Description of the Nanda Dynasty

The Nanda dynasty, ruling in ancient India during the 5th and 4th centuries BCE, was significant in shaping the political landscape of the Magadha region.

The Nanda Dynasty, founded by Mahapadma Nanda, marked a period of centralized authority and expansion in the Magadha kingdom.

Mahapadma Nanda was known for his aggressive conquests and consolidation of various smaller states into a powerful kingdom.

However, the dynasty faced criticism for its alleged oppressive and despotic rule, especially under later kings, including Dhana Nanda. It was during Dhana Nanda’s rule that Chanakya, an influential political philosopher, supported Chandragupta Maurya in overthrowing the Nandas, leading to the establishment of the Maurya Empire.

The rule of the Nanda dynasty was a pivotal phase of ancient Indian history and set the stage for the rise of the Mauryas and the transformation of the political dynamics of the Indian subcontinent. Although there are limited historical accounts, the legacy of the Nanda dynasty played a key role in subsequent developments in the region.

Description of the Nanda Dynasty of Magadha in-depth study

Historical Facts	Nanda Dynasty
Period	345 to 323 BCE
Founder	Mahapadma Nanda
Capital	Magadh (Modern-day Bihar, India)
Notable King	Mahapadma Nanda, Dhana Nanda
Main Achievements	Established the first centralized empire in ancient India, known for its military strength.
Decline and End	Conquered by Chandragupta Maurya, leading to the rise of the Maurya Dynasty
Significance	The Nanda Dynasty marked a significant phase in the history of ancient India, preceding the Maurya Dynasty’s emergence.
Predecessor	Sisunaga Dynasty
Successor	Mauryan Empire

Nanda Dynasty

The Nanda dynasty was a formidable power in Magadha before the Mauryas. She rose to power by ousting the Sisunaga dynasty. Mahapadma Nanda founded the Nanda dynasty around 1616 BCE (345 BCE clarification required). He was the illegitimate son of Mahanandin. His mother was a Shudra. Mahapadma Nanda was the first Nekshatriya ruler of Magadha, as he was born to a Shudra mother. When he was crowned king, so many objections were raised. But he managed to take the throne. He killed most of the Kshatriyas who were nominated as the kings of Magadha.

Origin of the Nanda Dynasty

• (1) Both Indian and Greco-Roman traditions characterize the founder of the dynasty as of low birth. According to the Greek historian Diodorus (1st century BC), Porus told Alexander that the contemporary king Nanda was believed to be the son of a barber. The Roman historian Curtius (1st century AD) adds that, according to Porus, this barber became the former queen’s lover due to his attractive appearance, treacherously murdered the then-king, usurped supreme authority by pretending to act as guardian of the princes of the day, and later killed the prince.
• (2) Jain tradition, as recorded in the Avaśyak Sutra and the Parishishta-pavan, confirms the Greco-Roman accounts and states that the first Nanda king was the son of a barber. According to the 12th-century text Parishishta-pavan, the mother of the first Nanda king was a courtesan. However, the text also states that the daughter of the last Nanda king married Chandragupta, as it was customary for Kshatriya girls to choose their husbands; thus, it means that King Nanda claimed to be a Kshatriya, that is, a member of the warrior class.
• (3) The Puranas name the founder of the dynasty Mahapadma and claim that he was the son of the Shaishunaga king Mahanandin. However, even these texts indicate the low origin of the Nandas, stating that Mahapadma’s mother belonged to the Shudra class, the lowest of the varnas. Since the claim of the barber origin of the founder of the dynasty is confirmed by two different traditions—Graeco-Roman and Jain—it seems to be more reliable than the Puranic claim of Shishunaga origin.
• (4) Buddhist tradition calls the Nandis “of unknown origin” (annata-kula). According to the Mahavamsa, he was the founder of the Ugrasena dynasty who was originally a “border man”: he fell into the hands of a band of robbers and later became their leader. He later expelled the sons of the Shaishunaga king Kalashoka (or Kakavarna). K. N. Panikkar suggested that the Nandas were the only Kshatriyas in India “during the Maurya period” and M. N. Srinivas suggested that “the other Kshatriya castes arose through a process of caste mobility from the lower castes”.

