Shishunaga (
IAST: Śiśunāga, or Shusunaga) (c. 413 – 395 BCE) was the founder of the
Shishunaga dynasty
The Shaishunaga dynasty ( IAST: Śaiśunāga, literally "of Shishunaga") is the fourth ruling dynasty of Magadha, an empire of ancient India. According to the Hindu '' Puranas'', this dynasty was the second ruling dynasty of Magadha, succeeding ...
of the
Magadha Empire in the present day northern
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. Initially, he was an ''amatya'' (official) of the Magadha empire under the
Haryanka dynasty
The Haryanka dynasty was the third ruling dynasty of Magadha, an empire of ancient India, which succeeded the Pradyota dynasty and Barhadratha dynasty. Initially, the capital was Rajagriha. Later, it was shifted to Pataliputra, near the pr ...
. He was placed on the throne by the people who revolted against the Haryanka dynasty rule. The
Puranas tell us that he placed his son at
Varanasi
Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.
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* The city has a syncretic t ...
and himself ruled from Girivraja (
Rajagriha
Rajgir, meaning "The City of Kings," is a historic town in the district of Nalanda in Bihar, India. As the ancient seat and capital of the Haryanka dynasty, the Pradyota dynasty, the Brihadratha dynasty and the Mauryan Empire, as well as the ...
). He was succeeded by his son Kalashoka (Kakavarna).
Early life
According to the ''Mahavamsatika'', Shishunaga was a son of a
Licchavi ruler of
Vaishali. He was conceived by a ''nagara-shobhini'' and brought up an officer of state. At the time of the revolt, he was a viceroy at
Varanasi
Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.
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* The city has a syncretic t ...
of king
Nagadasaka, the last ruler of the Haryanka dynasty.
Reign
Shishunaga ruled from 413 BCE to 395 BCE. Initially, his capital was Rajagriha and
Vaishali was his second royal residence. Later he shifted his capital to Vaishali. He conquered
Avanti kingdom by defeating Nandivardhana or Avantivardhana, the last king of
Pradyota dynasty
Pradyota dynasty, also called ''Prthivim Bhoksyanti'' (lit. enjoying the earth), is an ancient Indian dynasty, which ruled over Avanti and Magadha, though most of the Puranas ''(except a manuscript of the Brahmanda Purana, preserved in the Uni ...
. The Magadhan victory must have been helped by the revolution that placed Aryaka on the throne of
Ujjayini
Ujjain (, Hindustani pronunciation: d͡ːʒɛːn is a city in Ujjain district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Pradesh by population and is the administrative centre of Ujjain district and Ujj ...
.
The
Puranas tell us that he placed his son at
Varanasi
Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.
*
*
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* The city has a syncretic t ...
and himself ruled from Girivraja (
Rajagriha
Rajgir, meaning "The City of Kings," is a historic town in the district of Nalanda in Bihar, India. As the ancient seat and capital of the Haryanka dynasty, the Pradyota dynasty, the Brihadratha dynasty and the Mauryan Empire, as well as the ...
).
Expansion
He destroyed
Pradyota dynasty
Pradyota dynasty, also called ''Prthivim Bhoksyanti'' (lit. enjoying the earth), is an ancient Indian dynasty, which ruled over Avanti and Magadha, though most of the Puranas ''(except a manuscript of the Brahmanda Purana, preserved in the Uni ...
of
Avanti and conquered kingdoms of
Kosala and
Vatsa.
Successor
He was succeeded by his son
Kalashoka
Kalashoka or Kakavarna was the son and successor of Shishunaga.
He divided his kingdom between his ten sons and crowned his ninth son, Nandivardhana as the king of Magadha.
Reign
Shishunaga had transferred the capital of Magadha to Vaishali. K ...
(
Kakavarna).
See also
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Avanti-Magadhan Wars
The Avanti-Magadhan wars were fought between the ancient Indian empires of Magadha and Avanti for domination over much of North India.
The ancient Indian states were almost always in conflict with one another. During the reign of Bimbisara of ...
References
Citations
Sources
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4th-century BC Indian monarchs
Kings of Magadha
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