Magadh With Special Emphasis On Uttar Pradesh

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Magadh with reference to Uttar Pradesh

All the states were perpetually at war with each other. Kaushal annexed Kashi  and Avanti grabbed Vats. Later on Kausha and Vats in turn were subjugated one by one by Magadh, which became most powerful in the entire region. Magadh was ruled in SUCCESSION by Haryank, Shishunag and Nand Dynasty. The Nandas ruled from 343 BC to 321 BC. The Nanda empire was extended to whole of India except Punjab and Bengal. It was during their regime that Alexander invaded India in 326 BC. According to the great historians, Alexander the great could not even face the forceful Magadh army and had to return.

In the year 323 BC Chandragupta Maurya became the new emperor of Magadh. His grandson Ashoka the great created the statue of four lions in Sarnath. The Lion Capitol inscribed in the Ashoka pillar at Sarnath has been adopted by the government of India as the State Emblem. The Ashoka pillars petrography are found in Sarnath, Allahabad, Meerut, Kaushambi, Sakinssa, Basti and Mirzapur. All the cities are in Uttar Pradesh. In the  year of 232 BC, the death of Ashoka led to the downfall of Magadh dynasty.

His whole empire was divided among his five sons. The Mauryan dynasty ruled over 137 years. According to Vayu Purana the Mauryan dynasty ruled for 134 years.

The later ruler of Magadh dynasty was Brihdratha, who was assassinated by his chief commander Pushyamitra.

 

Detailed Political History of Magadha


Of all Mahajanapadas/”>The Mahajanapadas, Magadha eventually emerged as most powerful mainly because of its peculiar geographical location. It was bordered by Ganga River in North, Son River in West, Vindhya ranges in south and Champa in East. The natural barriers protected Magadha from three sides and it was not easy to invade such a territory. Here is a brief account of the poltical history of Magadha since Rig-Vedic period accounts.


Earliest known king of Magadha was Brihadrath whose name appears in Rig-Veda as well as Puranas. His son Jarasandha was killed by Bhima in Mahabharata war.

The Brihadrath dynasty was followed by Pradyotas. By that time, the practice of killing one’s father to usurp the throne had crept in. The Pradyotas were notorious for patricide and irked people overthrew them in a civil revolt. Next in the line was Haranyaka dynasty, whose great King Bimbisara is remembered as most powerful King of Magadha before Mauryas. Bimbisara was a contemporary of Buddha as well as Mahavira. Bimbisara used matrimonial alliances and sending envoys to expand his power. Since patricide was in vogue those days, Bimbisara also became a victim of it. His son Ajatshatru starved him to death.

Ajatshatru was also a valorous king who expanded his empire by fighting war with Kashi, Licchhavis and others. During his reign, Mahavira, Buddha and also Makkhali Gosala or Gosala Maskariputta, the founder of Ajivikas path attained Nirvana.

Ajatshatru was a devout Buddhist as well as Jain. He enshrined the relics of Buddha in a stupa and also renovated many monasteries. Under his sponsorship, the first Buddhist Council was organized at Sattapani caves in Rajgir. By that time, Rajgir served as capital of Magadha. Ajatshatru built a fort at Pataliputra and his son Udayin developed Pataliputra as a city.

Ajatshatru was also a victim of patricide by his son Udayin. Same fate was shared by almost all kings of Haranyaka dynasty. Again there was a civil revolt and public placed Shishunaga on throne of Magadha. Shishunaga was amatya (minister) of last Haranyaka king Nagadasaka. Kalasoka, the son of Shishunaga made Pataliputra as new capital of Magadha. He may be of dark complexion as the contemporary Sri Lankan texts mention his name as Kakavarna (of color like a crow). Kalsoka sponsored second Buddhist council in 383 BC under monk Sabakami. His ten sons ruled simultaneously before Magadha slipped into hands of Nandas.

