POST MAURYAN EMPIRE Introduction
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The Emergence of the Mahajanapadas
The Emergence of the Mahajanapadas Sanjay Sharma Introduction In the post-Vedic period, the centre of activity shifted from the upper Ganga valley or madhyadesha to middle and lower Ganga valleys known in the contemporary Buddhist texts as majjhimadesha. Painted grey ware pottery gave way to a richer and shinier northern black polished ware which signified new trends in commercial activities and rising levels of prosperity. Imprtant features of the period between c. 600 and 321 BC include, inter-alia, rise of ‘heterodox belief systems’ resulting in an intellectual revolution, expansion of trade and commerce leading to the emergence of urban life mainly in the region of Ganga valley and evolution of vast territorial states called the mahajanapadas from the smaller ones of the later Vedic period which, as we have seen, were known as the janapadas. Increased surplus production resulted in the expansion of trading activities on one hand and an increase in the amount of taxes for the ruler on the other. The latter helped in the evolution of large territorial states and increased commercial activity facilitated the growth of cities and towns along with the evolution of money economy. The ruling and the priestly elites cornered most of the agricultural surplus produced by the vaishyas and the shudras (as labourers). The varna system became more consolidated and perpetual. It was in this background that the two great belief systems, Jainism and Buddhism, emerged. They posed serious challenge to the Brahmanical socio-religious philosophy. These belief systems had a primary aim to liberate the lower classes from the fetters of orthodox Brahmanism. -
All Chapters.Pmd
CHAPTER 5 KINGDOMS, KINGS AND AN EARLEARLEARLY REPUBLIC Election dadaElection y Shankaran woke up to see his grandparents all ready to go and vote. They wanted to be the first to reach the polling booth. Why, Shankaran wanted to know, were they so excited? Somewhat impatiently, his grandfather explained: “We can choose our own rulers today.” HoHoHow some men became rulers Choosing leaders or rulers by voting is something that has become common during the last fifty years or so. How did men become rulers in the past? Some of the rajas we read about in Chapter 4 were probably chosen by the jana, the people. But, around 3000 years ago, we find some changes taking place in the ways in which rajas were chosen.NCERT Some men now became recognised as rajas by perforrepublishedming very big sacrifices. The© ashvamedha or horse sacrifice was one such ritual. Abe horse was let loose to wander freely and it was guarded by the raja’s men. If the horse wanderedto into the kingdoms of other rajas and they stopped it, they had to fight. If they allowed thenot horse to pass, it meant that they accepted that the raja who wanted to perform the sacrifice was stronger than them. These rajas were then invited to the sacrifice, which was performed by specially trained priests, who were rewarded with gifts. The raja who organised the sacrifice was recognised as being very powerful, and all those who came brought gifts for him. The raja was a central figure in these rituals. He often had a special seat, a throne or a tiger n 46 skin. -
Shunga Dynasty
UPSC Civil Services Examination UPSC Notes [GS-I] Topic: Era of the Kanva Dynasty - NCERT Notes (Ancient Indian History for UPSC) Kanva dynasty had a Brahmanic origin. The dynasty was named after the gotra of the ruler Kanva. The Kanva dynasty was founded by Vasudeva Kanva. It is believed that Vasudeva Kanva killed the Shunga ruler Devabhuti and established his own empire in 72 BCE. Kanva dynasty had a ruling phase from 72 BCE to 28 BCE. The chronology of Shunga, Kanva dynasty and Satvahana dynasty is given below: Shunga dynasty Kanva dynasty Satvahana dynasty This article throws light on the emergence of Kanva dynasty from the Shunga dynasty and other important aspects of the events that took place during the rule of the Kanva dynasty. This is an important topic for UPSC 2020 exam and other government exams. Shunga dynasty The Shunga dynasty formed a large part of Magadha and was founded by Pushyamitra Shunga after the fall of the Mauryan Empire. There were 10 rulers who ruled India during the ancient period. Major cultural reforms took place during the reign which is evident from the coins and inscriptions retrieved by archaeologists. An interesting thing to note about the Sunga dynasty was the emergence of various mixed castes and the integration of foreigners into Indian society. The language of Sanskrit gained more prominence during the rule of the Shunga kings. Even some Buddhist works of this time were composed in Sanskrit. The major rulers of the Shunga dynasty were – Pushyamitra Sunga, Agnimitra, Bhagabhadra, Devabhuti, etc. To know more about the Shunga dynasty, check the linked article. -
