then by the Andhra or Sathavahanas Kings.
2. We have Sathavahanas who had declared themselves independent in the Deccan region.
3. We have Greco-bactrian and Greco-Indian kingdoms who took over the north western territories. These were soon conquered by the Sakas. Which were in turn conquered by the Kushans and so on.

Andhra Dynasty (230 B.C - 225 A.D)

Andhra or Satavahana Dynasty



• Founded by Dravidians, most of them being low castes(actually, they were twice-borns). They conquered the Deccan lands. It was ruled by wealthy Hindu Kings. However they did tolerate and respect other religions. The Andhras held a position of importance as early as the Mauryan period, since they are specifically mentioned by Asoka amongst the tribal people in his empire.

• Their rise to prominence was led by Simuka, who declared his independence from Mauryan rule in about 230 BC. According to the Puranas, the Satavahana king later  killed the last Kanva ruler of Magadha and presumably took possession of his kingdom. He then embarked on conquests of Malwa and Maharashtra, and annexed parts of western and central India. 

• An opinion has been put forward that the family originated in the west and extended its control to the east coast, finally giving its name, Andhra, to this region. Since the earliest inscriptions of the Satavahanas are found in the Western Deccan, this view may be correct.

• The earliest of the Satavahana kings to receive wide recognition was Satakarni-I, and this was due to his policy of military expansion in all directions. He is the Lord of the west who defied Kharavela of Kalinga (of the east) and against whom the latter campaigned. His conquests took him north from the Narmada into eastern Malwa, which at the time was being threatened by the Sakas and the Greeks. Satakarni-I gained control of the region of Sanchi, and an inscription there refers to him as Rajan Shri Satakarni. His next move was in the southern  direction and on conquering the Godavari valley he felt entitled to call himself Lord of the Southern Regions’ (Dakshina – pathapati). Satakarni-I also performed two Asvamedha sacrifices and one Rajasuya sacrifice. Satakarni-II, the next king, conquered Pataliputra and Kalinga. By this time, the Sakas and the Greeks had started to trouble the Satavahana Empire. 

• After the reign of Satakarni I, the Satavahanas were driven out of the western Deccan by the Sakas of the Kshaharata or Satraps clan. Coins and inscriptions of the Saka Chief Nahapana have been found around Nasik, indicating the Saka dominance in the area towards the close of the first century A.D. or the beginning of the second. But it must have been soon after this that the Satavahanas regained their western possessions, for the coins of Nahapana are often found over-struck by the name Gautamiputra Satakarni, the king who was responsible for re-establishing Satavahana power in this region by driving out the Shakas.

 
• Gautamiputra Satakarni (A.D. 78 -130) is said to have destroyed the power of the Sakas and the pride of the Khastriyas, promoted the interests of the twice-born(Dravidians) and stopped the mixing of the four varnas. His achievements are recorded in glowing terms in the Nasik prasasti by his mother Gautami Balasri. He ruled over a wide area extending from the Krishna in the south to Malwa and Saurashtra in the north and from Berar in the east to the Konkan in the west.

  

• His patronage to Brahmanism is revealed by the epithet ‘Ekabrahmana’. He was also the king to introduce coins with royal images in India. He was the last powerful king of the Satavahana Dynasty. Though other Satavahana kings are known to have reigned until about 200 AD, most of the empire broke away and the Pallavas, the Western Satraps, the Kadambas, and Ikshvakus had declared independence. 

• Buddhist and Brahminical literature found much encouragement from the Satavahana kings. While Buddhist architecture was not new to India, the Satavahana kings commissioned some extraordinary stupas (temples), including the renowned one at Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh. The Satavahana kings were Brahmins but they showed tolerance towards other faiths such as to Buddhism as well. Conse­quently, Buddhism too spread in this period. At many places, the Buddhist caves, chaityas and stupas were built. Almost all the caves in the south belonged to the Buddhists. 

• In this period the South was ruled over by the monarchies. King was the highest official of the Government and his office was hereditary. However, they did not assume high sounding titles. The Satavahana rulers did not believe in divine rights of a king and they carried administration in accor­dance with the directives of the Dharma Shastras and the social customs. The king himself led his armies in the battle-field and was commander-in-chief of his forces.There was also a council of ministers to aid and advise him for carrying out the administration properly. The king was the head of the Government as well as the protector to his people. The Satavahana kings regarded their subjects as their own children and always looked after their welfare(Something which sounds similar to Ashoka's motto: All people are my children).

• The Satavahana Empire was very vast. Their administrative system was feudal. They had divided their empire among a number of feudal chiefs who managed the land revenue system and looked after the administration.There were three grades of feudatories – the ‘Raja’, the ‘Mahabhoja’ and the ‘Maharathi or ‘Senapati”. The ‘Raja’ belonged to the highest grade. He had the right to impose taxes and to mint coins. 

• The kingdom was divided into provinces and ‘Janapadas’ for administrative efficiency. The high­est official in a province was ‘Amatya’ or minister. His office was not hereditary. Men of proven ability were appointed to this official. Each unit had several villages. A village was administered by a ‘Gramika’. There we several officials to help the king. Out of them, the most important were ‘Senapati, ‘Mahabhoja’, ‘Koshadhyaksha’, ‘Rajadoof, ‘Amatya’ etc. 

• There was also a special official called ‘Uparakshita’ who was charged with the duty of building caves etc., for the monks. The ‘bhikshus’ (monks) and Brahmanas were held in high esteem and they too observed and preached high standards of conduct. They were beyond the ordinary laws of the Government. 

• In this period, the local administration had its own importance. There were separate organization to look after the administration of the towns and the villages. The towns were administered by a body called the ‘Nagarsabha’ while in villages there were ‘Gram Sabhas’. These organizations carried their functions independently without any interference.

• The military administration of the Satavahanas was also quite efficient. Their army consisted of foot soldiers, cavalry and elephants. Foot soldiers or infantry was the backbone of the army and they formed the vanguard and were flanked on either side by horses and elephants. 

• The Satavahana society was divided into four classes. This division was based on economic activity and status. 
• The first class consisted of high officials and feudatory chief who ruled over provinces and districts. 
• The second class included petty officers like Amatyas Mahamatras and wealthy traders. 
• In the third class were the middle class peoples such as Vaidyas or physicians, writers, peasants, goldsmiths, perfumers etc.
• The fourth and the last class were constituted of the lowest vocations such as carpenters, blacksmiths, fishermen and gardeners. The smallest unit was the family in which the eldest living member com­manded the greatest respect. He was called the ‘Grihapati' and was obeyed by all the other members of the family.

