Nanda Empire

Nanda Empire

The Nanda Empire was a large empire that ruled in Magadha and the Gangetic plains in the 4th century BCE in northeastern India. Some stories say it might have started even earlier, in the 5th century BCE. The Nandas built on the work of the people who ruled before them, like the Haryanka and Shaishunaga kings, and created a stronger central government.

Ancient books tell us that the Nandas collected a lot of wealth. This was likely because they introduced new money and a system to collect taxes from their people. However, many people did not like the Nandas.

The last king of the Nandas, Dhana Nanda, was removed from power by Chandragupta Maurya, who then started the Maurya Empire.

When Alexander the Great was trying to attack Punjab around 327–325 BCE, ancient writers described the Nanda kingdom as very strong. They said it had a big army. Because of this, and because Alexander’s soldiers were tired after many years of fighting and wanted to go home, his men refused to continue, and Alexander had to stop his campaign in India.

Origins

Homeland

The Nanda Empire was a powerful kingdom in Magadha before the Maurya Empire grew into a large empire in the Ganga valley. Buddhist stories say the Nandas took the throne by winning battles.

Greek writers wrote about a big kingdom far east of King Porus and the Jhelum River. They called it the home of the Gangaridae and Prasioi, with its capital at a place named Palibothra. Scholars think Palibothra was Pataliputra. The name Prasioi comes from a Sanskrit word meaning "eastern," and Gangaridae refers to the Gangetic Plain. These old descriptions show the kingdom of Magadha ruled lands east of the Jhelum River, with its main city at Pataliputra.

Ancestry

Old stories from India and Greece describe the founder of the Nanda dynasty as coming from a family of low status. The Greek historian Diodorus wrote that King Porus told Alexander the Great that the Nanda king was said to be the son of a barber.

Jain stories from old texts also say the first Nanda king was the son of a barber. One of these texts says that this king's mother was a courtesan. However, the same text explains that the daughter of the last Nanda king later married Chandragupta. This happened because it was an old custom that allowed Kshatriya girls to choose their own husbands.

The ancient Puranas name the founder of the Nanda dynasty as Mahapadma. They say he was the son of a king named Mahanandin from the Shaishunaga dynasty. But these stories hint that the Nandas were not from a high class, because they say Mahapadma's mother was from the Shudra class.

Buddhist traditions call the Nandas "of unknown lineage." One Buddhist book, the Mahavamsa, says the founder was named Ugrasena. The story tells us he was once captured by a group of robbers and later became their leader. After that, he removed the sons of the Shaishunaga king Kalashoka from power.

Regnal period

Historians do not agree on how long the Nanda Empire ruled. Different ancient books give different numbers, such as 88 years, 40 years, or 29 years.

Some believe the Nandas ruled from around 344–322 BCE, while others think it was from 364/345 BCE to 324 BCE. Another idea suggests the first Nanda king began ruling in 424 BCE. There are many different ideas about when they started and ended their rule.

Nanda kings

Different old stories tell us about the Nanda kings. Some stories say there were nine kings, while others say there were only two.

One story from Greece says the first Nanda king used to be a barber before he became a ruler. His son was the last king, and then Chandragupta took over. Another story from India says the first king was named Mahapadma. Some books say he ruled for 88 years, while others say only 28 years. After him, his eight sons ruled, but only one of them is named in these stories.

A book from Sri Lanka says there were nine brothers who were kings. Their names were Ugra-sena, Panduka, Pandugati, Bhuta-pala, Rashtra-pala, Govishanaka, Dasha-siddhaka, Kaivarta, and Dhana.

Imperial extent

The Nanda Empire was based in Pataliputra, near today’s Patna in the Magadha region of eastern India. The empire reached from Punjab in the west to Odisha in the east. It covered much of the Ganges valley and parts of central India.

Many areas in northern and eastern India were ruled by the Nandas. They were strong enough that later rulers, like Chandragupta Maurya, could expand even more, into places such as Gujarat. Records show the Nandas could unite many different groups and lands under one rule.

Military strength

Alexander the Great invaded north-western India when the last Nanda king, Dhana Nanda, ruled. In 326 BCE, Alexander's army reached the Beas River, the edge of Nanda land.

Ancient Greek writers said the Nanda army was bigger than Alexander's. They described it as having many foot soldiers, horse riders, war elephants, and chariots. But these numbers might have been exaggerated to scare away invaders.

Alexander's soldiers would not go further east after reaching the Beas River. They had faced tough battles and wanted to return home. So, Alexander left India without fighting the Nanda army.

Greek writers also wrote about other strong groups nearby, like the Gangaridae. This shows India had many powerful peoples at that time. Some believe the king Alexander fought was a Nanda ruler, meaning the Nandas controlled much of eastern India.

Administration

Little is known about how the Nanda Empire was run. Stories say the Nanda king was the single ruler of a united kingdom. Travelers, however, suggest that groups like the Gangaridai and the Prasii had their own leaders but followed the same main ruler.

The Nanda kings built on the successes of earlier rulers in Magadha, creating the first large empire in northern India. The capital city, Pataliputra, was protected by rivers and had rich soil. It was also an important place for trade and had valuable resources like timber and elephants.

Ministers and scholars

Ancient stories tell us that important helpers to the Nanda kings, called ministers, often came from the same families. When one minister passed away, his son or another family member might take the job.

These stories also say that Pataliputra became a place where learning was valued. Famous teachers and writers lived there, though some of these tales may be more legend than fact.

Wealth

Old writings talk about the great wealth of the Nanda kings. One story says the last Nanda king collected so much treasure that he hid it in the riverbed of the Ganges. Travelers from far away also wrote about the wealth of Indian kings, possibly inspired by the Nandas. Some believe the Nandas introduced new money and coins.

Religion

The Nanda Empire supported religions that began in the Greater Magadha area, such as Jainism and Ajivikism. The rulers did not try to make people change their religion.

Greater Magadha was east of where the Ganges and Yamuna rivers meet. This is where cities grew up and where Jainism and Buddhism started. The Nanda emperors and later the Mauryan emperors did not focus much on Vedic Brahmanism. Because of this, Buddhist and Jain ideas could spread beyond the Magadha region.

Some stories from a long time later say that some Nanda ministers favored Jainism. For example, after a minister named Shakatala passed away, his son Sthulabhadra chose to become a Jain monk instead of taking his father’s job.

Some scholars disagree with ideas about differences between eastern and western cultures during this time. They think these ideas go beyond what we really know from history.

Architecture

The Pataliputra Voussoir Arch is a piece of granite found in Pataliputra by K. P. Jayaswal. Experts think it may have been part of an arch used to decorate a special gateway called a Torana. The stone has special marks and a smooth finish on two sides.

Nanda era

Some old writings talk about the time when the Nanda rulers were in power. A king named Nanda built a canal in the 103rd year of their rule. Another writer, Al-Biruni, said that a special way of counting years called the Sri-Harsha era was used in places like Kannauj and Mathura. He thought this way of counting years started around 458 BCE, which matches the time of the Nanda kings. A later writing from the time of a king named Vikramaditya VI mentions that the Nanda way of counting years was still used before it was replaced by a new one. However, some scholars think there isn't enough proof to say for sure.

Unpopularity and overthrow

The last king of the Nanda Empire was not liked by his people. Some writers say he was seen as a bad leader because he came from a simple background. Others say he was not respected and his rule was unfair.

Finally, the Nanda Empire was taken over by Chandragupta Maurya, who had help from his teacher Chanakya. There were battles during this change of power, showing it was a difficult time.

Main article: Nanda–Mauryan War