After the decline of the Mauryas, regional kingdoms were formed.
The centralized Mauryan power ended during a Coup d'état in 185 BCE leading to the foundation of the Shunga Empire. The vast and centralized Maurya Empire was broken into numerous new policies. In the east, the newly formed Sunga Empire utilized the industries pre-established in Pataliputra.
Unlike Mauryas none of these regional kingdoms could extend their political authority over the
large area equivalent to that of the Mauryan Empire. Thus with the downfall of the Mauryas, their
great empire witnessed the rise of multiple regional kingdoms.
The important regional kingdoms:
Sunga dynasty (185 – 73 BC)
Kanva dynasty (73 – 28 BC)
Satvahana dynasty (60 BC – 225 AD)
Chedi dynasty
Indo-Greeks: Parthians (1st cent BC – 1st cent AD)
Sakas
Kushanas (1st cent AD – 3rd cent AD)
Sunga dynasty: (185–73 B.C.)
Sunga Dynasty was established by Pushymitra Sunga, a Brahmin Commander-in-Chief
of the last Mauryan ruler named Brihadratha in 185 BC.
The capital of Sungas was Videsa in modern Madhya Pradesh.
Pushyamitra didn’t adopt any royal title and ruled under the name of Senani
He performed two horse sacrifices (Ashvamedha) and one of these was performed by Panini, the great grammarian.
During the reign of Sungas, there was a revival of Brahmanical influence. The Bhagavata religion became important.
The great Buddhist Stupa at Bharhut (in M.P.) was built during the reign of Sungas.
The fine gateway railing which surrounds the Sanchi stupa, built by Ashoka, was constructed during the Sunga period.
Pushyamitra was succeeded by his son Agnimitra, the hero of Kalidasa’s drama ‘Malvikagnimitra’.
The Greek king Antialcidas-I sent his ambassador named Herodotus to the court of Sungas. Herodotus constructed a pillar “Garudadhwaja” in the honor of God Vasudeva
After Agnimitra, a series of weak rulers such as Vasumitra, Vajramitra, Bhagabhadra, and Devabhuti, followed, leading to the decline of the dynasty.
Kanva Dynasty: (73 to 28 B.C.)
In 73 BC, Devabhuti, the last ruler of the Sunga dynasty, was murdered by his minister Vasudeva, who usurped the throne and founded the Kanva dynasty,
The dynasty was confined to Magadha only
The period of Kanva rule came to an end in28 BC when their kingdom was annexed by Satavahanas.
Satavahana Dynasty: (60 B.C. to 225 A.D.)
Successors of the Mauryas in the Deccan and Central India were the Satvahanas.
Their capital was Pratishtana or Paithan while Bhrauch was a most important port city.
The early Satvahana kings appeared not in Andhra but in Maharashtra but most of their early inscriptions have been found in Andhra.
Simuka (60 BC – 37 BC) was the founder of the Satvahana dynasty. He was the immediate successor of Ashoka in this region
Satakarni I, raise the power and prestige of the dynasty through conquests.
He performed Vedic sacrifices. Hala, its 17th ruler, was the author of ‘Gathasaptasati’ or, Sattasai in Prakrit. The text contains love lures.
Satavahanas was finally succeeded by the Vakataka dynasty in Maharashtra and the Ishuvaku dynasty in Andhra Pradesh
Satavahanas started the practice of donating land with fiscal and administrative rights to Brahmanas and Buddhist monks eventually weakening their authority and resulting in the rise of feudalism in the later period.
The earliest inscriptional evidence of land grant in India belongs to the 1st century BC was during the reign of Satavahanas
The official language of the Satavahanas was Prakrit.
The Satavahanas issued their coins in lead (mainly), copper and bronze.
Chedi Dynasty
After Mauryas, the Chedi dynasty emerged in the Kalinga region, i.e. modern Odisha
The capital city of this dynasty was Sisupalgarh
The important ruler of this dynasty was Kharwela. Kharvela patronized Jainism and the Hatigumpha inscription gives a reference to his victories.
The Indo-Greek kings
Indo-Greeks (Bacterian Greeks) was the first foreign rulers of North-Western India in the Post-Maurya period.
The most famous Indo-Greek ruler was Menander (165 BC – 145 BC), also known as Milinda.
His capital was Sialkot
He is mentioned in the famous Buddhist text Milind-Pancho. He was converted to Buddhism by Nagasena or Nagarjuna. The Indo-Greek kings introduced regular coinage in India in a large number
The last Indo-Greek king was Hesatrius. The Sakas:
The Sakas, also known as Scythians, replaced the Indo-Greeks in India.
The most famous Saka ruler in India was Rudradaman (130 AD -150 AD). He is famous not only for his military conquests but also for his public works
He repaired the famous Sudarsan lake of the Mauryan period and gave patronage to Sanskrit language
The Junagarh inscription in Gujarat is attributed to Rudradaman is first ever inscription written in Sanskrit
In about 58 BC a king of Ujjain, Vikramaditya – is supposed to have fought effectively against the Sakas. An era called Vikrama Samvat is reckoned from 58 B.C.
The Parthians: (1st Century BC – 1st Century AD)
Originally the Parthians (Pahlavas) lived in Iran
They replaced the Sakas in North-Western India but controlled an area much smaller than the Sakas.
A famous Parthian king was Gondaphernes in whose reign St. Thomas is said to have come to India from Israel for the propagation of Christianity.
The Kushans (1st to 3rd Century A.D.)
The Kushans were one of the five You-chi clans of Central Asia.
They replaced the Parthians in North-Western India and then expanded to the lower Indus basin and the upper and middle Gangetic basin.
The Kushans controlled the famous silk route starting from China, passing through their empire on to Iran & Western Asia.
The dynasty was founded by Kadphises I or Kujul Kadhphises.
The Kushans were the first rulers in India to issue gold coins on a wide scale.
The second king was Kadphises II or Vema Kadphises was the first king who issued gold coins.
The most famous Kushan ruler was Kanishka (78 AD – 101 AD), also known as ‘Second Ashoka’.
He started an era in 78 AD which is now known as the Saka era and is used officially by the Government of India.
The empire of Kanishka was spread over a large area in a portion of five countries i.e. Russia, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, and India.
His capital was Peshawar
Kanishka was a great patron of Mahayana Buddhism. In his reign
4 the Buddhist council
was held in Kundalavana, Kashmir where the doctrines of the Mahayana form of Buddhism were finalized.
Kanishka patronized various scholars like Nagarjuna, Ashvagosha, Vasumitra, Parsava, & Charaka. A large size headless statue of Kanishka is found at Mathura
The last great Kushan ruler was Vasudeva I.
The three schools associated with sculpture were:
1. Amaravati School (150 BC – 400 AD) –-- Satvahanas
2. Gandhar School (50 BC – 5th Cent AD) – Saka- Kushans
3. Mathura School (150 AD – 300 AD) – ---Saka-Kushans.
The Sunga dynasty ruled from Videsha in Madhya Pradesh
In 46-47 AD Hippalus, a greek sailor discovered the monsoon sea route to India from West Asia. This gave a fillip to the trade with India