• Women were honoured. They were given higher education and they took part in religious func­tions. Some of the rulers even added their mother’s name to their own name, such as Gautamiputra, Vashishthiputra, Pulumavi, Kaushakiputra etc.This practice itself reveals that the status of women was much high. Sometimes, women assumed guardianship of their minor sons and acted as their regents.

• The Satavahanas were Brahmanas. Therefore, Brahmansnism made rapid strides under their rule. The Brahmanas were accorded the highest place. Effort was also made to revice the Varna system. In their bid to exalt Brahmanism the Smritis declared that a ten years old Brahman would be more revered than a 100 years old Kshatriya. Mixed marriages were considered obnoxious though there are some instances of such marriages. Vashishthiputra Pulumavi himself married the daughter of the Saka ruler Rudradaman thus giving respectability to such marriages. In this period, inter marriages among the Hindus and foreign tribes of the Sakas, the parthians and the Greeks were freely consummated so that these foreigners were absorbed forever in the Hindu social order.

• Cotton was grown in this region as it had abundant black soil lands.

• Both internal and external to trade and industry. The external or foreign trade was carried through the famous ports of Supara, Broach and Kalyan. India had trade relations with countries like Arabia, Egypt and Rome. In the far eastern countries, Indian traders established their own settlements and preach Indian culture. They referred to these countries as ‘Swargabhoomi’ or paradise. India exported cotton, textiles, spices etc. India imported wine, glass and items of luxury. The inland trade was also prosperous. Travel between the north and south of India were much easy as the roads and transport were better. To encourage trade, the Satavahna kings made numerous coins of gold, silver, copper and bronze.

• Chaitya was a large hall with a number of columns. The Vihara had a central Hall. The viharas were meant as places of residence for the monks. At Nasik, there are three viharas carrying the inscriptions of Gautmiputra and Nahapana. The most famous of these monuments are the stupas. 

Amaravathi Stupa

Buddha's feet being worshiped

• Among them the Amravati Stupa and the Nagarjunakonda Stupa are most famous. The stupa was a large round structure built over some relic(bones or teeth or hair strands etc.,) of the Buddha.The Amravati Stupa measures 162 metres across the base and its height is 100 feet. Both these stupas are full of sculptures. The Nagarjunakonda town contains not only the Buddhist monuments but also some ancient Hindu brick temples. Many sculptures were made during this period. Most of the sculptures of this period depict scenes from the life of the Buddha. At Amravati, there is a beautiful scene showing Buddha’s feet being worshipped. The scene, showing Buddha preaching at Nagarjunakonda, is pervaded with serenity and calm. For more info: refer this.

Kushan Dynasty (30 A.D - 375 A.D)

• This dynasty hasn't ruled Magadha Empire. However it was built after defeating the kingdoms of Saka dynasty and Greco-Indians dynasty. Kingdoms of Saka dynasty and Greco-Indians dynasty originally belonged to the Magadha Empire(under Ashoka rule). Kanishka was their most celebrated ruler. Buddhism was their state religion.

• The Fourth Buddhist Council was held in Kashmir, under the patronage of King Kanishka about two hundred years after the third council. Five hundred monks led by Vasumitra revised the canon and established a definitive version.The Great Commentary on the Abhidharma is attributed to this council.

• For more info on the Kushans, watch.

Gupta Dynasty (320 A.D - 535 A.D)

• As time goes on, the foreign rulers, the once mighty Kushans started to weaken on the north-west part of India. At the same time, on the other hand we have on the north-east a new and a native Kingdom rising up again to build an empire that would create what is now called the Golden age of Indian History. 

• Founder of Gupta Dynasty is King Chandra Gupta I (Not to be confused with Chandragupta Maurya). Their clan is said to be descended from the foothills of the mongoloid regions(somewhere to the south of Himalayas). He then conquered Bihar and later married the daughter of the weakened king of Magadha. Thus assuming the power of Magadha and starting his rule from the capital city of Pataliputra.

• Chandra Gupta consolidated his portion of the kingdom and established his strong hold on the agricultural base. With agriculture the kingdom eventually becomes prosperous. Now to secure this portion of his Kingdom, he started his conquests towards the west(As it is better to beat before you are beaten by the enemies). He was succeeded by his son, Samudra Gupta.

• Chandra Gupta, father of Samudra Gupta neither had the time or enough resources to secure his Kingdom in the west. This task was taken over by his son. He conquered towards the West until the Jumna river. As a matter of fact, he conquered the lands in all directions. From west to east. North to south.

• After the Mauryas, it was the Guptas who were able to carry on such vast areas of land under their territory and rule for two or more generations.

• As with Mauryas, Guptas were also able to establish strong agricultural base on the north-east and profit-giving trade relations on the north-west.

• Samudra Gupta adopted the title, Maharajadiraja like the Iran rulers, Shahinshah. Before his kings were just called Maharaja or raja.

•  He revived the Hinduism being born in a Hindu family himself. Albeit that, he wasn't a fanatic. He tolerated and respected other religions in his Kingdom.

• He was succeeded by the Great King Chandra Gupta II. He is like the Ashoka of the Maurya Empire. The best thing that kept the Gupta empire going is the peaceful transition from father to the son and to his son and so on. Chandra Gupta II was indeed a worthy successor of his father. 

• As per the legend, Samudra Gupta had an elder son, Rama Gupta. Ramgupta was a coward. He married the woman, Dhruvaswamini who was engaged with his brother Chandragupta II by force. He also became the King of the Gupta empire, though his brother was declared as the future King of the Gupta empire after Samudragupta's death. According to traditional accounts, Ramagupta decided to expand his kingdom by attacking the Sakas in Gujarat. The campaign soon took a turn for the worse and the Gupta army was trapped. The Saka king, Rudrasimha III, demanded that Ramagupta hand over his wife Dhruvswamini in exchange for peace. The weak king was inclined to accept these terms, to the outrage of his wife and his brother Chandragupta. Using subterfuge, Chandragupta II went to the Saka camp, killed the Saka king and won the victory and also the esteem of the people and the queen. A short while later, Ramagupta was deposed and killed by his brother, who became Chandragupta II. Chandragupta II also married his erstwhile sister-in-law, Dhruvswamini.