06 Chapter 2.Pdf
Solapur Under the Pre-Satvahana & Satvahana Period CHAPTER II SOI/A PI IR UNDER THE PRE-SATA VA1IANA AND SATAVAII AN A PERIOD No archaeological excavation has yet been undertaken anywhere in the Solapur district. So we have no definite knowledge of the pre-historical and post-historical periods of Solapur history. But the excavations carried out1 by Archaeological Department of the State Government, Deccan College Research Institute of Pune,2 at Jorwe and Nevasa in the adjoining district of Ahmednagar, provides much information about these periods which will be equally true in respect of the Solapur district .3 The tools and weapons such as cleavers and flakes are found at the foothills of Konkan and on the river banks of Godavari, Pravara, Bhima, Mula and Tapi, which has proved the existence of man during Paleolithic period in these regions. All these rivers then flowed in comparatively wider and higher bed. The climate was initially hotter than today, it gradually became more dry. In the gravels of the Godavari, Pravara, Tapi, and its tributaries explorer have received the tools which would prove that the first appearance of man in Maharashtra was not earlier than the middle Paleolithic period (25000 B.C.) (Sankalia 1946, 1982, 1956, Joshi 1955, Todd 1939, and IAD 1956-59). We have no idea how this man looked and from where he came. The only artifacts which have survived are his stone tools. However since highly mineralized bones and wood have been discovered from the Deccan, it is possible that in future skeletal remains of man will be found. -
Naneghat Inscription from the Perspective of the Vedic Rituals
Multi-Disciplinary Journal ISSN No- 2581-9879 (Online), 0076-2571 (Print) www.mahratta.org, [email protected] Naneghat Inscription from the Perspective of the Vedic Rituals Ambarish Khare Assistant Professor, SBL Centre of Sanskrit and Indological Studies Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth [email protected] Abstract A cave at Naneghat contains a long inscription stating the details of a number of Vedic sacrifices performed by the ruler of the Satavahana dynasty. It throws light on the religious and social history of ancient Maharashtra. The present paper is in attempt to study the inscription from the perspective of the Vedic rituals and to note some interesting facts that come before us. Key-words: Naneghat, Satavahana, Inscription, Vedic Ritual, Shobhana Gokhale, Ashvamedha Introduction Naneghat is one of the ancient trade routes in western India, joining the coastal region to the hinterland. It is situated 34 km to the west of Junnar. Junnar is a taluka place in the district of Pune, Maharahtra. There are several groups of Buddhist caves situated around Junnar. But the cave under consideration, which is situated right in the beginning of Naneghat trade route, is not a religious monument. It houses the royal inscriptions of Satavahanas and mentions several deities and rituals that are important in the Vedic religion. They are written in Brahmi script and in Prakrit language. A long inscription occupies the left and right walls of the cave. It is a generally accepted fact that this inscription was written by Naganika, the most celebrated empress of the Satavahana dynasty. It records the performance of sacrifices and donations given by the royal couple, Siri Satakarni and Naganika. -
Vedic Brahmanism and Its Offshoots
Vedic Brahmanism and Its Offshoots Buddhism (Buddha) Followed by Hindūism (Kṛṣṇā) The religion of the Vedic period (also known as Vedism or Vedic Brahmanism or, in a context of Indian antiquity, simply Brahmanism[1]) is a historical predecessor of Hinduism.[2] Its liturgy is reflected in the Mantra portion of the four Vedas, which are compiled in Sanskrit. The religious practices centered on a clergy administering rites that often involved sacrifices. This mode of worship is largely unchanged today within Hinduism; however, only a small fraction of conservative Shrautins continue the tradition of oral recitation of hymns learned solely through the oral tradition. Texts dating to the Vedic period, composed in Vedic Sanskrit, are mainly the four Vedic Samhitas, but the Brahmanas, Aranyakas and some of the older Upanishads (Bṛhadāraṇyaka, Chāndogya, Jaiminiya Upanishad Brahmana) are also placed in this period. The Vedas record the liturgy connected with the rituals and sacrifices performed by the 16 or 17 shrauta priests and the purohitas. According to traditional views, the hymns of the Rigveda and other Vedic hymns were divinely revealed to the rishis, who were considered to be seers or "hearers" (shruti means "what is heard") of the Veda, rather than "authors". In addition the Vedas are said to be "apaurashaya", a Sanskrit word meaning uncreated by man and which further reveals their eternal non-changing status. The mode of worship was worship of the elements like fire and rivers, worship of heroic gods like Indra, chanting of hymns and performance of sacrifices. The priests performed the solemn rituals for the noblemen (Kshsatriya) and some wealthy Vaishyas. -
