Shishunaga (
IAST
The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Brahmic family, Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that ...
: Śiśunāga, or Shusunaga) ( – 395 BCE) was the founder of the
Shishunaga dynasty
The Shaishunaga dynasty (IAST: Śaiśunāga, literally "of Shishunaga") was possibly the second ruling dynasty of Magadha. According to the Buddhist text Mahavamsa, this dynasty was the second ruling dynasty of Magadha, succeeding Nagadashaka ...
of the
Magadha Empire in the present day northern
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 ...
. Initially, he was an ''amatya'' (official) of the Magadha empire under the
Haryanka dynasty
The Haryanka dynasty was the ruling dynasty of Magadha, according to the Buddhist text Mahavamsa between 544 BC and 413 BC though some scholars favour a later chronology (5th century BCE to first half of 4th century BCE). Initially, the capi ...
. He was placed on the throne by the people who revolted against the Haryanka dynasty rule. According to the
, he placed his son at
Varanasi
Varanasi (, also Benares, Banaras ) or 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.*
*
*
* The city has a syncretic tradition of I ...
and himself ruled from Girivraja (
Rajagriha
Rajgir, old name Rajagriha, meaning "The City of Kings," is an ancient city and university town in the Nalanda district of Bihar, India. It was the capital of the Haryanka dynasty, the Pradyota dynasty, the Brihadratha dynasty, the Mauryan Em ...
). 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 Benares, Banaras ) or 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.*
*
*
* The city has a syncretic tradition of I ...
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 was a ruling dynasty of Avanti, founded by Pradyota, after his father Punika, a minister in the court of the king of Ujjaini, the northern part of the former Avanti kingdom, and placed his own son on the throne in 546 BCE.
'P ...
. The Magadhan victory must have been helped by the revolution that placed Aryaka on the throne of
Ujjayini
Ujjain (, , old name Avantika, ) or Ujjayinī 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 as well as religious centre of Ujjain ...
.
The
tell us that he placed his son at
Varanasi
Varanasi (, also Benares, Banaras ) or 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.*
*
*
* The city has a syncretic tradition of I ...
and himself ruled from Girivraja (
Rajagriha
Rajgir, old name Rajagriha, meaning "The City of Kings," is an ancient city and university town in the Nalanda district of Bihar, India. It was the capital of the Haryanka dynasty, the Pradyota dynasty, the Brihadratha dynasty, the Mauryan Em ...
).
Expansion
He destroyed
Pradyota dynasty
Pradyota dynasty was a ruling dynasty of Avanti, founded by Pradyota, after his father Punika, a minister in the court of the king of Ujjaini, the northern part of the former Avanti kingdom, and placed his own son on the throne in 546 BCE.
'P ...
of
Avanti
Avanti (in Italian, meaning 'ahead', 'forward', or 'before', and also an unrelated Sanskrit name) may refer to:
Vehicles
* Studebaker Avanti, a model of automobile built by Studebaker
* Avanti II, a successor model made by Avanti Motor Corporati ...
and conquered kingdoms of
Kosala
Kosala, sometimes referred to as Uttara Kosala () was one of the Mahajanapadas of ancient India. It emerged as a small state during the Late Vedic period and became (along with Magadha) one of the earliest states to transition from a lineage ...
and
Vatsa
Vatsa or Vamsa (Pali and Ardhamagadhi: , literally "calf") was one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas (great kingdoms) of Uttarapatha of ancient India mentioned in the Aṅguttara Nikāya.
Location
The territory of Vatsa was located to the south o ...
.
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 ...
(
Kakavarna
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 ...
).
See also
*
Avanti-Magadhan Wars
References
Citations
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
4th-century BC Indian monarchs
Kings of Magadha
Shaishunaga dynasty
395 BC deaths
{{India-royal-stub