Shunga Empire
Sunga Empire was founded by Pushyamitra Sunga who betrayed his master Brihadratha Maurya and defeated him in a war. He killed the Mauryan emperor and destroyed the Mauryan empire completely. Its capital was Pataliputra.[1] Pushyamitra Shunga ruled for 36 years and was succeeded by his son Agnimitra. There were ten Shunga rulers. But after Agnimitra's death, the empire begun to broke up. [2]
The dynasty is noted for its numerous wars with both foreign and native powers (empires).They fought against the Kalinga, the Satavahana dynasty, the Indo-Greek Kingdom and possibly the Panchalas and Mathuras.[3]
Art, education, philosophy, and other forms of learning flourished (developed) during this period.Patanjali's Mahābhāṣya was composed in this period.The Kanva dynasty succeeded the Shungas around 73 BCE.
List of Shunga Emperors
| Emperor | Reign |
|---|---|
| Pushyamitra Shunga | 185–149 BCE |
| Agnimitra | 149–141 BCE |
| Vasujyeshtha | 141–131 BCE |
| Vasumitra | 131–124 BCE |
| Bhadraka (aka Ardraka or Odruka) | 124–122 BCE |
| Pulindaka | 122–119 BCE |
| Ghosha (aka Ghoshavasu) | 119-108 BCE |
| Vajramitra | 108-94 BCE |
| Bhagabhadra (aka Bhagavata) | 94-83 BCE |
| Devabhuti | 83–73 BCE |
Shunga Empire Media
East Gateway and Railings, Red Sandstone, Bharhut Stupa, 2nd century BCE. Indian Museum, Kolkata.
The Great Stupa under the Shungas. The Shungas nearly doubled the diameter of the initial stupa, encasing it in stone, and built a balustrade and a railing around it.
Great Sanchi Stupa Side view
Sanchi, Stupa Nr. 2
Stupa 3 - Sanchi Hill 2013-02-21 4268
The Yavanarajya inscription, dated to "year 116 of Yavana hegemony", probably 70 or 69 BCE, was discovered in Mathura. Mathura Museum.
.JPG)
Reference
- ↑ Stadtner, Donald (1975). "A Śuṅga Capital from Vidiśā". Artibus Asiae. 37 (1/2): 101–104. doi:10.2307/3250214. JSTOR 3250214.
- ↑ K.A. Nilkantha Shastri (1970), A Comprehensive History of India: Volume 2, p.108: "Soon after Agnimitra there was no 'Sunga empire.'"
- ↑ "New world encyclopedia".
