Agnimitra (; ) was the second Shunga emperor who reigned over what is now northern and central

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. He succeeded his father, the emperor Pushyamitra, in 149 BCE. The Vayu Purana and the Brahmanda Purana have assigned 8 years as the length of his reign.Lahiri, Bela (1974). ''Indigenous States of Northern India (Circa 200 B.C. to 320 A.D.)'' Calcutta: University of Calcutta, pp.47–50

Ancestry and early life

According to

Kālidāsa Kālidāsa (, "Servant of Kali (god), Kali"; 4th–5th century CE) was a Classical Sanskrit author who is often considered ancient India's greatest poet and playwright. His plays and poetry are primarily based on Hindu Puranas and philosophy. ...

in the '' Mālavikāgnimitra'' (Act IV, Verse 14), Agnimitra belonged to a Brahmin Baimbika family; the

Puranas Puranas (Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature
(1995 Editio ...

also mention him as a ''Shunga''. The Mālavikāgnimitra, (Act V, Verse 20) informs us that he was the ''Goptri'' (viceroy) at

Vidisha Vidisha (विदिशा, formerly known as Bhelsa and known as Besnagar and Bhaddilpur in ancient times) is a city in Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of Vidisha district. It is located 62.5 km north ...

during his father's reign. The play ''Mālavikāgnimitra'' gives us the names of three of his queen-consorts: Dharini (the mother of the fourth Shunga emperor, Vasumitra), Iravati, and Malavika (a princess of Vidarbha).

Military campaigns

Conquest of Vidarbha

According to the ''Mālavikāgnimitra'' (Act I, Verse 6–8 and Act V, Verse 13–14), a war broke out between the Shungas and neighboring Vidarbha kingdom during Agnimitra's reign as viceroy of Vidisha (between 175 and 150 BCE). Before the rise of the Shungas, Vidarbha had become independent from the

Mauryan Empire The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia with its power base in Magadha. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya around c. 320 BCE, it existed in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The primary sourc ...

when a former Mauryan ' (secretary) put his brother-in-law Yajnasena on the throne. Madhavasena, a cousin of Yajnasena, sought help from Agnimitra in overthrowing his cousin, but was captured while crossing the border of Vidarbha and imprisoned. Agnimitra demanded the release of Madhavasena, and in return Yajnasena demanded the release of the former Mauryan secretary, who had been captured earlier by Agnimitra. Instead, Agnimitra sent his army to invade Vidarbha. Yajnasena was defeated and forced to divide Vidarbha with Madhavasena, and both cousins recognized the suzerainty of the Shunga rulers.Kalidas, Encyclopedia Americana
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Succession

Agnimitra succeeded his father, the emperor Pushyamitra, in 149 BCE and reigned for eight years. His reign ended in 141 BCE, and he was succeeded either by his son Vasujyeshtha (according to the Matsya Purana) or Sujyeshtha (according to the Vayu, Brahamānda, Vishnu, and Bhagavata Puranas).

References

External links