The founder of Nanda dynasty was Mahapadmananda. Since he had one of the largest standing armies in the history of world {2 Lakh infantry, 8000 war chariots, 6000 elephants!}, he is also called Ugrasena. His army was so large that he could arrange it in a lotus shape {Padmavyuh} and he was so wealthy that his wealth could be counted in Padma (One quadrillion). He subdued all the contemporary powers and consolidated power of Magadha.

Mahapadmananda, who is thought to be from humble origin {son of a barber} was the first non-kshatriya ruler in the history of India. Nandas were also the first empire builders of India.

The Nadas ruled for around 100 years. During the reign of last Nanda ruler Dhananada, Alexander invaded from west. Alexander was able to cross Beas but before he could cross Ganga, he heard that Dhananda’s 2 Lakh strong army is waiting for his men for a bloody massacre. He lost the confidence and moved back. While moving back, he died on the way probably due to Malaria.

However, this invasion along with several other such invasions from west had put the North-West on boil. In Magadha, the popularity of Dhananda had went down because of his lavishness and greed that led to extortion and Corruption. The situation was such that any brave heart could seize the opportunity to topple the Nandas. This opportunity was cashed by Kautilya, who was once thrown out of Nanda’s court. To seek revenge, he groomed Chandragupta Maurya, the brave young man, who is thought to be the son of Dhananda’s shudra concubine Mura.

Chandragupta first gave a death blow to Greeks in north-west and then attacked and dethroned the Nandas. Nandas life was spared and they were asked to run with as much treasure as much their chariot could carry. The most important implication of rise of Chandragupta Maurya was that India was, for the first time perhaps, united politically. The below map shows the extent of Maurya empire at that time.

Meanwhile, Alexander was succeeded by his one of his generals Seleucus, who launched a campaign to get back the Greek territories lost to Mauryas. He was able to cross Indus, but could not succeed to defeat Chandragupta. An alliance was made in which Seleucus returned some of the won areas to Chandragupta. Chandragupta gifted some 500 war elephants to Seleucus and also some kind of matrimonial alliance was made in which son / daughter of one was married to the daughter / son of other. Seleucus also sent Megasthenes/”>Megasthenes to court of Chandragupta.

In the old age, Chandragupta abdicated the throne in favour of his son Bindusara and became a disciple of Jain Monk Bhadrabahu. He spent his last days at Sharavanbelgola and supposed to have died practicing Santhara there.

Chandragupta’s successor Bindusara (also known as Amitraghata- destroyer of enemies) carried on the legacy of Mauryas and cemented good alliances with Greek King Antiochus-I. He ruled for some 25 years and was successes by Ashoka after a bloody battle of succession among his sons.

During the time of Ashoka, the boundaries of Maurya empire extended to maximum by that time. He invaded and annexed Kalinga mainly because Kalinga controlled land and sea routes to South India. However, this battle changed his mind and introduced a new element in the politics of India in the form of cultural coherence based on the moral values of Buddhism-2/”>Buddhism and a norm of benignity, civility and humanity in matters of governance.

However, such a policy was bound to have its side effects on Polity after Ashoka’s death. Asoka died in 232 BC after ruling for four decades. His sons could not survive the waves of changes. His six successors including Jaluka, Samprati and Dasaratha could rule for only 52 years.

The life of last Maurya ruler Brihadrath was troubled. By this time, there were repeated attacks of Yavanas / Greeks from western side. His brave commander Pushyamitra Shunga was able to repel two attacks of Greeks but was not happy with the Attitude of his master. He killed Brihadrath in 185-184 BC and thus closed the chapter of Mauryas from Indian history, thus founding Sunga dynasty.

Pushyamitra and his son Agnimitra ruled from Pataliputra. The later Shungas made Vidisha as their capital.  However, by the time of Shungas, many independent rulers had appeared in west as well as south. The most remarkable was rise of Satavahanas in south and Indo-Greeks, Kushanas, and many others in west and Kharvela in Kalinga (east).   Thus, the boundaries of Magadh by the time of Shunga had narrowed down to some parts of Central India.