• Chandra Gupta II held the title of 'Vikramaditya' (Sun of Valor). And he had access from sea to sea. He started the phenomenal type of trade that took place through the Indian ocean between India and Iraq, Egypt etc., This marks the rise of oceanic trade between India and Middle east.

• As with Ashokan stone inscriptions, Chandra Gupta had Iron pillar inscriptions installed with a huge eagle capital(like the Lion Capital of Ashoka). The long standing iron pillar with no visible clue of rust shows the advancement of Gupta rulers in terms of Metallurgy.

• He changed the capital from Pataliputra to Ayodhya to secure his Western territories. He made Ujjain as his second capital.

• Fa Hien, a buddhist monk, visited India in this period. Like in Ashokan times, not many Indians wrote about India as did the visitors/pilgrims from China or other countries. They describe India of being peaceful and prosperous; strong and efficient state rule and  having high standards of justice.

• The king commissioned nine men of letters, called the "nava-ratna" (literally, Nine Gems), to work in his court. Kalidasa had been the legendary Sanskrit laureate. Varahamihira had been a soothsayer of renown in his era, predicting the death of Vikramaditya’s son. Vetalbhatt had been a Maga Brahmin known for writing work of the sixteen stanza "Nīti-pradīpa" (literally, the lamp of conduct) in tribute to Vikramaditya. Nine Gems of his Cabinet:
• Kalidasa: Author of the great epic, ‘Abhigyaanashakuntala’, great poet, dramatist and the most prominent scholar of Sanskrit language.
• Amara-sinha: Author of ‘Sanskrit Amarkosh’ 
• Shapanaka: Prominent Astrologist who had achieved mastery in Astrology.
• Dhanvantri: A Doctor who had achieved mastery in the science of medicine; one who was an expert in diagnosis and one who could prescribe different treatments for a single disease.
• Varruchi: Expert Linguist and an expert in Grammar
• Varahamihira: Author of World famous epic, ‘Brhatsamhita’ and mastery in Astrology. 
• Ghatakpara: Expert in sculpture and architecture.
• Shanku: Expert in Geography (This name is even well known today in the field of geography)
• Vetalabhadra : Expert in black magic & tantric sciences

• He was succeeded by Kumara Gupta. He was a good king. His father has left him a great deal of Empire, a great army and most loyal officials. He was capable of ruling the empire with stability.

• Later they were attacked by the White Huns(nomads), so called nightmare of Europeans, which led to the fall of Gupta Empire. Although they conquered the Gupta Empire, being nomads they were not as good at administration or management as they were with military or warfare. This led to the rise of another great native King Harsha Vardhan who eliminated and kicked the Huns out completely.

King Harshavardhana (600 A.D - 647 A.D)

• Although king Harshavardhana or Harsha didn't factually belong to the Gupta dynasty, he was usually accounted to be a part of the Golden Age of India. Moreover, he rising up and becoming a King from Thaneshwar, punjab which was previously under the Gupta rule(Before White Huns invasion), made him more closer to the Gupta Dynasty. 

• Harsha was said to be succeeding his father as a king after the latter's death. When Harsha ascended to the throne he was a 16 year old boy. However he was said to have inherited a great deal of well groomed army and bureaucracy from his father. Also, it is said that the same army and bureaucracy of this kingdom served the Gupta's Empire and grew strong with them. With all this strength and support King Harsha was successful in defeating the already weakening White Huns. Thus he established his rule as a King. Capital city was Thaneshwar.

• So, from what we see, King Harsha inherited terrific army resources and wealthy treasury as well. Above that, his kingdom is based in east punjab which is supposedly one of the most prosperous regions in India(to this day). All this added to the treasure and power Harsha enjoyed. Consolidating all this in hand and after firm establishment of his base in east punjab he started conquering the neighborhood kingdoms.

• King Harsha is said to have conquered north east, north west and the central India barring the Deccan Plateau and the regions south to it. Reason behind it being that the Deccan plateau is a raised platform(by definition) and hence it has a greater defense strategy against attacking enemies. Additionally, it was said that Deccan plateau it not offer any material benefits to the rulers as with the north-east or the north-west regions especially in terms of population, crops, etc., He further changed the capital of his kingdom from Thaneshwar to Kannauj. Thus kannauj became his main capital while Thaneswar as his western capital for security reasons. He built the city of Kannauj as he wished with huge fortified walls and other big structures.

• Harsha ruled for about 41 years until he was killed by his own Hindu Minister Arjuna. Hsuan Tsung visited India during his 630-643 A.D. Hsuan Tsang was a Confucianist, Buddhist and came to India not just to learn about authentic Buddhism(as India was origin place of Buddhism) and for other religious reasons or pilgrimage. Hsuan Tsang came to India as an official envoy from the Tang dynasty of China. Hsuan Tsang was a great buddhist devotee and a great source of Indian history from his detailed views of India and King Harsha's Kingdom in particular. He included details of peaceful and prosperous India under Harsha's rule and he also writes about his distress over the Huns' destruction of Buddhist monuments in India.

• Hsuan Tsang pesuaded Harsha to convene a great debate between the two sects of Buddhism to find out which one is the true buddhist belief. This debate will be among the Theravada or Hinayana(Lesser vehicle) BuddhismVs Mahayana(Greater vehicle) Buddhism. Hsuan Tsang wanted the debate as he didn't want different sects fighting inside his much loved religion- Buddhism. In 643 A.D the debate saw a participation of 3000 in which Mahayana Buddhism wins the debate(Hsuan Tsang was on Mahayana side). Impressed by the debating power and his arguments King Harsha converted to Buddhism. This aggravated the Brahmins as they couldn't digest the fact that their king embraced Buddhism after about 300 years of rule by strong Hindu Kings(Guptas). They made a murder attempt on the king but failed. Hsuan Tsang while returning to China carried along huge bulk of Buddhist scriptures with him and spent rest of his life translating the scriptures in to Chinese.

• King Harsha then sent an ambassador to China to strengthen the relationships with the Tang dynasty. The Chinese Emperor Tai-Tsung reciprocated the same by sending his ambassador to India. During this period the China also was supposedly in a Golden Age under the Tang Dynasty.

