Brihadratha dynasty
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Brihadratha dynasty | |||||||||||||||||
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| 1700 BCE–700 BCE | |||||||||||||||||
.png) Magadha in 1100 BCE ruled by the Brihadratha dynasty, in the north-eastern region | |||||||||||||||||
| Capital | Girivraja | ||||||||||||||||
| Common languages | Vedic Sanskrit | ||||||||||||||||
| Religion | Hinduism | ||||||||||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||||||||||
| King | |||||||||||||||||
• 1700–1680 BCE | Brihadratha (first ruler) | ||||||||||||||||
• 1680–1665 BCE | Jarasandha | ||||||||||||||||
• 732–682 BCE | Ripunjaya (last ruler) | ||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||
• Established | 1700 BCE | ||||||||||||||||
• Assassination of Ripunjaya | 700 BCE | ||||||||||||||||
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| Today part of | India | ||||||||||||||||
| History of India |
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| Timeline |
The Brihadratha dynasty (Sanskrit: बृहद्रथ; IAST: Bṛhadratha) was the first dynasty of the Magadha Empire, according to the Puranas, and was founded by Brihadratha.[1]: 129–136 According to the Vishnu Purana, Magadha, mentioned in the Atharvaveda, was not only the most valuable[clarification needed] kingdom in the Vedic period but was also the centre of civilization and power in India.[2][failed verification]
Puranic sources say that Brihadratha was the eldest son of Uparichara Vasu, who, according to the Ramayana, founded the Vasumati and Girivraja, the capital of the dynasty.[3][failed verification][unreliable source?] However, archaeological evidence for the specific kings of the dynasty is lacking and they may be considered semi-legendary.[citation needed]
History
[edit]Brihadratha
[edit]According to the Puranas, Brihadratha (also Maharatha) was the king of Magadha[4] and the founder of the Brihadratha dynasty. According to the Mahabharata and the Purana, he was the eldest of the five sons of Uparichara Vasu, the Kuru king of Chedi, and his queen was Girika.[5][failed verification] The name 'Brihadratha' is found twice in the Rigveda (I.36.18, X.49.6); however, it is not indicated whether this refers to the father of Jarasandha.[6]
Jarasandha
[edit]The Puranas mention that Jarasandha was the son of Sambhava.[4][failed verification] The Mahabharatha states that Jarasandha was the son of Brihadratha[6] and the greatest ruler of the dynasty.[7] According to ancient texts[which?], 24 Brihadratha kings ruled for many years.[8][failed verification] However, the Vayu Purana, Matsya Purana, and Vishnu Purana disagree regarding the Brihadratha period of rule. The astronomical works based on the Vishnu Purana state that the Brihadratha dynasty lasted for 1,000 years.[4][failed verification]
The name of Jarasandha appears in the Puranas many times. Jarasandha was inimical to the Yadava and is mentioned as a villain in the Mahabharata.[9]
Bhima, with the help of Krishna, killed Jarasandha.[10][11]
Sahadeva
[edit]According to scripture, Sahadeva was the son of Jarasandha placed on the throne of Magadha by the Pandava after the assassination of Jarasandha. Sahadeva has fought the Kurukshetra War on the side of the Pandavas. According to the Puranas, he was killed in the Kurukshetra War by Shakuni, along with his cousin Jayadeva. He was succeeded by Somadhi.[1]: 290
Later rulers
[edit]Somadhi (or Somphi) was the son of Sahadeva and was placed on the throne of Magadha by the Pandavas after he agreed to be their subordinate.[1]: 290
End of dynasty
[edit]The last of the Brihadratha dynasty was Ripunjaya, who was killed by a minister named Punika (Pulika). After the death of Ripunjaya, Punika placed his son Pradyota on the throne and founded the Pradyota dynasty in 682 BCE.[1]: 300
List of rulers
[edit]| Ruler | Reign (BCE) |
|---|---|
| Brihadratha | 1700–1680 BCE |
| Jarasandha | 1680–1665 BCE |
| Sahadeva | 1665–1661 BCE |
| Somadhi | 1661–1603 BCE |
| Srutasravas | 1603–1539 BCE |
| Ayutayus | 1539–1503 BCE |
| Niramitra | 1503–1463 BCE |
| Sukshatra | 1463–1405 BCE |
| Brihatkarman | 1405–1382 BCE |
| Senajit | 1382–1332 BCE |
| Srutanjaya | 1332–1292 BCE |
| Vipra | 1292–1257 BCE |
| Suchi | 1257–1199 BCE |
| Kshemya | 1199–1171 BCE |
| Subrata | 1171–1107 BCE |
| Dharma | 1107–1043 BCE |
| Susuma | 1043–970 BCE |
| Dridhasena | 970–912 BCE |
| Sumati | 912–879 BCE |
| Subala | 879–857 BCE |
| Sunita | 857–817 BCE |
| Satyajit | 817–767 BCE |
| Viswajit | 767–732 BCE |
| Ripunjaya | 732–682 BCE |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Misra, V.S. (2007). Ancient Indian Dynasties. Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. ISBN 978-81-7276-413-5. JSTOR 41692138.
- ^ "Rise of Jarasandha of Brihadratha dynasty". jagran. Archived from the original on 7 October 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ "Jarasandha was a very powerful king of Magadha and the history of his birth and activities is also very interesting - Vaniquotes". vaniquotes.org. Archived from the original on 29 November 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ a b c Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam (ed.). India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 80.
- ^ Skanda Purana: Vaishnava Khanda: Vasudeva Mahatmya: English Translation only without Slokas. Kausiki Books. 24 October 2021. p. 28.
- ^ a b Raychaudhuri, Hemchandra (1972). "Sixteen Mahājanapadas". Political History of Ancient India. Calcutta: University of Calcutta. p. 71.
- ^ Gokhale, Namita (21 January 2013). The Puffin Mahabharata. Penguin UK. ISBN 978-93-5118-415-7.
- ^ "Jarasandha was a very powerful king of Magadha, and the history of his birth and activities is also very interesting - Vaniquotes". vaniquotes.org. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
- ^ "Mahabharat Episode 28: Jarasandha – Born Divided". sadhguru.org. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (5th ed.). New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers. 1990 [1970]. ISBN 9788121500944.
- ^ Gopal, Madan (1990). India through the ages. Public Resource. Publications Division, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 101.