The last Shunga ruler Devabhuti was killed by his own amatya (minister) Vasudeva Kanva around 73BC. Thus, Magadha slipped into hands of Kanvas, who were Brahmins by caste. Only few rulers of this Kanva dynasty are known on the basis of numismatics. This dynasty was finally overthrown by Satavahanas in 30BC and thus once mighty Magadha was broken into many small parts ruled by different dynasties at different periods.



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Magadh was an ANCIENT KINGDOM in India that was located in the present-day state of Bihar. It was one of the most powerful kingdoms in India during the 6th and 5th centuries BCE. The capital of Magadh was Rajgir, which is now a city in Bihar.

The history of Magadh can be traced back to the 6th century BCE. At that time, the kingdom was ruled by the Haryanka dynasty. The Haryanka dynasty was overthrown in the 5th century BCE by the Shishunaga dynasty. The Shishunaga dynasty was overthrown in the 4th century BCE by the Nanda dynasty. The Nanda dynasty was the most powerful dynasty in Magadh. It was overthrown in the 3rd century BCE by the Mauryan dynasty.

The Mauryan dynasty was the most powerful dynasty in India during the 3rd century BCE. It was founded by Chandragupta Maurya. Chandragupta Maurya was a great conqueror. He conquered most of India and established a vast empire. The Mauryan empire was ruled by Chandragupta Maurya’s grandson, Ashoka the Great. Ashoka the Great was a great ruler. He was known for his Buddhist reforms and his promotion of non-violence.

The Mauryan empire declined in the 2nd century BCE. It was overthrown by the Shunga dynasty. The Shunga dynasty was overthrown in the 1st century BCE by the Kushan dynasty. The Kushan dynasty was a powerful dynasty that ruled over much of India and Central Asia. It was overthrown in the 3rd century CE by The Gupta Dynasty.

The Gupta dynasty was a golden age for India. It was a time of great cultural and economic prosperity. The Gupta dynasty was overthrown in the 6th century CE by The Huna Invasion.

After the Huna invasion, Magadh was divided into several smaller kingdoms. These kingdoms were eventually conquered by the Mughal Empire in the 16th century CE.

The Mughal empire was a powerful empire that ruled over much of India. It was founded by Babur. Babur was a great conqueror. He conquered most of India and established a vast empire. The Mughal empire was ruled by Babur’s descendants for over 300 years.

The Mughal empire declined in the 18th century CE. It was overthrown by the British East India Company in the 18th century CE.

The British East India Company was a British trading company that was granted a monopoly on trade with India in the 17th century CE. The British East India Company gradually took control of India over the next 200 years. In 1857, the Indian Rebellion, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny, broke out. The rebellion was unsuccessful, but it led to the British government taking direct control of India.

India was ruled by the British government for over 100 years. In 1947, India gained independence from Britain. India is now a republic.

Magadh is a region in India that is rich in history and culture. It is a place where many important events in Indian history have taken place. Magadh is a place that is worth visiting for anyone who is interested in Indian history and culture.

Geography of Magadh

Magadh is located in the eastern part of India. It is bordered by the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh. The capital of Magadh is Patna.

Magadh is a hilly region. The highest mountain in Magadh is Mount Rajgir. Mount Rajgir is located near the city of Rajgir.

The main rivers in Magadh are the Ganges River and the Son River. The Ganges River is the longest river in India. The Son River is the second longest river in India.

economy of Magadh

The economy of Magadh is based on agriculture, Industry, and Services. Agriculture is the main Source Of Income for most people in Magadh. The main crops grown in Magadh are rice, wheat, and sugarcane.

Industry is also important to the economy of Magadh. The main industries in Magadh are textiles, steel, and chemicals.

Services are also important to the economy of Magadh. The main services in Magadh are tourism, Education, and healthcare.

Culture of Magadh

The culture of Magadh is a mix of Hindu and Buddhist culture. The main languages spoken in Magadh are Hindi and Magahi.

The main religion in Magadh is Hinduism-2/”>Hinduism. The main Hindu temples in Magadh are the Mahabodhi Temple and the Vishnupad Temple.

