Rise of Magadha

Introduction

• Magadha has attracted the attention of historians for the last two hundred years due to its significance as the nucleus of political power under the Mauryan dynasty.
• The Magadhan kingdom began to grow during the 6th century BCE, with rapid acceleration under the Nandas and Mauryas.
• Ashokan inscriptions indicate that a major part of the Indian subcontinent, excluding the eastern and southern extremities, had come under Magadhan suzerainty.
• Despite the rise of Magadha, the expansion of the empire was such that the composition and texture of the empire was highly diverse, making direct political control difficult.
• This diversity in the empire may explain why Ashoka introduced his policy of Dhamma to resolve the inherent social tensions in the empire.

Sources

• The events and traditions of the middle Ganga plains, where Magadha was located, are well preserved in early Buddhist and Jaina literature.
• Buddhist texts like the Tripitikas and the Jatakas, and early Jaina texts like the Acharanga Sutra and Sutrakritanga are considered important sources, though compiled after the 6th century BCE.
• For political events, Buddhist and Jaina traditions offer more authentic and direct accounts compared to the later Brahmanical texts like the Puranas, which cover royal dynasties up to the Gupta period.
• Later Buddhist chronicles like the Mahavamsa and Dipavamsa, compiled in Sri Lanka, are significant for events related to Ashoka Maurya’s reign but need cautious use as they were developed in the context of Buddhism’s spread outside India.
• Foreign sources such as Greek and Latin classical writings, especially the accounts of travelers like Megasthenes, who visited the court of Chandragupta Maurya, provide valuable, near-contemporary information.
• Megasthenes is known through later Greek writings by Strabo, Diodorus, and Arrian. Information on Achaemenian (Persian) rule and the invasion of Alexander comes from Persian inscriptions and Herodotus.
• The Arthashastra of Kautilya, discovered in 1905, is an important source for the Mauryan period, though its dating is controversial. Many scholars believe it was originally written by Kautilya, the minister of Chandragupta, and later edited by others.
• Inscriptions and coins are crucial sources for understanding the early history of India, especially during the Mauryan period.
• The punch-marked coins of the Mauryan period, which do not bear king names but feature uniform symbols, likely indicate issuance by a central authority.
• The inscriptions of Ashoka are extremely important, with fourteen major rock edicts, seven minor rock edicts, and seven pillar edicts located in prominent places, serving as physical testimony to the extent of the Magadhan empire at the end of Ashoka’s reign.
• Archaeology has provided significant data on the material cultures of the Ganga valley. The Northern Black Polished Ware marks the emergence of cities and towns, and the Mauryan period saw further changes in material life.
• Archaeological evidence shows that elements of material culture spread outside the Ganga valley and became associated with Mauryan rule.

Reasons for the Rise of Magadha

Political Factors:

• Magadha was governed by capable and ambitious rulers such as Bimbisara, Ajatashatru, and Mahapadmananda.
• The main rulers also established an efficient administrative system.
• They were also the first to employ elephants in their armies.
• Magadha possessed a gigantic military machine with vast soldiers, horses, elephants, chariots, and new weapons invented by Ajatashatru such as rathamusula and mahasilakantika.
• Magadha was rich in materials like iron, which could be used to make agricultural equipment as well as weaponry.

Geographical Factors:

• Rajagriha, Magadha’s capital, was also known as Girivraja because it was encircled by a set of five hills that served as a natural fort.
• Pataliputra, the later capital of Magadha, was known as Jaladurga because it was situated at the confluence of the Ganga, the Gandak, the son, and a fourth river, the Ghagra, which entered the Ganga not far from Pataliputra.
• Rivers might be used for defence, communication, and commerce.
• Magadha had a diverse resource base. The terrain was fertile, and there was potential for agricultural excess.
• The woodlands that surrounded Magadha provided elephants as well as enough timber.
• The Nandas simplified an administrative structure with a large bureaucracy that created canals for agricultural growth, encouraged trade and commerce, and collected taxes, increasing Magadha’s financial might.

Economic Factors:

• Magadha possessed massive quantities of copper and iron.
• It could easily manage commerce because of its location.
• Had a big population that could be exploited for agriculture, mining, city construction, and military service.
• The overall well-being of the population and rulers.
• Economic hegemony means control of the Ganga. The Ganga was vital to trade in North India.
• With Bimbisara’s acquisition of Anga, the Magadha Empire gained access to the Champa River.
• Champa had a significant role in trading with South-East Asia, Sri Lanka, and South India.

Cultural Factors:

• The Magadhan society was unconventional.
• The rise of Jainism and Buddhism ushered in a philosophical and intellectual upheaval. They improved on liberal traditions.
• The Brahmanas did not control society as much, and many of Magadha’s monarchs were of ‘poor’ ancestry
• The Kiratas and Magadhas lived on Magadha. With the arrival of the Vedic people, Magadha saw racial mingling.
• It was more zealous than other kingdoms since it was freshly Aryanised.
• Magadha was also beyond the scope of Vedic civilization, therefore it was free of the handicaps associated with orthodox brahmanical culture.
• As a result, competent rulers may emerge from any socioeconomic group, promoting Buddhism, Jainism, and other unorthodox cults.