Factors affecting the importance of the Nanda dynasty

(1) Geographical factors

Magadha was on the main land route between western and eastern India and was located in the upper and lower Ganga valleys. The soil in the region was quite rich. It also rained reasonably well. The rivers Ganga, Son, and Champa flowed around Magadha on three sides and gave the region its name. A large army prevented enemy attacks and made the dynasty invincible Both Rajgir and Pataliputra were strategically important.

(2) Economic factors

Magadha possessed vast reserves of copper and iron and its strategic location enabled it to regulate trade easily. It had a large population that could be used for agriculture, mining, city building, and military purposes

The general well-being of the populace and the rulers was ensured through wealth. Economic dominance was synonymous with control over the Ganges

In northern India, the Ganga was vital for trade and political factors. Magadha was fortunate to have a number of powerful and ambitious rulers, all of whom commanded large standing armies.

Because iron was readily available, they were able to construct excellent weapons. They were also the first rulers to command elephants in battle. The chief rulers also established a well-organized administrative system.

(3) Cultural factors

Magadhan society was extraordinary. It was formed by a suitable mixture of Aryans and non-Aryans. The emergence of Jainism and Buddhism marked a philosophical and intellectual upheaval. They helped consolidate liberal traditions. Brahmins did not dominate society, and many Magadha rulers were of “low” origin.

Royal Period of the Nanda Dynasty

• (1) There is little agreement among the ancient sources as to the total duration of the Nanda rule or their period of rule. For example, the Matsya Purana assigns 88 years to the reign of the first Nanda king alone, while some manuscripts of the Vayu Purana give the total duration of Nanda’s reign as 40 years. The 16th-century Buddhist scholar Taranatha assigned 29 years to the Nandas. It is difficult to fix a precise date for Nanda and other early dynasties of Magadha. Historians Irfan Habib and Vivekanand Jha date the rule of the Nandas from c. 344–323 BC, based on Sri Lankan Buddhist tradition, which states that the Nandas ruled for 22 years. Historian Upinder Singh dates the Nanda reign from 364/345 BC to 324 BC, based on the assumption that Gautama Buddha died in ca. 486 BC.
• (2) According to another theory based on astronomical calculations, the first Nanda king ascended the throne in 424 BCE Proponents of this theory also interpret the Hathigumpha inscription to mean that “Nandaraja” (the Nanda king) flourished in 103 of the Mahavira era, i.e. 424 B.C. The 14th-century Jain writer Merutunga in his Vichara-shreni states that King Chandra Pradyota of Avanti died on the same night as the Jain leader Mahavira. He was succeeded by his son Palaka, who ruled for 60 years. Then the Nandas rose to power in Pataliputra and captured the Avanti capital Ujjayini. The rule of the Nandas, comprising the rule of nine kings, lasted for 155 years, after which the Mauryas came to power. According to the Shvetambara Jain tradition, Mahavira died in 527 BCE, which would mean that the Nanda rule according to Merutunga’s writings lasted from 467 BCE to 312 BCE. According to historian R. C. Majumdar, while all the chronological details provided by Merutunga cannot be accepted without corroborating evidence, they cannot be dismissed as completely unreliable unless they conflict with more reliable sources.

Nanda kings

There were nine Nanda rulers, according to Buddhist, Jain, and Puranic traditions; however, the names of these kings varied greatly.

(1) King Mahapadma Nanda

He is recognized as the “first historical emperor” of India. (India’s first ruler was Chandragupta Maurya.) He assassinated Kalashoka to become king. His ancestors are unknown. According to the Puranas, he was the son of the last Sisunaga ruler and a Sudra woman.

According to various Jain scriptures and the Greek historian Curtius, he was the son of a barber and a prostitute. As a result, the Nandas gained the moniker Adharmika (those who violate Dharma rules). In Buddhist literature, the Nandas are classified as Annatakula (unknown lineage). His reign lasted for twenty-eight years.

“Sarva Kashtriyantaka” (Kshatriya killer) and “Ekrat” are two more names for him (sole sovereign who destroyed all other ruling princes). The empire grew during his reign. It ran south from the Kuru country to the Godavari Valley and east from Magadha to the Narmada. He ruled over several kingdoms.

