# Shaishunaga dynasty

The Shishunaga dynasty (IAST: Śaiśunāga, literally "of Shishunaga") was the second ruling dynasty of Magadha. According to the Hindu Puranas, this dynasty was the second ruling dynasty of Magadha, succeeding Nagadashaka of the Haryanka dynasty.

## History

Shishunaga, the founder of the dynasty. He 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.
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. This dynasty was succeeded by the Nanda dynasty in c. 345 BCE.

## Rulers
### 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, formerly the capital of Vajji, until it was conquered by Magadha. The Shaishunaga dynasty ruled one of the largest empires in the Indian subcontinent. Shishunaga ended the Pradyota dynasty of Avanti, ending the centuries old rivalry between their kingdoms and annexing Avanti into Magadha.

### Kakavarna/Kalashoka

According to the Puranas, Shishunaga was succeeded by his son Kakavarna and according to the Sinhala chronicles by his son Kalashoka. 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. According to the Harshacharita, he was killed by a dagger thrust into his throat in the vicinity of his capital. According to Buddhist tradition, he had nine or ten sons, who were ousted by Ugrasena Nanda.

## Later rulers

According to Buddhist tradition, 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.
According to the Bhagavata Purana, Kākavarṇa was succeeded by seven kings and lists them as following; Kṣemadharmā, Kṣetrajña, Vidhisāra, Ajātaśatru, Darbhaka, Ajaya, Nandivardhana, and Mahanandin.
Other 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 .

## Decline

According to Puranas, Shaishunagas were followed by the Nanda dynasty, which was founded by Mahanandin's son Mahapadma Nanda.

## Citations

* Schwartzberg, Joseph E. (1978). A Historical atlas of South Asia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 145, map XIV.1 (a). ISBN 0226742210.
* ↑ 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.
* ↑ Singh, Upinder (2008). A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century. Pearson Education India. p. 272. ISBN 978-81-317-1120-0. ...the people of Magadha drove out the ruling family and elected an amatya (a high-ranking official) named Shishunaga as king. Shishunaga seems to have had a second capital at Vaishali (according to the Mahavamsatika, he was the son of a Lichchhavi raja of Vaishali). He succeeded in destroying the power of the Pradyota dynasty of Avanti.
* ↑ Raychaudhuri 1972, pp. 193, 201.
* 1 2 Raychaudhuri 1972, p. 196.
* ↑ Raychaudhuri 1972, p. 201.
* 1 2 3 4 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 |
vteMiddle kingdoms of India :
Timeline and cultural period
Northwestern India (Punjab-Sapta Sindhu)
Indo-Gangetic Plain
Central India
Southern India
Upper Gangetic Plain (Ganga-Yamuna doab)
Middle Gangetic Plain
Lower Gangetic Plain
IRON AGE
Culture
Late Vedic Period
Late Vedic Period (Srauta culture) Painted Grey Ware culture
Late Vedic Period (Shramanic culture) 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
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 - "Hindu Synthesis" (ca. 200 BC - 300 CE) 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
 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) 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) 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
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 :