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Name the most important and first ruler of magadha list his successors also

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Answered by NainaChopra
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Rise of the Magadha Empire | Indian History

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In this article we will discuss about the rise of the Magadha empire during the 6th century B.C.

Magadha had to contend for political pre-eminence with the monarchical states of Kashi, Kosala and Vatsa. Besides, the republican confederacy of the Vrijis was also a strong contender. The struggle between them continued for about a century and. Ultimately, Magadha emerged victorious and established itself as the supreme power.

Bimbisara (544-493 B.C.):

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The rise of Magadha started with the accession of Bimbisara to its throne. He was a contemporary of Mahatma Buddha. Dr Bhandarkar has expressed the view that Bimbisara belonged to the Great Naga dynasty and was originally the commander-in-chief, probably of the Vajjis who once held sway over Magadha and, ultimately, succeeded in crowning himself as the king.

But the Buddhist- texts give a different version. According to Asvaghosha’s Buddhacharita, he belonged to Haryanka-kula and Mahavamsa refers that his father appointed him as king at the age of fifteen. Mahavamsa does not state the name of his father but according to other sources, he was named Bhattiya or Mahapadma.

Bimbisara ruled for nearly forty-nine years. Its capital was Rajagriha. He was a man of determination and political foresight who realized the importance of a large kingdom and decided to make Magadha such a state. He pursued his ambition both by wars of conquest and a policy of matrimonial alliances.

It has been said that he had five hundred wives. One may not agree with this number but it is certain that he entered into dynastic relations based on marriage with several important royal families of his time which helped him much in his political career.

His first wife was a sister of Prasenajit, the king of Kosala who gave him a part of the kingdom of Kasi in dowry. His second wife was Chellana, daughter of the Lichchhavi king, Chetaka who was the most important feudatory chief of the republican state of the Vrijis with its capital of Vaisali.

Another wife of his was Vasavi, princess of the kingdom of Vaideh and yet another, was Khema daughter of the king of Madra (Central Punjab). These marriage alliances definitely enhanced his prestige besides helping him in the extension of his territories.

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He was a successful diplomat as well. He maintained friendly relations not only with nearby strong states but also with distant powers. He sent his famous physician, Jivaka, to the neighbouring state of Avanti when its ruler, Chanda Pradyota fell ill and was, thus, able to maintain good relations with him. All this must have helped him in pursuing his policy for the extension of his kingdom.

Bimbisara conquered the state of Anga. It was, probably, his only conquest but a very important one. Anga was a big and prosperous state at that time and its conquest marked the beginning of the greatness of Magadha. Bimbisara’s father was defeated by Brahadatta. king of Anga. Probably, it was to avenge this defeat that Bimbisara attacked Anga and succeeded in conquering it.

Bimbisara, for the first time, laid down the foundation of an efficient administration in Magadha. He constructed several canals and roads, appointed several new officers for administrative purposes and arranged for the regular collection of revenue.

It helped him in increasing his financial resources and military strength. It is said that the kingdom of Magadha had 80,000 villages at that time. Bimbisara proved to be an able ruler who recognized the necessity of an efficient administration.

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There were several ministers who helped the king in administration. They were chosen on merit and their advice was generally not ignored. Besides, there were different officers who were divided into different categories according to the nature of their work. The executive or administrative officers were called Sambbatakas, the judicial officers Voharikas and the military officers Senanayakas.

However, the basic units of administration were villages. Each village was under the jurisdiction of a headman who was responsible for the collection of taxes and handing them over to the other officials of the state. Theoretically, the land belonged to the king though nobody was displaced from the land till he paid 1/6th of the produce, which was regarded the king’s share.

Mostly Sudras worked as cultivators though they w ere not masters of the land. They were engaged as labourers. This had lowered their status. Therefore, a new class of Sudras, that is untouchables, came to be recognized during this period.

Bimbisara was very much tolerant in religious affairs. He revered both Jainism and Buddhism equally. Therefore, both the Jainas and the Buddhists claimed Bimbisara as their follower.


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