(2) King Dhana Nanda

He was Nanda’s last emperor. He is known as Agrammes or Xandrames in Greek. Alexander invaded North-Western India during his reign, but owing to his army’s resistance, he was unable to reach the Gangetic plains. Dhana Nanda inherited his father’s enormous fortune. On standby, he had 200,000 soldiers, 20,000 cavalry, 3000 elephants, and 2000 chariots. As a result, he became a powerful ruler. Nandos Pakraman (a particular measure) is said to have been developed by him.

Because of his harsh taxing policies, he lost favor with his population. In addition, his Sudra background and anti-Kshatriya position garnered him a large number of opponents. Finally, Chandragupta Maurya and Chanakya removed him, using public discontent to create the Maurya Empire in Magadha.

The military strength of the Nanda Dynasty

Alexander the Great invaded north-western India at the time of Agrammes or Xandrames, whom modern historians generally identify as the last Nanda king, Dhana Nanda. In the summer of 326 BCE, Alexander’s army reached the Beas River (Greek: Hyphasis), beyond which the Nanda territory was located.

According to Curtius, Alexander learned that Agrammes had 200,000 infantry; 20,000 cavalry; 3000 elephants; and 2,000 four-horse chariots. Diodorus gives the number of elephants as 4,000. Plutarch inflates these numbers significantly, except the infantry: according to him, the Nanda force included 200,000 infantry, 80,000 cavalry; 6,000 elephants; and 8,000 chariots. It is possible that the numbers reported to Alexander had been exaggerated by the local Indian population, who had the incentive to mislead the invaders.

The Nanda army did not have the opportunity to face Alexander, whose soldiers mutinied at the Beas River, refusing to go any further in the east. Alexander’s soldiers had first started to agitate to return to their homeland at Hecatompylos in 330 BCE, and the stiff resistance that they had met in north-western India in the subsequent years had demoralized them. They mutinied, when faced with the prospect of facing the Nanda army, forcing Alexander to withdraw from India.

The administrative structure of the Nanda Dynasty

• (1) Little information survives on the Nanda administration today. The Puranas describe the Nanda king as ekarat (“single ruler”), which suggests that the Nanda empire was an integrated monarchy rather than a group of virtually independent feudal states. However, the Greek accounts suggest the presence of a more federated system of governance. For example, Arrian mentions that the land beyond the Beas River was governed by “the aristocracy, who exercised their authority with justice and moderation.” The Greek accounts mention the Gangaridai and the Prasii separately, although they suggest that these two were ruled by a common sovereign. Historian H. C. Raychaudhuri theorized that the Nandas held centralized control over their core territories in present-day Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, but allowed considerable autonomy in the frontier parts of their empire. This is suggested by Buddhist legends, which state Chandragupta was unable to defeat the Nandas when he attacked their capital but was successful against them when he gradually conquered the frontier regions of their empire.
• (2) The Nanda kings seem to have strengthened the kingdom of Magadha ruled by their predecessors, the Haryanka Dynasty and the Shishunaga Dynasty, and thus created the first great empire of North India. Historians have put forward various theories to explain the political success of these dynasties of Magadha. Pataliputra, the capital of Magadha, was naturally protected by its position at the confluence of the Ganga and Son rivers. The Ganges and its tributaries connected the kingdom to important trade routes. He had fertile land and access to timber and elephants from the surrounding areas. Some historians have suggested that Magadha was relatively free from Brahmanical orthodoxy, which may have played a role in his political success; however, it is difficult to assess the veracity of this claim. D. D. Kosambi theorized that Magadha’s monopoly of iron ore mines played a major role in its imperial expansion, but historian Upinder Singh has challenged this theory, pointing out that Magadha did not have a monopoly on these mines and iron mining in the historical region of Magadha began much later. However, Singh notes that the adjacent Chota Nagpur plateau was rich in many minerals and other raw materials, and access to them would have been beneficial to Magadha.

Ministers and Scholars of the Nanda Dynasty

• (1) According to Jain tradition, Kalpaka was the minister of the first Nanda king. He reluctantly became a minister, but after taking office he encouraged the king to adopt an aggressive expansionist policy. Jain texts indicate that the ministerial offices of the Nanda Empire were hereditary. For example, after the death of Shakatala, the minister of the last Nanda king, his position was offered to his son Sthulabhadra; when Sthulabhadra refused the offer, Shakatala’s second son Shriyaka was appointed minister.
• (2) The Brihatkatha tradition states that during the reign of Nanda, the city of Pataliputra became the seat not only of the goddess of material prosperity (Lakshmi) but also of the goddess of learning (Sarasvati). According to this tradition, eminent grammarians like Varsha, Upavarsha, Panini, Katyayana, Vararuchi, and Vyadi lived during the Nanda period. While much of this account is unreliable folklore, it is likely that some grammarians who preceded Patanjali lived during the Nanda period.