Kanvas (73 BC – 28 BC) Cheti Dynasty (Kalinga) Satavahanas
Kanvas (73 BC – 28 BC) As per the puranas, there were four kings of the Kanva dynasty namely, Vasudeva, Bhumimitra, Narayana and Susarman. The Kanvas were Brahmins. The Magadha Empire had diminished by this time considerably. Northwest region was under the Greeks and parts of the Gangetic plains were under different rulers. The last Kanva king Susarman was killed by the Satavahana (Andhra) king. Cheti Dynasty (Kalinga) The Cheti or Chedi dynasty emerged in Kalinga in the 1st century BC. The Hathigumpha inscription situated near Bhubaneswar gives information about it. This inscription was engraved by king Kharavela who was the third Cheti king. Kharavela was a follower of Jainism. Other names of this dynasty are Cheta or Chetavamsa, and Mahameghavahana. Satavahanas The Satavahana rule is believed to have started around the third century BC, in 235 BC and lasted until the second century AD. Some experts believe their rule started in the first century BC only. They are referred to as Andhras in the Puranas. The Satavahana kingdom chiefly comprised of modern-day Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra. At times, their rule also included parts of Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Their capital cities varied at different times. Pratishthana (Paithan) and Amaravati were its capitals. Simuka founded the dynasty. They were the first native Indian rulers to issue their own coins with the portraits of the rulers. This practice was started by Gautamiputra Satakarni who derived the practice from the Western Satraps after defeating them. The coin legends were in Prakrit language. Some reverse coin legends are in Telugu, Tamil and Kannada. -
SUNGA and KANVA DYNASTY Sunga Empire (187 to 78 BCE)
SUNGA AND KANVA DYNASTY Sunga Empire (187 to 78 BCE) Pushyamitra Sunga (187–151 BCE): The dynasty was established by Pushyamitra Sunga, after the fall of the Maurya Empire (when the emperor Brihadratha, the last of the Mauryan rulers, was assassinated by the then Senapati of the Mauryan armed forces, Pushyamitra Sunga). Its capital was Pataliputra, but later emperors such as Bhagabhadra also held court at Besnagar, modern Vidisha in Eastern Malwa. The empire of Pushyamitra was extended up to Narmada in the south, and controlled Jalandhar and Sialkot in the Punjab in the north-western regions, and the city of Ujjain in central India. The Kabul Valley and much of the Punjab passed into the hands of the Indo-Greeks and the Deccan to the Satavahanas. Origin Patanjali in his Mahabhashya and Panini in his Ashtadhyayi clearly states Pushyamitra Sunga was a Brahmin from Bhardwaj Gotra. The meaning of “Sunga” is the fig tree in Sanskrit. So Sungas took their dynastic name from the fig tree. (Other example of Indian dynasties like Kadamba (a tree name) of Banavasi, Pallava(Sanskrit word for “branch and twig”) of Kanchi who took their dynastic name from tree.) Prosecution of Buddhists? It believed by some historians to have persecuted Buddhists and contributed to a resurgence of Brahmanism that forced Buddhism outwards to Kashmir, Gandhara and Bactria. The earliest reference to persecution of Buddhists by Pushyamitra Sunga is from the Sarvastivadin Buddhist text of 2nd Century CE, Divyavadana and its constituent part, the Ashokavadana.Tibetan Buddhist Historian Taranatha also mentions proscution. Pushyamitra Sunga might have withdrawn royal patronage of Buddhist institutions. -
Buddhism in the Northern Deccan Under The
BUDDHISM IN THE NORTHERN DECCAN UNDER THE SATAVAHANA RULERS C a ' & C > - Z Z f /9> & by Jayadevanandasara Hettiarachchy Thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the University of London 1973* ProQuest Number: 10731427 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10731427 Published by ProQuest LLC(2017). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 ABSTRACT This study deals with the history of Buddhism in the northern Deccan during the Satavahana period. The first chapter examines the evidence relating to the first appearance of Buddhism in this area, its timing and the support by the state and different sections of the population. This is followed by a discussion of the problems surrounding the chronology of the Satavahana dynasty and evidence is advanced to support the ’shorter chronology*. In the third chapter the Buddhist monuments attributable to the Satavahana period are dated utilising the chronology of the Satavahanas provided in the second chapter. The inscriptional evidence provided by these monuments is described in detail. The fourth chapter contains an analysis and description of the sects and sub-sects which constituted the Buddhist Order. -
