Post Mauryan Period | History(Prelims) by UPSC Toppers PDF Download

Post Mauryan Period

After the decline of Mauryas, the regional kingdoms were formed. Unlike Mauryas none of these regional kingdoms could extend their political authority over the large area equivalent to that of Mauryan Empire.  Thus with the downfall of Mauryas their great empire witnessed rise of multiple regional kingdoms. The important regional kingdoms and their area of influence were as:

Sunga dynasty: (185–73 B.C.)

• Sunga Dynasty was established by Pushymitra Sunga, a Brahmin Commander-in-Chief of 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 with the name of Senani
• He performed two horse sacrifices (Ashmedha) and one of these was performed by Patanjli, the great grammarian.
• During the reign of Sungas, there was a revival of Brahminical 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 honour of God Vasudeva
• After Agnimitra, a series of weak rulers such as Vasumitra, Vajramitra, Bhagabhadra, Devabhuti, followed, leading the decline of the dynasty.

Kavana 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 Kavana dynasty.
• The dynasty was confined to Magdha only
• The period of Kanva rule came to an end in 28 BC when their kingdom was annexed by Satvahanas.

Satavahana Dynasty: (60 B.C. to 225 A.D.) 

•  The most important of the native successors of the Mauryas in the Deccan and Central India were the Satvahanas.
• Their capital was Pratishtana or Paithan while Bhrauch was the 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 immediate successor of Ashoka in this region
• The third ruler of the dynasty Satakarni I, raise the power and prestige of the dynasty by conquests. He performed Vedic sacrifices.
• Hala, its 17th ruler, was the author of ‘Gathasaptasati’ or, Sattasai in Prakrit. The text contains the love lures.
• The names of the kings of this dynasty are matrilineal but the society was patriarchal
• The 23^rd ruler of the dynasty was Gautamiputra Satakarni (106 – 130 A.D.) who revived the Satavahana power and defeated the Saka Ksatrap Nahapana. He was the greatest Satavahan ruler.
• The achievements of Gautamiputra Satakarni are recorded in the Nasik inscription by his mother, Gautami Balasri
•  Vasishthiputra Sri Satakarni, its 24th ruler, was married to the daughter of Saka Kstrapa Rudradaman, but the former was defeated twice by the latter.
•  Yajna Sri Satakarni, its 27th ruler, was the dynasty’s last great ruler.
• Satavahanas were a great naval power too
• Pulamavi III, its 30th ruler, was the last Satavahana rulers.
• Satavahanas were finally succeeded by the Vakataka dynasty in Maharashtra and Ishuvaku dynasty in Andhara Pradesh
• Satavahanas started the practice of donating land with fiscal and administrative rights to Brahmanas and Buddhist monks, which eventually weakened their authority and resulted in the rise of feudalism in the later period.
• The earliest inscriptional evidence of land grant in India belongs to 1st Century BC was during the reign of Satavahanas
• The famous Stupas built during the Satavahana period are located at Amravati and Nagarjunakonda.
• 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 of his victories.

The Indo-Greek kings

• Indo-Greeks (Bacterian Greeks) were 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-Panaho.
• He was converted to Buddhism by Nagasena or Nagarjuna.
• The Indo-Greek kings introduced the regular coinage in India in large number
• The last Indo-Greek king was Hesatrius.

The Sakas

• The Sakas, also known as Scythians, replaced the Indo-Greeks in India.
•  Among the five branches of Sakas with their seats of power in different parts of India, the most important was the one which ruled in Western India till the 4th Century AD. The five seats of power or Satraps were:

1. Kapisa (Afghanistan)
2. Taxila (Pakistan)
3. Mathura (Uttar Pradesh)
4. Upper Deccan
5. Ujjain

• 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
• Other important Saka rulers in India were Nahapana, Ushavadeva, Ghamatika, Chashtana etc.
•  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.
• Famous Parthian king was Gondaphernes in whose reign St. Thomas is said to have come to India from Israel for the propagation of Christianity.
• Pahlavas restricted themselves to issuing copper coins and in rare instance silver money

The Kushans (1^st to 3^rd Century A.D.)

• The Kushans were one of the five Yeuchi 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 famous silk route starting from China, passing through their empire on to Iran & Western Asia. This route was a source of great income to the Kushans.
• 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 the 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 Kanshika was spread over a large area in the 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 4th 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, Chakra and Mathara.
• Large size headless statue of Kanishka is found at Mathura
• The last great Kushan ruler was Vasudeva I.

Religion and society

•  The term Varnasamkaras refer to the revolt against the Varna order.
• The term refers to a situation where in the duties and rights assigned by the Varna order were violated by the people
• The period witnessed an increasing trend in the Varnasamkaras, as a result the law givers of the period like Manu have made very stringent laws against those who violated or tend to violate the Varna order.   
•  In this period the widow remarriage was prohibited, child marriage came in vogue and women were denied property rights.
• The foreigner ruling class (Indo-Greek kings etc) were absorbed in the Varna order as degenerate Kshatriyas.
• The concept of Avtars of different Gods started during this period

Economy

•  In 46-47 AD Hippalus, a greek sailor, discovered the monsoon sea-route to India from West Asia. This gave fillip to the trade with India
• The peace and tranquility in the north western part of the sub continent gave impetus to the trade through land
• The period witnessed the increase in the urban centers due to the flourishing trade
• The Roman trade flourished to a great extent during this period
• The important port during this period were Barygaza (Bharoch) & Barbairicum (Western Coast); Aricamedu (Podeku-according to Periplus) – near Pandicheri-Eastern Coast.
• The large number of gold coins issued by various dynasties of this period was also because of the flourishing trade
• Pliny the elder complaints about the balance of trade in favor of India
• The traders organized themselves into guilds.
• The three schools associated with sculpture were

1. Amaravati School (150 BC – 400 AD) – Satvahanas
2. Gandhar School (50 BC – 5^th Century AD) – Saka- Kushans
3. Mathura School (150 AD – 300 AD) – Saka-Kushans.

1. Sunga dynasty ruled from Videsha in Madhya Pradesh

2. The Kavanas ruled from Patliputra

3. The Indo-Greek rulers ruled over the north western part of the country

4. The Satvahanas became the dominant power in Deccan and Central India with Pratishtana or Paithan as the capital

5. The Chedi dynasty ruled over Kalinga