8. States after the Maurya Empire
8.1 The Shunga dynasty 8.1 The Shunga dynasty 8.2 Indo-Greek kings After Emperor Ashoka, Maurya power 8.3 Kushana kings started declining. The last Maurya Emperor 8.4 The Gupta dynasty was called Brihadratha. The Maurya 8.5 The Vardhan dynasty General Pushyamitra Shunga revolted against Brihadratha, killed him and 8.6 Powers in Northeast India became the king himself.
8.2 Indo-Greek kings Emperor Kanishka : Kanishka’s During this period, there were several empire extended from Kabul in the west small kingdoms ruled by Greek kings to to Varanasi in the east. Gold and copper the northwest of the Indian subcontinent. coins minted by him have been found in Those kings are known as Indo-Greek North India. The fourth Buddhist kings. In the history of the coins of ancient Council was held in Kashmir during his India, the coins of these kings are very reign. He established the city of important. They had a tradition of putting Kanishkapur in Kashmir. It is believed the picture of the king on one side and that the village of Kampur near Srinagar that of a deity on the other side. This today could be Kanishkapur. tradition later took root in India. One of The well-known poet Ashvaghosh the famous Indo-Greek kings was lived during the reign of Kanishka. He Menander, who discussed Buddhist wrote the texts ‘Buddhacharita’ and philosophy with the Buddhist bhikkhu, ‘Vajrasuchi’. The famous vaidya Nagasena. Menander is also referred to as Charaka was also in Kanishka’s court. ‘Milinda’. The questions that he discussed with Bhikkhu Nagasena led to the creation of the book ‘Milind Panha’. The Pali word ‘panha’ means ‘question’.
A gold coin of Kanishka - both sides
A silver coin of Menander - both sides
8.3 Kushana kings Do you know ?
India was invaded from time to time Kanishka’s gold coin : It was by several tribes. The Kushanas were one minted by Emperor Kanishka. It has such tribe from Central Asia. They the words ‘Shao Nano Shao established their rule in the northwestern Kaneshki Koshano’ on one side. It region and in Kashmir in the first century means ‘King of kings, Emperor CE. The Kushana kings were the first to Kanishka Kushana’. On the other start minting of gold coins in India. They side, there is an image of Gautama started the custom of putting the images Buddha and the word ‘Boddo’, of Gautama Buddha and different Indian meaning Buddha, written in the deities on the coins. The Kushan king Greek script. Kanishka extended their empire.
8.4 The Gupta Dynasty Chandragupta II : After The end of the third century CE saw Samudragupta, his son Chandragupta II the rise of the Gupta dynasty in North ascended the throne. He extended the India. The Guptas remained in power for Gupta empire towards the northwest. He nearly three centuries. ‘Shrigupta’ was the also won Malwa, Gujarat and Saurashtra. founder of the Gupta dynasty. He established good relations with the Samudragupta and Chandragupta II were powerful Vakataka rulers in the south by the notable kings of the Gupta dynasty. giving his daughter Prabhavati in marriage Samudragupta : The expansion of to Rudrasen II. the Gupta empire began during the reign There is an iron pillar at Mehrauli of Chandragupta I. His son, Samudragupta, near Delhi. It has not rusted even in the defeated the smaller neighbouring course of the last fifteen hundred years. It kingdoms and extended the empire further. is an excellent specimen of the metallurgical In his time, the Gupta empire spread from skill of the ancient Indian people. The Assam upto the Punjab. He had also inscription on the pillar bears the name of conquered the eastern coastal region up to a king called ‘Chandra’. It is on this basis Kanchi in Tamilnadu. Due to these that the iron pillar is assumed to be of the victories, his power came to be recognised period of Chandragupta II. everywhere. As a result, kings on the northwestern frontiers as well as those in Sri Lanka made treaties of friendship with Do you know ? him. A pillar inscription at Prayag The Chinese traveller Fa Hien describes Samudragupta’s conquests and came to India during the reign of victories. This inscription is known as Chandragupta II. In his travelogue, he ‘Prayag-prashasti’ and also as ‘Allahabad has described the social life during the Prashasti’. He was an expert veena player. Gupta period. He says that Indian He minted coins which had a variety of cities are big and prosperous. There images engraved on them. In one of them, are several guest houses for travellers he is seen playing the veena. His name and also several charitable Samudragupta, is engraved on it. organizations. The city has hospitals where the poor get medical treatment free of charge. There are great vihars and temples. People are free to choose any occupation. They move about freely - there are no restrictions on their movement. Government officers and soldiers are paid their salaries regularly. People do not drink alcohol or commit violence. The administration of the Gupta rule is conducted in a A gold coin of Samudragupta - both sides proper and efficient manner.
