Page 44 - SST Class 06

most powerful was Magadha. The whole of Bihar Ajatashatru was regarded as the protector of the
came under the influence of Magadha which was
primarily due to the able kings who ruled here.
There were other causes too behind its supremacy.
Let us first study about its rulers.
Bimbisara : Bimbisara was a contemporary of the
Buddha and Mahavira. He ruled for about 52 years
from circa 542 BC to 491 BC. He was a shrewd king.
He maintained a regular army. He increased his
territory in three ways. First, by conquests, in
which he attacked and defeated Brahmadatta , the
king of Anga and occupied this kingdom. Second,
by matrimonial alliances with the kingdoms of
Koshala, Vaishali and Madra (in Punjab). He
received the territory of Kashi as a gift. Third, he
entered into peace treaties with neighbouring and
other kingdoms. He chose any of these three ways
which suited him best. He conquered Anga only to
gain access to the port of Champa, which he could
use for trade relations with several kingdoms and
West Asia.
Bimbisara introduced a sound administrative
system. The smallest unit of administration was the
village, which was administered by a village
assembly headed by a Gramika or village headman.
There were about 80,000 villages in his kingdom,
and the headman of any village could meet him. At
the capital, he had a council of advisors who
looked after different aspects of administration.
His capital was at Rajgriha, near Patna.
It is not known what religion Bimbisara belonged
to, but he had a tolerant view for all religions.
Ajatashatru : Ajatashatru, the son of Bimbisara,
was another able king of Magadha. He ascended
the throne after assassinating his father. He ruled
for 32 years from 491 BC to 461 BC. He was an
aggressive king. He conquered territories and made
Magadha the most powerful kingdom of northern
India. The conquered territories included Koshala,
the kingdom of his own uncle. He also conquered
Vajji, which was a confederacy of eight republics.
Activity
On a map of India, locate the following :
1. Mahajanapadas : Vatsa, Panchala, Koshala
2. Rivers : Ganga, Gandak, Son, Yamuna
Contemporary Social Science-6
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Dharma, the Brahmins and the cows. He too ruled
with the help of a council of advisors, but the
priests had a great influence on him.
It is not certain what religion both Bimbisara and
Ajatashatru followed. Both the Jainism and the
Buddhism claim them their respective followers.
Ajatashatru convened the first Buddhist Council at
Rajgriha in 487 BC.
Successors of Magadha : The successors of
Ajatashatru were not very able. Later, Shishunaga
overthrew and ascended the throne of Magadha,
who was later overthrown by the Nandas. Thus,
Magadha was later ruled by the Nanda dynasty
which was founded by Mahapadma Nanda. Magadha
had become all the more powerful under the
Nandas. When Alexander the Great invaded India,
he defeated King Porus, the king of territory
between Jhelum and Chenab rivers in Punjab, but
he had no courage to move forward and attack
Magadha, so powerful was Magadha at that time.
Other Causes of the Rise of Magadha : In addition
to the able kings, some other causes which
contributed to make Magadha a powerful kingdom
can be studied under the following points :
1. Natural Resources : Magadha had two great
natural resources—fertile lands and vast iron ore
deposits. While fertile lands resulted in abundant
food production, the iron ore deposits were used to
manufacture weapons for war and tools for
industry. These natural resources helped in
establishing supremacy of Magadha.
2. Strategic Location of Capital Cities : Rajgriha,
near Patna was the capital in the beginning, which
was surrounded by five hills, so it was difficult to
invade it. Later, Patliputra (Patna) was made the
capital city, which was located on the confluence
of the Ganga, the Gandak and the Son rivers, which
provided much security against attacks.
3. Economic Development : Fertile land, mineral
resources and availability of waterways for trade
facilitated in the economic development of the
kingdom. As the economic development took place,
the kings were able to collect more taxes.
4. Welfare Measures : The rulers of Magadha were