Wealth of the Nanda Dynasty

Some historical sources mention the enormous wealth of the Nanda family. According to the Mahavamsa, the last Nanda king was a hoarder who amassed a fortune worth eighty kortis (800 million). He buried these treasures in the bed of the Ganges.

He gained additional wealth by imposing taxes on all kinds of items including leather, rubber, wood, and stone. A poem by the Tamil poet Mamlanara mentions the “immense wealth of the Nanda people”, but it was “later swept away and submerged” by the flood of the Ganges.” Another interpretation of this verse states that this wealth was hidden in the waters of the Ganges.

The 7th-century Chinese traveler Xuanzang mentions “the five treasures of the seven precious substances of King Nanda”. The Greek writer Xenophon in his Cyclopedia (4th century BC) states that the kings of India were very wealthy and eager to settle disputes. Among the kingdoms of Western Asia.

Although Xenophon’s book describes events in the 6th century BC (the time of Cyrus the Great), historian H.C. does Nandopakramani manani – refers to the metric introduced by the Nanda family. This could be a reference to the new monetary system and coinage they introduced that may have brought them much of their wealth. A large number of coins found in the ruins of ancient Pataliputra are probably dated to the Nanda period.

The religion of the Nanda Dynasty

The population of the Nanda Empire included followers of Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. The Nandas and Mauryas seem to have supported religions originating in the Greater Magadha region, namely Jainism and Ajivism.

However, the rulers of the empire were never concerned with converting their subjects to other religions, and there is no evidence that these rulers discriminated against any contemporary religion. In the pre-Nanda period, Vedic Brahmanism was supported by several minor kings who supported Brahmanical priests.

The declining power of these kings under the more centralized rule of Nanda and Maurya seems to have deprived the Brahmins of their patrons, resulting in the gradual decline of traditional Vedic society. Jain tradition suggests that several Nanda ministers were inclined towards Jainism. When Shakatala, the minister of the last Nanda king, died, his son Sthulabhadra refused to inherit his father’s office and instead became a Jain monk. Sthulabhadra’s brother Shriyaka accepted the post.

Nanda Dynasty Architecture

A granite stone arch fragment discovered by K. P. Jayaswal from Kumhrar, Pataliputra has been analyzed as a base stone fragment of a trefoil gate arch with stone markers of three archaic Brahmi letters inscribed on it. which probably adorned Torana. The wedge-shaped, incised stone has a Mauryan polish on two sides and is hung vertically.

Nanda Era

According to K. P. Jayaswal, the Nanda Era is mentioned in three sources. Kharavela’s Hathigumpha inscription mentions that Nandaraja built the canal for 103 years during the Nanda period.

According to Al Beruni Sriharsha era was used in the Kannauj and Mathura areas and there was a gap of 400 years between the Sriharsha and Vikrama era which would make 458 BC whose attributes coincided with the Nanda kings. According to the 12th-century Yedarava inscription of the Chalukya king Vikramaditya VI, the Nanda era along with the Vikram era and the Shaka era was the range that was abolished in favor of the new Chalukyan era, but other scholars believed that the evidence was too scant to be anything conclusive.