The main Buddhist temples in Magadh are the Sanchi Stupa and the Ajanta Caves.

Religion in Magadh

The main religion in Magadh is Hinduism. Hinduism is a polytheistic religion that is based on the Vedas. The Veda

Here are some frequently asked questions and short answers about Uttar Pradesh:

  • What is Uttar Pradesh?
    Uttar Pradesh is a state in northern India. It is the most populous state in India, with a Population of over 200 million people. The capital of Uttar Pradesh is Lucknow.

  • What is the history of Uttar Pradesh?
    Uttar Pradesh has a long and rich history. The region was home to several ancient civilizations, including the Indus Valley Civilization and The Gupta Empire. In the 16th century, Uttar Pradesh was ruled by the Mughal Empire. After the Mughal Empire collapsed, Uttar Pradesh was ruled by a number of different dynasties, including The Nawabs Of Awadh and the British East India Company. In 1947, Uttar Pradesh became a state of India.

  • What is the culture of Uttar Pradesh?
    The culture of Uttar Pradesh is diverse, reflecting the state’s long and rich history. The people of Uttar Pradesh speak a variety of languages, including Hindi, Urdu, and Punjabi. The cuisine of Uttar Pradesh is also diverse, with a variety of dishes influenced by the state’s different cultures.

  • What are some of the tourist attractions in Uttar Pradesh?
    Some of the tourist attractions in Uttar Pradesh include the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, and the Red Fort. The state is also home to a number of temples, mosques, and other historical sites.

  • What are some of the challenges facing Uttar Pradesh?
    Some of the challenges facing Uttar Pradesh include POVERTY, illiteracy, and corruption. The state also faces a number of environmental challenges, including Air Pollution and Water Pollution.

  • What are some of the opportunities for development in Uttar Pradesh?
    Some of the opportunities for development in Uttar Pradesh include agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing. The state also has a number of natural Resources, including coal, iron Ore, and natural gas.

  • What is the future of Uttar Pradesh?
    The future of Uttar Pradesh is bright. The state has a young population and a growing economy. With the right policies and investments, Uttar Pradesh can become one of the most prosperous states in India.

Sure, here are some MCQs without mentioning the topic Magadh With Special Emphasis On Uttar Pradesh:

  1. Which of the following is not a state in India?
    (A) Uttar Pradesh
    (B) Bihar
    (C) Madhya Pradesh
    (D) Rajasthan

  2. Which of the following is the capital of India?
    (A) New Delhi
    (B) Mumbai
    (C) Chennai
    (D) Kolkata

  3. Which of the following is the longest river in India?
    (A) Ganges
    (B) Brahmaputra
    (C) Indus
    (D) Narmada

  4. Which of the following is the highest mountain peak in India?
    (A) Mount Everest
    (B) K2
    (C) Kanchenjunga
    (D) Nanda Devi

  5. Which of the following is the national animal of India?
    (A) Tiger
    (B) Lion
    (C) Elephant
    (D) Rhinoceros

  6. Which of the following is the national bird of India?
    (A) Peacock
    (B) Parrot
    (C) Eagle
    (D) Owl

  7. Which of the following is the national flower of India?
    (A) Lotus
    (B) Rose
    (C) Jasmine
    (D) Sunflower

  8. Which of the following is the national language of India?
    (A) Hindi
    (B) English
    (C) Sanskrit
    (D) Tamil

  9. Which of the following is the National Flag of India?
    (A) A tricolor flag with saffron at the top, white in the middle and green at the bottom, with a blue wheel in the center.
    (B) A white flag with a green Ashoka Chakra in the center.
    (C) A saffron flag with a white Ashoka Chakra in the center.
    (D) A green flag with a white Ashoka Chakra in the center.

  10. Which of the following is the National Anthem of India?
    (A) Jana Gana Mana
    (B) Vande Mataram
    (C) Saare Jahan Se Accha
    (D) Hamdard

I hope these MCQs were helpful!