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. They were seen as rulers from a lower social class, they taxed people heavily, and they did not always behave well.

The last king of the Nandas, Dhana Nanda, was removed from power by Chandragupta Maurya, who then started the Maurya Empire. Today, many historians think that the rulers of Gangaridai and the Prasii, written about by ancient Greek and Roman writers, were actually Nanda kings. When Alexander the Great was trying to attack Punjab around 327–325 BCE, these writers described the Nanda kingdom as very strong. They said it had an army much bigger than Alexander’s own. 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 an important ruling power in Magadha before the Maurya Empire grew into a large empire in the Ganga valley. Buddhist stories tell us that the Nandas took the throne by winning battles, not through secret plans or killings.

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

Ancestry

Both Indian and Greek-Roman stories 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 at that time was said to be the son of a barber. A Roman historian named Quintus Curtius Rufus added more details, saying that this barber became a close friend of the queen because he was very handsome. The barber then tricked everyone, took control of the kingdom by saying he would protect the princess, and later had the princess killed.

Jain stories from old texts agree with the Greek and Roman accounts, also saying the first Nanda king was the son of a barber. One of these texts, written in the 12th century, even 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. So, even though the Nandas started from a low family, this story suggests they later claimed to belong to the Kshatriya class, which was the warrior class.

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 even these stories hint that the Nandas were not from a high class, because they say Mahapadma's mother was from the Shudra class, the lowest of the four main groups in Indian society.

Because two separate traditions — the Greek-Roman and the Jain — both mention the barber ancestry of the Nanda dynasty's founder, this seems more likely than the Puranas' story connecting them to the Shaishunaga kings.

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, based on star and planet studies, 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 ancient stories tell us about the Nanda kings. Some 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 becoming 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 centered in Pataliputra, close to today’s Patna in the Magadha region of eastern India. Historical records from ancient traditions and writings support this. The empire stretched from Punjab in the west all the way to Odisha in the east, covering much of the Ganges valley and parts of central India.

Many areas across northern and eastern India came under Nanda control. They were powerful enough that later rulers, like Chandragupta Maurya, could expand even further into regions such as Gujarat. Records suggest the Nandas were able to bring many different groups and lands under one rule.

Military strength

Alexander the Great invaded north-western India when the last Nanda king, Dhana Nanda, was in power. In 326 BCE, Alexander's army arrived at the Beas River, which marked the edge of Nanda territory.

Ancient Greek writers described the Nanda army as being much larger than Alexander's forces. Some accounts said the Nanda army had hundreds of thousands of foot soldiers, thousands of horse riders, many war elephants, and chariots. However, these numbers might have been made up to scare away the invaders.

Alexander's soldiers refused to go further east after reaching the Beas River. They had already been through hard battles and wanted to go home. Because of this, Alexander had to leave India without fighting the Nanda army.

Greek writers also mentioned other strong groups in the area, like the Gangaridae, showing that India had many powerful peoples at that time. Some think the king Alexander fought was a Nanda ruler, meaning the Nandas controlled a large part of eastern India.

Administration

Little is known about how the Nanda Empire was run. Ancient stories describe the Nanda king as the single ruler of a united kingdom, not just a leader of separate states. However, other accounts from travelers suggest a shared style of leadership, where 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 well protected by rivers and had rich soil, important trade routes, and valuable resources like timber and elephants. Some believe that Magadha's success was also helped by having access to minerals, though this idea is debated among historians.

Ministers and scholars

Stories from ancient times tell us that important helpers to the Nanda kings, called ministers, often came from the same families. For example, when one minister passed away, his son or another close family member might take the job.

These stories also say that during Nanda rule, the city of 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

Many old writings talk about the huge wealth of the Nanda kings. One story says the last Nanda king collected so much treasure—worth around 800 million—that he hid it in the riverbed of the Ganges. Other stories mention poets talking about the Nandas' endless riches, later lost in floods.

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, which helped them gather even more wealth. Coins found near the ancient city of Pataliputra might be from this time.

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, and there is no proof they treated any religion unfairly.

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. Sthulabhadra’s brother Shriyaka took the position instead.

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 is an old part of an arch that might have been used to decorate a special gateway called a Torana. This 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. One writing from a ruler named Kharavela says that 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 with 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, along with two other ways of counting years, 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 well liked by his people. Some ancient writers say he was seen as a bad leader because he came from a humble background. Others noted that he was not respected and that his rule was unfair.

Eventually, the Nanda Empire was taken over by Chandragupta Maurya, who had help from his teacher Chanakya. Some stories even say Chandragupta might have been related to the Nanda family. There were battles during this change of power, showing that it was a tough and challenging time.

Main article: Nanda–Mauryan War