Imperial Extent of the Nanda Dynasty

• (1) The Nanda capital was located at Pataliputra (near present-day Patna) in the Magadha region of eastern India. This is confirmed by Buddhist and Jain traditions, as well as the Sanskrit play Mudrarakshasa. The Puranas also connected the Nandas with the Shishunaga dynasty that ruled the Magadha region. Greek accounts state that Agrammes (identified as King Nanda) was the ruler of Gangaridai (the Ganges valley) and Prasia (probably a transliteration of the Sanskrit word prachyas, literally “eastern”). According to the later writer Megasthenes (c. 300 BC), Pataliputra (Greek Palibothra) was located in the country of Prasia, which further confirms that Pataliputra was the capital of Nanda.
• (2) The Nanda empire seems to have extended from present-day Punjab in the west to Odisha in the east. An analysis of various historical sources—including ancient Greek accounts, the Puranas, and the Hathigumpha inscription—suggests that the Nandas controlled eastern India, the Ganges valley, and at least part of Kalinga. It is also highly likely that they controlled the Avanti region of central India, allowing their successor Chandragupta Maurya, to conquer what is now Gujarat in western India. According to Jain tradition, the Nanda minister subjugated the entire country up to the coastal regions. The Puranas state that the Nanda king Mahapadma destroyed the Kshatriyas and achieved undisputed sovereignty. The Kshatriyas he is said to have exterminated include the Maithalas, Kasheyas, Ikshvakus, Panchalas, Shurasenas, Kurus, Haihayas, Vitihotras, Kalingas, and Ashmakas.
• (3) Maithila territory was located north of Magadha, on the border of present-day Nepal and northern Bihar. This area came under the control of Magadha during the reign of King Ajatashatru in the 5th century BC. The Nandas probably subjugated local chieftains, who may have retained some degree of independence from Magadza. The Kasheyas were the inhabitants of the area around Kashi, i.e., present-day Varanasi. According to the Puranas, Prince Shaishunaga was appointed as the ruler of Kashi, indicating that the area was under the control of Shishunaga. The Nandas may have acquired it from Prince Shaishunaga’s successor.
• (4) The Ikshvakus ruled the historical region of Kosala in present-day Uttar Pradesh and came into conflict with the kingdom of Magadha during the reign of Ajatashatru. Their history after the reign of Virudhaka is unclear. A passage from the 11th-century story collection Kathasaritsagara refers to a Nanda (kataka) camp in the city of Ayodhya in the Kosala region. This indicates that King Nanda went on a military campaign against Kosala. The Panchalas occupied the Ganga valley to the northwest of the Kosala region, and there is no record of their conflict with the Magadha rulers before the Nanda period. Therefore, the Nandas seem to have conquered them. According to Greek accounts, Alexander expected to face King Agrammes (identified as King Nanda) if he advanced eastward from the Punjab region. This suggests that Nanda’s territory extended up to the Ganga River in present-day western Uttar Pradesh. The Shurasenas ruled the region around Mathura. Greek accounts indicate that they were subordinate to King Prasia, i.e. King Nanda.
• (5) The territory of the Kurus, which included the sacred site of Kurukshetra, was situated to the west of the Panchala territory. Greek records indicate that this area was ruled by King Gangaridai and Prasii, which can be taken as corroborating evidence of Kuru Nanda’s conquest of the territory. The Haihayas ruled the Narmada valley in central India with their capital at Mahishmati. Nanda control of this territory does not seem improbable, given that their predecessors – the Saishunagas – are said to have conquered the Avanti rulers of central India (according to the Puranas) and their successors – the Mauryas – are known to have ruled. over central India. The Vitihotras, according to the Puranas, were closely associated with the Haihayas. Their sovereignty is said to have ended before the rise of the Pradyota dynasty in Avanti, much before the rise of the Nandas and the Saishunagas. However, a passage in the Bhavishyanukirtan of Puranas suggests that the Vitihotras were contemporaries of Shishunaga. It is possible that the Shaishunagas restored the Pradyota prince as a subordinate ruler after defeating the Pradyotas. The Nandas may have defeated this Bitihotra ruler. Jain writers describe the Nandas as the successors of Palaka, the son of King Pradyota.
• (6) The Kalingas occupied the coastal territories in present-day Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. Nanda’s rule in the area is confirmed by the Hathigumpha inscription of the later king Kharavela (c. 1st or 2nd century BCE). The inscription states that “Nanda-raja” (King Nanda) dug a canal in Kalinga and took a Jain idol from Kalinga. According to the inscription, this canal was excavated “ti-vasa-sata” years ago: the term is variously interpreted as “three hundred” or “one hundred and three”. The Ashmaks occupied the Godavari valley in the Deccan region. According to one theory, the Nanded in this area was originally called “Nau Nand Dehra” (abode of nine Nandas), which can be considered as evidence of Nanda’s control over the area. However, there is no concrete evidence that the rule of the Nandas extended south of the Vindhya range.
• (7) A hoard of Punch-marked Amaravati coins revealed, among other Magadian dynasties, including the Mauryas, imperial standard coins dating from the Nanda period; but it is not certain when this region was annexed by the Magadha rulers. Some inscriptions in the country of Kuntala (North Mysore) indicate that it was also ruled by the Nandas, which included part of present-day Karnataka in South India. However, these inscriptions are relatively late (ca 1200 CE) and therefore cannot be considered reliable in this context. The Magadha Empire included parts of southern India under the rule of the Mauryas – the successors of the Nandas – but there is no satisfactory account of how they came to dominate this area. For example, an inscription discovered at Bandanikka states: the Kuntala country (which included the northwestern parts of Mysore and the southern parts of the Bombay Presidency) was ruled by the nava-Nanda, Gupta-kula and Mauryya kings; then it was ruled by the Rattas: after whom were the Chalukyas; then the Kalachuryya family; and after them the (Hoysala) Ballalas.