The Relationship Between the Western Satraps and the Greeks
University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Graduate Studies The Vault: Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2018-11-08 East Looking West: the Relationship between the Western Satraps and the Greeks Ward, Megan Leigh Falconer Ward, M. L. F. (2018). East Looking West: the Relationship between the Western Satraps and the Greeks (Unpublished doctoral thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. doi:10.11575/PRISM/33255 http://hdl.handle.net/1880/109170 doctoral thesis University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY “East Looking West: the Relationship between the Western Satraps and the Greeks.” by Megan Leigh Falconer Ward A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN GREEK AND ROMAN STUDIES CALGARY, ALBERTA NOVEMBER, 2018 © Megan Leigh Falconer Ward 2018 Abstract The satraps of Persia played a significant role in many affairs of the European Greek poleis. This dissertation contains a discussion of the ways in which the Persians treated the Hellenic states like subjects of the Persian empire, particularly following the expulsion of the Persian Invasion in 479 BCE. Chapter One looks at Persian authority both within the empire and among the Greeks. -
"MAGIC BOOK" GK PDF in English
www.gradeup.co www.gradeup.co Content 1. Bihar Specific General Knowledge: • History of Bihar • Geography of Bihar • Tourism in Bihar • Mineral & Energy Resources in Bihar • Industries in Bihar • Vegetation in Bihar • National Park & Wildlife Sanctuaries in Bihar • First in Bihar • Important Tribal Revolt in Bihar • Bihar Budget 2020-21 2. Indian History: • Ancient India • Medieval India • Modern India 3. Geography: 4. Environment: 5. Indian Polity & Constitution: 6. Indian Economy: 7. Physics: 8. Chemistry: 9. Biology: www.gradeup.co HISTORY OF BIHAR • The capital of Vajji was located at Vaishali. • It was considered the world’s first republic. Ancient History of Bihar Licchavi Clan STONE AGE SITES • It was the most powerful clan among the • Palaeolithic sites have been discovered in Vajji confederacy. Munger and Nalanda. • It was situated on the Northern Banks of • Mesolithic sites have been discovered from Ganga and Nepal Hazaribagh, Ranchi, Singhbhum and Santhal • Its capital was located at Vaishali. Pargana (all in Jharkhand) • Lord Mahavira was born at Kundagram in • Neolithic(2500 - 1500 B.C.) artefacts have Vaishali. His mother was a Licchavi princess been discovered from Chirand(Saran) and (sister of King Chetaka). Chechar(Vaishali) • They were later absorbed into the Magadh • Chalcolithic Age items have been discovered Empire by Ajatshatru of Haryanka dynasty. from Chirand(Saran), Chechar(Vaishali), • Later Gupta emperor Chandragupta married Champa(Bhagalpur) and Taradih(Gaya) Licchavi princess Kumaradevi. MAHAJANAPADAS Jnatrika Clan • In the Later Vedic Age, a number of small • Lord Mahavira belonged to this clan. His kingdoms emerged. 16 monarchies and father was the head of this clan. republics known as Mahajanapadas stretched Videha Clan across Indo-Gangetic plains. -
Ancient History of Bihar
Ancient History of Bihar By- BPSC Notes http://bpscnotes.com The word ‘Bihar’ has originated from the ‘Viharas’ which means resting house of Buddhist monk but it was the Muslim rulers of 12th Century who started calling the state as ‘Bihar’. Advent of Aryans in Bihar 1. Aryans started moving towards Eastern India in the later Vedic period (1000-600 BC). 2. Satapatha Brahmana mentioned the arrival and spread of Aryans. 3. Varah Puran mentions that Kikat as inauspicious place and Gaya, Punpun and Rajgir as auspicious place. The Mahajanpada The Buddhist and Jaina literature mentioned that 6th century India was ruled by a number of small kingdoms or city states dominated by Magadha. By 500 BC witnesses the emergence of sixteen Monarchies and Republics known as the Mahajanapada. 1. Anga: Modern divisions of Bhagalpur and Munger in Bihar and also some parts of Sahibgunj and Godda districts of Jharkhand. 2. Magadha: Covering the divisions of Patna and Gaya with its earlier capital at Rajgriha or Girivraj. 3. Vajji: a confederacy of eight republican clans, situated to the north of river Ganges in Bihar, with its capital at Vaishali. 4. Malla : also a republican confederacy covering the modern districts of Deoria, Basti, Gorakhpur and Siddharth nagar in Eastern U.P. with two capitals at Kusinara and Pawa. 5. Kashi: covering the present area of Banaras with its capital at Varanasi. 6. Kosala: covering the present districts of Faizabad, Gonda, Bahraich etc. with its capital at Shravasti. 7. Vatsa: covering the modern districts of Allahabad and Mirzapur etc. with its capital at Kaushambi.