• Following all that, King Harsha was assassinated by one of his minister, Arjuna who was part of the Hindu religious group plotting against Harsha. Arjuna then usurped the Kingdom and attacked the Chinese ambassador. This ambassador being a buddhist himself flew to the Nepal-tibet region and pleaded the buddhist kings to defend him. The Nepal-Tibet kings sent their armies and defeated Arjuna in the battle and took Arjuna as Prisoner of War and sent him along with the Chinese ambassador to the Chinese Emperor. 

This leads us to the fall of the Great Magadha Empire. After this period, India was ruled by multiple smaller kings and the entire country is disintegrated in to smaller kingdoms, until the next foreign invasion.

Next comes the big foreign invasion in India: The Delhi Sultanate.

The Mighty Magadha! Part I

We have seen the 16 Mahajanapadas in The Mahajanapadas. Among the 16, Magadha was a vast empire and evidently one of the oldest kingdoms of the Mahajanapadas. We shall discuss the dynasties that ruled the Magadha kingdom overtime from 600 B.C to 600 A.D. 

As a basic step, lets understand the difference between the words- Empire and Dynasty.

Empire or Kingdom : It simply means a nation. A chunk of land. The rulers of the Empire can make conquests and increase the boundaries of the Empire. For instance, British Empire was extended when they conquered India. 

Dynasty: It means a lineage of Kings; A hereditary rule. For example, Magada Empire was ruled by Haryanka dynasty then the Empire was conquered and taken over by Shishunga dynasty and so on. So dynasty is about the rulers. Empire is about the land and its extent. 

Also when I talk of India, I always mean it as the ancient India which includes, Pakistan, Bangladesh and  Nepal.

It is important to know that before the first evidently known dynasty of the Magadha there was an ancient dynasty by the name: Barhadratha dynasty. As per famous Smrithi text- Vishnu Purana, the Barhadratha dynasty has been ruled by 20 kings almost all of them being involved and apparently killed in the legendary epic, Mahabharata. However, we shall go by the traditional way and consider Haryanka Dynasty as the first dynasty of Magadha Kingdom.


Here forward, it is important to see the big picture of India when we talk about different dynasties. Big picture is important because, from now, there will be two major uprisings happening in and around India:

1. On the north-east region which mostly will be the uprising of a new dynasty in the Magada empire.  
2. On the north-west which can be the uprisings of a Foreign dynasty(like that of Kushan Dynasty) or an Indian Dynasty(Like that of Maurya Dynasty).

Haryanka Dynasty (542-413 B.C)

Bimbisara welcoming Buddha

King Bimbisara (Died. 493 B.C)

• As per the sources, the dynasty was founded by King Bimbisara(or inherited from his father, Bhattiya) in 542 B.C. During his time, Kingship was the supreme authority and all the lands and natural resources of the Empire came under Royal Ownership(King). 

• Bimbisara was a contemporary of both Gautam Buddha(Founder of Buddhism) and Vardhaman Mahavir(Founder of Jainism).

• Bimbisara started expanding the Kingdom of Magadha. His initial and only achievement of such expansion was accession of the Anga Kingdom.

• Bimbisara has achieved most other Kingdoms like Kosala and Lichhavi(Vajji) through marriage alliances instead of annexation. He is famous for his tactics of expanding the kingdom with marriage alliances.

• His first wife, sister of King of Kosala brought him good relations with Kosala besides getting Kashi, the then small village, as dowry in the marriage. His second wife was the princess of Lichhavi. His son Ajatasatru was given the post Prince of Champa(Anga) during his reign.

• He built Rajagriha as the capital city of Magadha. He was captured, arrested by his son Ajatasatru for the latter to become the King of Magadha. Bimbisara died in the prison around 491 B.C. He had adopted Jainism before death.

Ajatasatru's rule

King Ajatasatru

• (Meaning: one who is an enemy of his own clan from even before his birth) took over the throne in 493 B.C and ruled till 461 B.C. It is said that, he imprisoned his father as he foresaw the bad impacts of his father's rule on the Kingdom. Once he took the throne, he started expanding the Kingdom by warfare. He was much more militaristic than his father.

• He strengthened the Capital Rajagriha which was naturally strong being surrounded by five hills. He then built several forts, roads and buildings at Pataliputra and gradually changed his capital city to Pataliputra(modern day Patna).

• He was said to be ruthless and fierce. He waged wars and won over the famous undefeated Vaishali Republic(Vajji) and then extended his war to Kashi and Kohala defeating all of them. Further, he has conquered 36 small republics around his Kingdom. He played a crucial role in extending the boundaries of the Magadha Empire. Kings after him were not of that valor and just were able to carry on the dynasty and a normal pace.

• He was succeeded by his son, Udayabhadra. Udayabhadra gets assassinated by Anuruddha. Anuruddha passes the throne to his son, Munda then to his son Nagadasaka and then passed on to Shishunga in 413 B.C. After the death of Ajatasatru, there was no powerful King until the Nandas took the throne. Between Ajatasatru and Mahapadmaa Nanda, the Magadha rule and conquests were low on magnitude. This is due to the rule of weak Kings like Shishungas. 

• Under the patronage of King Ajatasatru, the first buddhist council was held at Rajagriha. As many as 500-1000 buddhist monks participated. This council was held during the first rainy season after the death of Buddha. It was held under the directions of Budhha's disciple: Ananda.

'Buddhist councils: After the death of Gautama Buddha (483 B.C), monks and scholars concerned with practicing the lessons he taught met several times at formal councils at which the canon of Buddhist thought was established, the rules of monastic life were agreed, and matters of dogma and ideology were debated and confirmed. The exact number, location, and importance of the councils have been contested, but it is commonly considered that there were three early councils that were of particular importance.'

Shishunaga Dynasty (413-345 B.C)

• Shishunaga, the founder of this dynasty was initially an amatya (minister) of the last Haryanka dynasty ruler Nagadasaka and ascended to the thone after a popular rebellion in 413 B.C. 

• Two most significant events of his reign are the Second Buddhist council at Vaishaliin 383 B.C and the final transfer of capital to Pataliputra. According to the Puranas, Shishunaga was succeeded by his son Kakavarna Kalashoka. During Shishunaga's reign, he was the governor of Varanasi. 