In this period, the Bauddha bhikkhu, all parts of India. He stayed at the Fa Hien, came to India from China. Nalanda University for two years. On He has written an account of his travels returning to his homeland, he translated in India. From his writings, we learn many Buddhist manuscripts into Chinese. about the efficient administration of the Gupta emperors. 8.5 The Vardhan Dynasty With the decline of the Gupta power, many States emerged in North India. The Vardhan dynasty was one of them. Prabhakar Vardhan was the king of Thanesar, near Delhi. The Vardhan dynasty was founded by him. His son, Harshavardhan, expanded the Vardhan Empire up to Nepal in the north, up to the river Narmada in the south, Assam in the east and Gujarat in the west. He had cordial relations with Raja Bhaskarvarman of Kamrup, i.e., ancient Assam. He had also established friendly relations with the Emperor of China and even sent his ambassador to the Chinese court. The capital of Harshvardhan’s Empire was Kanauj. Trade flourished during his reign. He spent a large portion of his revenue for the welfare of the people. Every five years, he would Yuan Chwang distribute all his wealth amongst the people. Do you know ? The court poet Banabhatta wrote ‘Harshacharita’, a biography of Emperor Yuan Chwang travelled all over Harshavardhan. This text provides India. He has words of praise for the information on the life and achievements people of Maharashtra. He writes, ‘The people of Maharashtra are a of Harshavardhan. Harshavardhan had proud people. They never forget a become a follower of Buddhism but gave favour done to them but they do not generous patronage to other religions, spare anyone who insults them. They too. He wrote three Sanskrit plays will help another in distress without a ‘Ratnavali’, ‘Naganand’ and care even for their own life. They do ‘Priyadarshika’. The Buddhist bhikkhu, not harm anyone who takes refuge Yuan Chwang had come to India from with them.’ China during his regime. He travelled to
Nalanda University
8.6 Powers in Northeast India In the book ‘Periplus of the Erythrean A story in Mahabharata tells about Sea’, Kamrup is mentioned as ‘Kirhadiya’ the marriage of Arjuna and Ulupi - the or ‘the region of the Kirat people’. The princess of Manipur State in East India. Kamrup kingdom extended in the Brahmaputra river basin, Bhutan, some The State of ‘Kamrup’ emerged in the parts of Bengal and Bihar. During the fourth century CE. It was established by reign of king Bhaskarvarman, Yuan Pushyavarman. His name has been Chwang had visited ‘Kamrup’. mentioned in the pillar inscription of In this chapter, we learnt about the Samudragupta at Allahabad. Many different kingdoms in North India that inscriptions of the Kamrup kings are emerged in the period after the Mauryas. available. The epics Mahabharata and Similarly, we also learnt about the Ramayana use the name ‘Pragjyotish’ for situation in the northeastern part of India Kamrup. The capital of that State was during that period. In the next chapter, we ‘Pragjyotishpur’. Today, we know it as will get acquainted with the kingdoms of the city of Guwahati in Assam. the south of the same period.
Do you know ? According to the Indian tradition, Kashmir was known as Kashyapapur in ancient times. Greek historians have mentioned it by the names of Kaspapyros, Kaspatyros and Kasperia. There is a mention that the Kamboj dynasty ruled there during the period of the Mahabharata. During Emperor Ashoka’s period, Kashmir had become a part of the Maurya Empire. In the 7th century CE, Kashmir was ruled by the Karkot dynasty. Kalhan has written about it in his book ‘Rajtarangini’.