Rise of Magadha

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Magadha was a very ancient kingdom but for quite a long time it remained only a small state. It came into the limelight under Brihadratha, a Chedi prince. The famours Jarasandha who once defeated Krishna in the Mahabharata times was probably a son of Brihadratha.

The descendants of Brihadratha were overthrown in 600 B.C. by Sisunaga who founded the Sisunaga dynasty. The first well-known ruler of this kingdom was Bimbisara. Bimbisara ruled for forty-nine years. He made Rajagriha his capital. A man of determination and political foresight he realized the importance of a large kingdom decided to make Magadha such a state. He pursued his ambition both by wars and a policy of matrimonial alliances.

Bimbisara had five hundred wives. He entered into dynastic relations based n marriage with several important royal families of his time which helped him much in his political career. His first wife was a sister of Prasenjait, the king of Kosala, who gave him a part of the kingdom of Kasi in dowry.

His second wife Chellana was the daughter of the Lichchhavi king, Chetaka, one the most important feudatory chief of the republican state of the Vrijis with its capital at Vaisali. His third wife was Vasavi, princes of the kingdom of Vaideh and Khema was the daughter of the king of Madra of Central Punjab.

These marriage alliances of definitely enhanced his prestige besides helping in the extension of his territories.

Bimbisara conquered the state of Anga. The conquest marked the beginning of the greatness of Magadha. Bimbisara’s father had been 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.

Bimbisara proved to be an able ruler who recognized the necessity of an officient administration. 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 Sabbatthakas, the judicial officers Voharikas and the military officers Senanayakas.

However, the basic units of administration were the 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 were 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 tolerant in religious affairs. He revered both Jainism and Buddhism equally. Therefore, both the Jains and Buddhists claimed Bimbisara as their follower.

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Tags: ajasatru, ancient india, bimbisara, brihadratha, jarasandha, of magdha, sisunaga