• According to tradition, ten sons of Kalashoka ruled simultaneously. Only one of them mentioned in the Puranic lists, Nandivardhana. Nandivardhana or Mahanandin was probably the last ruler of this dynasty, his empire was inherited by his illegitimate son Mahapadma Nanda. Sons of Mahanandin from his other wives opposed the rise of Mahapadma Nanda, on which Mahanandin eliminated all of them to claim the throne. 

Nanda Dynasty (345-321 B.C)

Mahapadma Nanda 

• Nanda dynasty was simple to understand. It basically had 9 Kings. Mahapadma Nanda and his nine sons. Long after the King Ajatasatru, Nandas again expanded the Magadha Empire by conquests. They have expanded to the west, to the south and to the north.

• Mahapadma Nanda vanquished the old dynasties of north NOT to extract tribute from them and to be recognized as the most powerful (the Samrat), but rather in order to dethrone them and declare himself as an "Ekachhatra", the only emperor in the entire land. 

• The collapse of the old Kshatriya dynasties under the rigorous power politics of Mahapadma Nanda, who is explicitly denigrated as the son of a Shudra, and the support extended to followers of non-Vedic philosophies, all has been described as negative signs in the Puranas, which prophesied Mahapadma Nanda's rise as a mark of Kali Yuga. He was the first Shudra king of Magadha. The throne was inherited to last of the nine sons- Dhana Nanda.

Dhana Nanda's Kingdom

Dhana Nanda 

• He was very powerful, cruel and greedy emperor. He was despised by his own subjects on account of the wickedness of his disposition and meanness of his origin. During his reign, the Nanda Empire extended from Bihar and Bengal in the east to Punjab and Sindh in the west. His Prime Minister was Shaktar. He greatly despised Chanakya and Chandragupta as well as their followers and known for his cruel nature.

• Dhana Nanda's army, as described by Diodorus and Quintus Curtius Rufus, consisted of 200,000 infantry, 20,000 cavalry, 2,000 war chariots and 3,000 war elephants. According to Plutarch however, the size of the Nanda army was even larger, numbering 200,000 infantry, 80,000 cavalry, 8,000 war chariots, and 6,000 war elephants.

• During his reign around 32-321 B.C, the Mauryan King Chandragupta Maurya and his most celebrated Prime Minister Chanakya, started their conquests from the outer boundaries(north-west India) of Magadha expanding towards the centre(Pataliputra). As per the legend, it is said that Chandragupta maurya was inspired by a scene. Where a mother scolds her son when he starts eating food(hot rice) from the centre of the plate and asks him to start eating from the boundaries.

• Around the same time, there was rise of a foreign Empire in the western parts of India by Alexander, The Great of Macedonia! Now, by 321 B.C, Maurya dynasty took over the Magadha Empire and started expanding their kingdom(with Pataliputra as their base). Simultaneously, the Greeks on the north-west expanded. In the race for supremacy the Maurya dynasty of Magadha won and took over the north-western parts. Looking at the big picture, this was a battle against a native Indian family(the Mauryas) and the Foreigners(The Greeks). Only this time, the native Kingdom won. Due to the impact of the Greeks on the north-west, there was rise of Hellenistic culture here(not to be confused with Hellenic culture).

'Hellenic means of Purely Greek origin. Hellenic holds the Purity of the Greek. Hellenic people, culture, art etc were purely Greek. However, Greeks did make great conquests and due to the settlements at different places, their culture, their art forms, their people were influenced by other cultures other people(when Greeks married others) like Mesopotamian or Persian or Indian. The Greek culture in amalgamation with any other culture is referred to as Hellenistic.'     

Maurya Dynasty (321 - 184 B.C)

Chandragupta Maurya 

• He was the founder of the Maurya dynasty and the first emperor to unify most of Greater India into one state. He ruled from 322 BC until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favour of his son Bindusara in 298 BC. Although not a Ksatriya, the Mauryas were not Sudras. They belonged to the Vaishya caste and were very sensitive to the lower castes and took good measures with respect to the lower castes .

• Chandraguptha made his conquest to the north-west in 303 B.C when Seleucus was ruling the Greek territory. He made peace with him by giving his daughter in marriage.

• After unifying much of India, Chandragupta and his chief advisor Chanakya passed a series of major economic and political reforms. He established a strong central administration patterned after Chanakya’s text on politics, the Arthashastra. He came to be known as Samrat Chakravartin and also the Julius Caesar of India.

• Due to its unified structure, the empire developed a strong economy, with internal and external trade thriving and agriculture flourishing. With trade concentrated on north-west and agriculture on north-eastern parts. The Greek diplomat Megasthenes, who visited the Maurya capital Pataliputra during his time, remains as an important source of Maurya history.

• Chandragupta became Jain by faith after renouncing the throne. He abdicated his throne and with the sangha he had gone to spend his last days at Shravanabelagola, a famous religious site in south India, where he fasted to death. 

Bindusara 

• He ruled from 297-272 B.C.

According to the Rajavalikatha a Jain work, the original name of this emperor was Simhasena. According to a legend mentioned in the Jain texts, Chandragupta's Guru and advisor Chanakya used to feed the emperor with small doses of poison to build his immunity against possible poisoning attempts by enemies of the throne. One day, Chandragupta not knowing about the poison, shared his food with his pregnant wife, Durdhara who was 7 days away from delivery. The empress not immune to the poison collapsed and died within few minutes. Chanakya entered the room the very time she collapsed, and to save the child in the womb, he immediately cut open the dead empress' womb and took the baby out, by that time a drop of poison had already reached the baby and touched its head due to which child got a permanent bluish spot (a "bindu") on his forehead. Thus, the newborn was named "Bindusara".

 

• Bindusara inherited his father's Empire and instead of expanding towards north-west like his predecessors he expanded to the south(to the Deccan region). He is known for his very good relations with the Greeks in the north-west and for expanding his Kingdom from Sea to Sea with his conquests in the Deccan region. The small portion of land on the south east India(near Orissa) in the picture was Kalinga. It was not conquered by the Magadha Kings until Ashoka. Kailnga was known for its strongest democratic rule.

• Bindusara's Empire was inherited by his son Ashoka- The Cruel. Who later became Ashoka- The Great. They say, Ashoka was one of a King who can be regarded as: 'Never someone like him before, never someone like him after.' 