Alexander’s Invasion of India during the Nanda Dynasty Period

King Alexander of Macedon set out to conquer the globe in the 4th century BC. Macedonia defeated the Persian Empire under Alexander the Great. In his invasion of India in 326 BC, he first conquered the North-West Frontier Province and Kabul. Apart from King Puru, Alexander subdued all the other rulers. In the Battle of the Hydaspes in 326 BC, Alexander the Great defeated Puru. However, Alexander was moved by Puru’s bravery and welcomed him back to his domain.

The unpopularity of the Nanda Dynasty

All historical accounts agree that the last Nanda king was unpopular among his subjects. According to Diodorus, Polus told Alexander that the modern king of Nanda was a man of “worthless character”, considered of low birth and disrespected by his subjects. Curtius also states that, according to Porus, King Nanda was despised by his subjects.

According to Plutarch, who claims that Androkottos (presumed under Chandragupta) met Alexander, Androkottos later declared that the Nanda king was evil and his subjects hated and despised him, so Alexander could easily enter Nanda’s territory (Gangaridai and Plasii). low-born. Sri Lankan Buddhist tradition accuses Nanda of being greedy and imposing oppressive taxes. The Indian Puranas call the Nandas Addharmaka, indicating that they did not follow the norms of dharma or proper conduct.

The Nanda dynasty was overthrown by Chandragupta Maurya with the support of his mentor (later minister) Chanakya. Some accounts mention Chandragupta as a member of the Nanda family. For example, the 11th-century writers Kshemendra and Somadeva describe Chandragupta as “the son of the real Nanda” (Purva Nanda Stha). Dundiraja, in his commentary on the Vishnu Purana, names Chandragupta’s father as Maurya. Maurya is described as the son of the Nanda king Sarvata Siddhi and the daughter of a hunter named Mulla The Buddhist scripture Milinda Panha mentions a war between the Nanda general Badassara (Sanskrit: Bhadreshwara) and Chandragupta. According to documents, 10,000 elephants were killed in the war. 100 horses, 100 5,000 chariots, and a billion foot soldiers Although this is obviously an exaggeration, it suggests that the overthrow of the Nanda dynasty was a violent event.

Decline of the Nanda Dynasty

According to all historical records, the last Nanda ruler was despised by his subjects. The Nandas are accused in the history of Sri Lankan Buddhism of being selfish and imposing burdensome taxes. The Nandas are described as Adharmika in the Indian Puranas, indicating that they did not follow the rules of dharma or good conduct. Chandragupta Maurya, with the help of his guru (and later minister) Chanakya, overthrew the Nanda dynasty. The fight between the Nanda general Bhaddasala and Chandragupta is mentioned in the Buddhist scriptures Milinda Panha. According to the book, 10,000 elephants, 100,000 horses, 5,000 charioteers, and a billion foot soldiers were killed in this battle.

Conclusion

During the 4th and possibly 5th century BC, the Nanda dynasty ruled northern India. The Nanda capital was located near Pataliputra in the Magadha region of eastern India (present-day Patna). In the Puranas, a Nanda ruler is called an ekarat, implying that the Nanda empire was a unitary monarchy rather than a collection of feudal states. Chandragupta Maurya destroyed the Nanda dynasty with the help of his guru (and later minister) Chanakya.

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