Mahapadma Nanda
| Mahapadma Nanda | |
|---|---|
| Samrat | |
| Nanda king | |
| Reign | c. 345 – c. 329 BCE |
| Predecessor | Mahanandin |
| Successor | Dhana Nanda |
| Born | 400 BCE |
| Died | 329 BCE |
| Issue | Dhana Nanda |
| Dynasty | Nanda |
| Father | Mahanandin |
Mahapadma Nanda (IAST: Mahāpadmānanda) (c. 400 – c. 329 BCE) was the first king of the Nanda dynasty. He was the son of Mahanandin, king of the Shishunaga dynasty and a Shudra mother. Sons of Mahanandin from his other wives opposed the rise of Mahapadma Nanda, on which he eliminated all of them to claim the throne.
Names
The first Nanda bore the name of Mahapadma or Mahapadmapati (sovereign of an infinite host or of immense wealth) according to the Puranas, and Ugrasena according to the Mahabodhivamsa.[1] Puranas describe him as "the destroyer of all the Kshatriyas",[2]
Life
The Puranas describe Mahapadma as a son of Mahanandin by a woman from the Shudra caste.[1][3][4] Jain works like Parishishtaparvan and Avashyaka sutra represent him as the son of a courtesan by a barber.[5][1] Curtius, a Roman historian, informs us that
his father was in fact a barber, scarcely staving off hunger by his daily earnings, but who, from his being not uncomely in person, had gained the affections of the queen, and was by her influence advanced to too near a place in the confidence of reigning monarch. Afterwards, however, he treacherously murdered his sovereign, and then, under the pretence of acting as guardian to the royal children, usurped the supreme authority, and having put the young princes to death begot the present king.[6]— Curtius
Sons of Mahanandin from his other wives opposed the rise of Mahapadma Nanda, on which he eliminated all of them to claim the throne.[4][7]
The Indologist F. E. Pargiter dated Nanda's coronation to 382 BCE, and R. K. Mookerji dated it to 364 BCE.[8] However, H. C. Raychaudhuri places the event c. 345 BCE.[9]
According to Puranas Mahapadma had eight sons.[2] He defeated many kingdoms, including the Panchalas, Kasis, Haihayas, Kalingas,[lower-alpha 1] Asmakas, Kurus, Maithilas, Surasenas and the Vitihotras; to name a few.[12] He expanded his territory south of the Vindhya Range into the Deccan Plateau.
TV Serial
In Oct'16 a serial depicting his story was aired on Star Plus named Chandra Nandni.
Notes
- ↑ Kalinga (India) formed part of the Nanda Empire but subsequently broke free until it was re-conquered by Ashoka Maurya, c. 260 BCE.[10][11]
Citations
- 1 2 3 Sastri 1988, p. 13.
- 1 2 Mookerji 1988, p. 8.
- ↑ Mookerji 1988, p. 7-8.
- 1 2 Smith 1999, p. 39.
- ↑ Mookerji 1988, p. 14.
- ↑ Sastri 1988, p. 14.
- ↑ Smith 2008, p. 37.
- ↑ Sethna 2000.
- ↑ Panda 2007, p. 28.
- ↑ Raychaudhuri & Mukherjee 1996, pp. 204-209.
- ↑ Raychaudhuri & Mukherjee 1996, pp. 270-271.
- ↑ Sastri 1988, p. 17.
References
- Mookerji, Radha Kumud (1988) [first published in 1966], Chandragupta Maurya and his times (4th ed.), Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-0433-3
- Panda, Harihar (2007), Prof. H.C. Raychaudhuri, as a Historian, Northern Book Centre, ISBN 81-7211-210-6
- Raychaudhuri, H. C.; Mukherjee, B. N. (1996), Political History of Ancient India: From the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty, Oxford University Press
- Sastri, K. A. Nilakanta, ed. (1988) [1967], Age of the Nandas and Mauryas (Second ed.), Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-0465-1
- Sethna, K. D. (2000), Problems of Ancient India, New Delhi: Aditya Prakashan, ISBN 81-7742-026-7
- Smith, Vincent A. (1999), The Early History of India (third ed.), Atlantic Publishers and distributors, ISBN 978-81-7156-618-1
- Smith, Vincent A. (2008) [1906], Jackson, A. V. Williams, ed., History of India, in Nine Volumes, II - From the Sixth Century B.C. to the Mohammedan Conquest, Including the Invasion of Alexander the Great, Cosimo Classics, ISBN 978-1-60520-492-5
| Mahapadma Nanda | ||
| Preceded by Mahanandin (Shishunaga dynasty) |
Nanda Emperor 187–180 |
Succeeded by Dhana Nanda |