Ashoka, The Great

• He ruled from 272-232 B.C. He was called Piyadasi or Devanapiya - Beloved of the Gods. By this time, the world, especially European kingdoms like Greeks got to know the wealth and rich culture of India. Every other great ruler who was ruling the lands surrounding the country wanted to invade India. Of the few who succeeded in doing so, would make settlements in India. They stay for so long that they adopt the native culture, religion and such which slowly makes them no more foreigners and become a part of this country.

• 12 years after ascending to throne, Ashoka waged a war against the powerful Kalinga. He waged a war as he felt that Kalinga was a threat to his north-eastern territories. It was said to be one of the most deadliest wars of Indian History. Hundreds of thousands of people died and many more were enslaved. This left Ashoka in remorse and made him realize that all the war and killings were not worth the price(Kingdom). After this war, Ashoka has embraced Buddhism. After this war, he has invited kings and expanded his kingdom by mercy but not by invasion.  

• It is to be noted that, Ashoka served as a buddhist King for several years. During these years, he followed peace making and peace keeping measures to rule his kingdom. Prisoners of War were treated well and given the task of clearing forest lands for agriculture and irrigation. These lands were later given to the upper caste people.

• Ashoka opened new lands for agricultural. Agriculture was the main source of the economy in the north-east. With new lands coming in from clearing the forests, more growth was seen in the economy. This is due to his systematic design of tax collection from the farmers.  

• Ashoka, for whom buddhism was a peaceful religion, wanted to spread it to neighboring countries. This resulted in sending his followers to north-eastern countries like Afghanistan, Persia, Iran, Greece and even Egypt. Ashoka sent his son, Mahinda, to spread buddhism in Ceylon(Sri Lanka) with a branch of the original Bodi tree(under which Buddha got enlightenment). As a return gesture, the King of Ceylon, Tissa embraced Buddhism. 

• He opened peace gates to India. Also, people who visited India on purposes like travel, trade and religion started writing about India. During Ashoka's rule, due to the increase in the flow of foreigners to India(as the people who wrote about India spread their thoughts with the people of their home lands and as a result, more people started visiting India to know more about this land) more foreigners wrote about India than the Indians themselves. As a result of this India was exposed to other nations, especially to Europe.

Lion Capital of Ashoka

• Ashoka is famous for his pillar inscriptions. These were usually announcements to the general public. These usually started like 'From the beloved of the Gods, Piyadasi wants you to know that...'. These were written in Brahmi script in north-east and in Kharosti script in north-west India. The then Lion Capital of Ashoka has been adopted by India after Independence(From British) as the Emblem of Sovereign of India.  

• Ashoka is known to follow the famous Arthasastra- it is an ancient Indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy, written in Sanskrit by Chanakya (or Kautilya). He had well designed tax collection strategies in his Kingdom. He built very good infrastructure including roads, bridges, irrigation canals, etc. 

• The Third Buddhist Council was held with the support of King Ashoka at Pataliputra in India some one hundred years after the second council. One thousand monks under Moggaliputta Tissa assembled to clear up confusion and correct misinterpretations in the Buddha's teachings. It is said that at this assembly the abhidharma works, or commentaries and treatises, were compiled and incorporated into one of the three divisions of the Buddhist canon.

• Ashoka had the motto of: 'All the people are my children'.  He had complex network of espionage system in the Kingdom which he used to find out the efficiency of his officials. He departmentalized the administration and assigned respective heads for the departments. He also divided his kingdom in to divisions, districts and villages. He followed the principles of Danda which means Punishment and Dhamma(or Dharma) which means Social order. Whenever social order was disrupted he used to Punish the responsible individuals. 

• He encouraged people to respect other castes and religions. Ashoka's Dhamma included:
• Unifying principles- Unity in diversity
• Obedience to parents
• Generosity to neighbors
• Tolerance to other's beliefs 
• Good treatment of Slaves
• Caste and creed concord
• Non-violence

• With the death of Ashoka in 232 B.C. Dhamma failed. The system collapsed. Upper castes, especially Brahmans revolted(Ashoka being from the Vaishya origin and Buddhist being considered as Sudras). Foreign invasions started in the north-west India, and native kings of Deccan invaded the north-east of the Magadha Empire. After Buddha's rule the Mauray Dynasty survived for 50 years before going in to the hands of Sunga Dynasty. Several dynasties invaded and rose up on what was previously part of Magadha Empire. Dynasties like:
• Sunga Dynasty (185 - 72 B.C)
• Greco-Bactrian Dynasty(250 - 125 B.C)
• Greco-Indian Dynasty(200 - 50 B.C)
• Saka Dynasty (75 B.C - 100 A.D)
• Kanva Dynasty (75 B.C - 30 B.C)
• Andhra Dynasty (230 B.C - 225 A.D)

Sunga Dynasty (185 - 72 B.C)

Sunga dynasty

• Founded by Pushyamitra Sunga after he killed the last Maurya kings. They were anti-buddhist and in this dynasty, Hinduism came back to power.

Greco-Bactrian (250 - 125 B.C) & Greco-Indian (200 - 50 B.C)

• Greco-Bactrian dynasty rose up in the north-west after the Parthians revolted against the Persian Empire. Diodotos was the then King. After a 50 year rule, they entered India and started settlements in India. The King of the Indian settlements revolted against the Greco-Bactrian King and started his own separate kingdom which came to be known as Greco-Indian dynasty.

Saka Dynasty (75 B.C - 100 A.D)

Sakas - Indo-Scythians

• The Sakas rose up after the nomadic Scythians revolted against the Persians. They also joined hands with the Greco-Indians and later ended the Greco-Indian rule in 50 B.C.

Kanva Dynasty (75 B.C - 30 B.C)

• The Kanva or Kanvayana Dynasty replaced the Sunga dynasty in Magadha, and ruled in the Eastern part of India from 75 B.C to 30 B.C.The last ruler of the Sunga dynasty, Devabhuti, was overthrown by Vasudeva of the Kanva dynasty in 75 BC. 

• The Kanva ruler allowed the kings of the Sunga dynasty to continue to rule in obscurity in a corner of their former dominions. Magadha was ruled by four Kanva rulers. Their dynasty was brought to an end by the ruler of the Satavahana Dynasty or Andhrabhrtya dynasty in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh.

To be continued in The Mighty Magadha Part II.

The Mahajanapadas

We have seen how the Aryans, being nomads travelled all the way from the Caucasus Mountain Ranges to the Indian Sub-Continent. After reaching India they started making settlements. Starting from north-west India from where they entered India. They had then further made settlements near Doab region where Ganges and Jamuna rivers meet. From there on, they made settlements all the way to north-east India along the banks of River Ganges. The Aryans of the Eurasia settled in India for long enough to become more Indian than European. These Indo-Aryan population, popularly called in Sanskrit as 'Jana' involved in conflicts while making their own living(In terms of farming land or cattle, animals etc.,). These are:

1. Conflicts among themselves 
2. Conflicts with the Dravidians   

After continued conflicts they gradually started cooperating with each other and formed communities and so on so forth. They no longer lived as simple tribes in a group of villages. They formed themselves into kingdoms and republics. Of which 16 major settlements are referred to in many Buddhist and Jain texts. These are called 'Mahajanapadas' , literally meaning 'Foothold of the People'. Of these 16, some of them were ruled by a King(Monarch) and some were ruled by group of persons(Oligarchy). The settlements on the north-western side of India are called Republics and ones on the north-eastern side are referred as Kingdoms.  Major differences being that:

Republic

A republic is that form of government in which power in held by the people or a group of elected persons or an elected chief. There is no hereditary king. In the ancient republics, it was the kshatriya families who owned the land and who also had political power and were represented in the tribal assembly. This is the reason why some historians prefer to call this type of government 'oligarchy' the rule of the chosen few, as the non-kshatriyas were not represented in the assembly. 

Further, particularly in this case the Republics were comparatively smaller settlements. They had smaller population, smaller territory, smaller armies and had limited agriculture and limited resources(rivers, forests and rich soils). Possibilities of Trade was however significantly high with Persia, Mesopotamia(Iran) and Greeks being geographically close. These north-western republics were great sources of Trade and Commerce.

After the 600 B.C, warfare and conquests have become common and whichever kingdom had the control of the north-west, by default prospered with Trade opportunities. More over, being a trade and commercial sites, the north-western population grew out to become less racist and developed open mindsets about culture and religion. As a result, less caste regimentation. 

Kingdom

On the other hand, Kingdoms were ruled by Monarch. The throne would usually be passed on as a hereditary right. 

Besides that, these are vast settlements. Larger populations, large territories with rich resources like forests, rivers and rich soils specifically along the Ganges plains. They were more than self-sufficient. They had limited trade and commerce opportunities. They grew out to be more religion oriented, more defensive. They are militaristic and expansionistic. This was supported by their large armies and bureaucracies. 

More often than not, the religion and government went hand in hand with mutual influences with Brahmans having upper hand in the Government. Due to the caste regimentation, which was born out of religion, there was severe social stratification. Meaning: Brahmans will be the priests/gurus or rulers (in some cases), Ksatriya will be the ruling class, Vaishyas will be the agriculturalists/traders and Sudras will be the cleaners. Nothing otherwise can happen as per the religion. 

This is followed until the coming of Mahapadma Nanda of Nanda dynasty (First sudra king of The Magadha Empire). 

Further, the king was associated with divine nature since the kingdoms were built based on religion. Great architecture in the form of Temples and forts is seen here. Great sacrifices/rituals like the Aswamedha yaga (As described in Yajur veda) were also performed.

These 16 Mahajanapadas are listed below. Kashi  Koshala and Magadha were the most powerful out of the 16 Mahajanapadas. In a struggle for supremacy that followed in the sixth/fifth century BC, the growing state of the Magadhas emerged as the most predominant power in ancient India, annexing several of the Mahajanapadas including Kashi and Kohala after a bitter battle(By King Ajatasatru). Following are the 16 mahajanapadas with respect to their famous contacts with the Magadhas at one time or the other. 

• Anga
• It was also a great center of trade and commerce and its merchants regularly sailed to distant Suvarnabhumi. Anga was annexed by Magadha in the later periods.

• Avanti
• The country of the Avantis was an important kingdom of western India and was one of the four great monarchies in India in the post era of Mahavira and Buddha. The other three being Kosala, Vatsa and Magadha. King Nandivardhana of Avanti was defeated by king Shishunaga of Magadha. Avanti later became part of the Magadhan empire.

• Gandhara
• The wool of the Gandharis is referred to in the Rigveda. The Gandharas and their king figure prominently as strong allies of the Kurus against the Pandavas in the Mahabharata war. The Gandharas were a furious people, well-trained in the art of war. 

• Kamboja
• The Kambojans and Gandharans, never came into direct contact with the Magadhan state until Chandragupta and Kautiliya arose on the scene. 

• Kashi
• The kingdom Kosala was ruled by the famous king Prasenjit during the era of Mahavira and Buddha followed by his son Vidudabha. King Prasenjit was highly educated. His position was further improved by a matrimonial alliance with Magadha: his sister was married to Bindhusara and part of Kashi was given as dowry. 

• Kosala
• Its territory corresponded to the modern Awadh (or Oudh) in Central and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. It had the river Ganges for its southern, the river Gandak (Narayani) for its eastern, and the Himalaya mountains for its northern boundary. It finds mention as the center of Vedic Dharma. Its kings allied with the Devatas in various wars against the Daityas, Rakshas, and Asuras. Koshala and Ayodhya hold a central place in the Hindu scriptures, Itihas, and Purana. Raghuvansha-Ikshvakuvansha was the longest continuous dynasty; Lord Rama was a king in this dynasty. Other great kings were Prithu, Harishchandra, Dilip, who find mention in different Puranas, Ramayan, and Mahabharat. According to these texts, Koshala was the most powerful and biggest kingdom ever in the recorded history.  Kosala was ultimately merged into Magadha when Vidudabha was Kosala's ruler. Ayodhya, Saketa, Banaras, and Sravasti were the chief cities of Kosala.

• Surasena
• Mathura, the capital of Surasena was also known at the time of Megasthenes(Greek traveller to Chandragupta Maurya's court) as the centre of Krishna worship. The Surasena kingdom had lost its independence on annexation by the Magadhan empire

• Vajji
• The Vajjians (Sanskrit Vṛjjī) included eight or nine confederated clans of whom the Licchhavis, the Videhans, the Jnatrikas and the Vajjis were the most important. Mithila (modern Janakpur in district of Tirhut) was the capital of Videha. It was in the time of king Janaka that Videha came into prominence. The last king of Videha was Kalara who is said to have perished along with his kingdom on account of his attempt on a Brahmin maiden. On the ruins of his kingdom arose the republics of the Licchhavis and Videhans and seven other small ones. The Licchavis were a very independent people. The mother of Mahavira was a Licchavi princess. The Licchavis were followers of Buddha. Buddha is said to have visited them on many occasions. They were closely related by marriage to the Magadhas.Vaishali, the headquarters of the powerful Vajji republic and the capital of the Licchavis was defeated by king Ajatasatru of Magadha. Magadha became the most powerful kingdom of all the Mahajanapadas.

• Magadha
• The Magadha was one of the most prominent and prosperous of mahajanapadas. The capital city Pataliputra( Patna, Bihar) was situated on the confluence of major rivers like Ganga, Son, Punpun and Gandak. The alluvial plains of this region and its proximity to the iron rich areas of Bihar and Jharkhand helped the kingdom to develop good quality weapons and support the agrarian economy. These factors helped Magadha to emerge as the most prosperous state of that period. The kingdom of the Magadhas roughly corresponded to the modern districts of Patna and Gaya in southern Bihar and parts of Bengal in the east. The capital city of Pataliputra was bound in the north by river Ganges, in the east by the river Champa, in the south by the Vindhya mountains and in the west by the river Sona. The other names for the city were Magadhapura, Brihadrathapura, Vasumati, Kushagrapura and Bimbisarapuri. It was an active center of Jainism in ancient times. The first Buddhist Council was held in Rajagriha in the Vaibhara Hills. Later on, Pataliputra became the capital of Magadha during Ajatasatru's reign.

• Vamsa or Vatsa
• Malla
• Matsya
• Kuru
• Assaka
• Chedi
• Panchala

Read further: The Mighty Magadha

Vedas and the like

We have seen the pre-historic age from 3300 B.C -1500 B.C in Indus Valley Civilization. And 1500 B.C - 600 B.C in Indo-Aryan Civilization. Our next focus will be: 600 B.C to 550 A.D to learn about The Great Magada Empire- Its dynasties. Before that, it is fundamental to know some basics about Vedas, their origins, types, etc., 

All the Hindu Sacred Texts basically try and explain one thing i.e., Dharma. Dharma signifies behaviors that are considered to be in accord with Truth. The order that makes life and universe possible. It includes duties, rights, laws, conduct, virtues and ‘right way of living’. As per Hinduism, there are three prime sources of Dharma. They are:

• Sruthi - Historical knowledge such as Vedas, Upanishads.

• Smrithi - Observing the behavior and legends of great people such as Itihaasas, Puranas, Dharmasastras. 

• When neither Sruthi or Smrithi texts are available, in that case, ‘Atmatusti’ is the source of dharma in Hinduism. ‘Atmatusti' means that the good person reflects and follows what satisfies his heart, his own inner feeling, what he feels driven to.

It is very important to understand the difference between Sruthi and Smrithi texts of Hinduism. 

Sruthi :

Meaning: 'hearing', is said to be оf divine origin. It is preserved as a whole. As per the Legend, they are said to be the 'Cosmic sound of Truth' heard first by Great Sages and then they translated what was heard to something understandable to Humans. So, authentic Vedas have no written scriptures, they were heard(Sruthi).

Additionally, as per the legend, 

God or Brahma revealed these sacred truths to the ancient sages, and the sages composed hymns and texts in the Sanskrit language to express these truths. Their hymns and texts were then passed on from generation to generation, from teacher to student, by chanting them aloud; they were not yet written down. Eventually, the great rishi, Vyasa, compiled all of their hymns and texts into four divisions which are now known as the Vedas. This dates back vedas to somewhere around 1000 B.C.

In chronological Order, Sruthis include:

• Rig Veda - Contain hymns and prayers to be recited by the Hotri(Priest). 
• Brahmanas

• Yejur Veda - Contains rituals, Ceremonies to be conducted by the Adhvarya(Priest). 
• Aranyakas

• Sama Veda - Contain melodies, raagas and chhendus recited by the Udgatar(Priest). 
• Upanishads or Vedanta (Literal meaning: End of Vedas) 

• Atharvana Veda - Contain magic, witch craft and preventive measures to ward-off evils. 

First three vedas are of Aryan Origin. They are supported by the commentaries(Brahmana, Aranyaka, Upanishads). Fourth and the last Veda is of non-aryan origin. Hence comes without a commentary.

Smrithi :

Мeaning: 'remembered'. Only Sruti is considered solely of divine origin. Because of the divine origin, it is preserved as a whole, instead of verse by verse. Smriti on the other hand may include all the knowledge that has been derived and inculcated 'after' Śruti had already been received by the great seers or Rishis. In other words it is not 'divine' in origin, but was 'remembered' by later Rishis by transcendental means, and passed down through their followers. In some of the Smriti text itself, we are reminded of the divine nature of the Śruti texts, and are ever advised that in case of any conflict between the two, the Śruti will always overrule Smriti. So, whatever is written/produced by Humans is Smrithi and anything else is Sruthi.

Smrithi includes:

• Vedangas - Limbs of Vedas
• Niryukta           - Etymology of Words - Written by Yaska in 5-6 B.C
• Shiksha            - Pronounciation of Words 
• Chhendus         - Measurement, meter or Volume
• Vyakarana       -  Grammar - Written by Panini
• kalpa                - Rituals 
• Jyothisha         - Astronomy - Written by Lagadha

• Puranas- It is narration of the events that happened long before the life time of the narrator. Ex: Vishnupurana, PadmaPurana etc.,
• Mahapuranas(Primary puranas)

• Upa-Puranas(Secondary puranas)

• Sthala-puranas- This corpus of texts tells of the origins and traditions of particular Tamil Shiva temples or shrines. 

• kula Puranas -These Puranas deal with a caste's origin myth, stories, and legends (the word kula means "family" or "tribe" in Sanskrit). 

• Itihasa- It is narration of the events that happened during the life time of the narrator. Ex: Ramayana, Mahabharata. Puranas can be sub-set of Itihasa but not vice-versa.

Read further: Rise of Mahajanapadas.