TOPIC INFO (CUET PG)
TOPIC INFO – CUET PG (History)
SUB-TOPIC INFO – Ancient Indian History
CONTENT TYPE – Short Notes
What’s Inside the Chapter? (After Subscription)
1. Introduction
2. Prominent Dynasties of the Post-Mauryan Period
2.1. Shungas (185-73 BC)
2.2. Kanvas (75-30BC)
2.3. Satavahanas (130 BC-AD 250)
2.4. Important Satavahana Rulers
2.5. Important Rulers of the Satavahana Dynasty
2.6. Administration in the Satavahana Kingdom:
2.7. Language in the Satavahana Kingdom
2.8. Religious Life in the Satavahana Kingdom
2.9. Economic Life in the Satavahana Kingdom
2.10. The Pompeii Lakshmi
2.11. Significance of Satavahana’s Rule
3. Ikshvaku Dynasty
4. Chedis
4.1. Hathigumpha Inscription
5. Invasion from Central Asia
5.1. Indo-Greeks
5.2. Sakas (Indo-Scythians)
5.3. Vikrama and Saka Era
5.4. Parthians (247 BC-AD 224)
5.5. Kushanas
5.6. Kanishka
5.7. Impact of Central Asian Contacts
6. Post-Mauryan Administration
6.1. Economic Conditions
6.2. Social Conditions
6.3. Religious Conditions
6.4. Trade, Art, and Architecture
6.5. Science and Technology in the Post-Mauryan Period
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Post Mauryan Period
CUET PG History
The post-Mauryan period in ancient Indian history marks a pivotal era characterized by dynamic political changes, cultural evolution, and socio-economic transformations.
The period which began in about 200 BC did not witness a large empire like that of the Mauryas, but was able for intimate and widespread contacts between Central Asia and India. In Eastern India, Central India, and the Deccan, the Mauryas were succeeded by several native rulers such as the Shungas, the Kanvas, and the Satavahanas. In North-Western India, the most famous empire was the Kushanas.
Introduction
- The fragmentation of the Mauryan empire marked the emergence of numerous regional kingdoms across India.
- Concurrently, the subcontinent experienced invasions from diverse Central Asian and Western Chinese groups, including the Indo-Greeks, Scythians (Sakas), Parthians, and Kushanas.
- These events brought India into closer contact with Central Asian politics and culture.
Prominent Dynasties of the Post-Mauryan Period
Several notable dynasties emerged in the post-Mauryan period, including:
Shungas (185-73 BC)
- Pushyamitra Shunga founded the Shunga Dynasty by assassinating the last Mauryan king, Brihadratha, in 184 BC, as corroborated by Banabhatta in Harshacharita.
- The Shungas established their capital at Pataliputra and Vidisha.
- Information about the Shunga dynasty can be found in various sources, including Garga Samhita, Patanjali’s Mahabhasya, Divyavadana, Kalidasa’s Malavikagnimitram, and Banabhatta’s Harshacharita.
- Pushyamitra Shunga also faced an invasion by Kharavela, the king of Kalinga.
- Dhanadeva’s Ayodhya Inscription credits Pushyamitra with performing two Ashwamedha sacrifices. Pushyamitra’s kingdom stretched from Narmada in the South to Jalandhar and Sialkot in the North-West, including the city of Ujjain in Central India.
- In Malavikagnimitra, there is a mention of the conflict between Pushyamitra and Yajnasena, the King of Vidarbha in Eastern Maharashtra, where Pushyamitra emerges victorious.
- According to Buddhist tradition (Divyavadana), Pushyamitra is portrayed as someone who destroyed Buddhist monasteries and places of worship. Despite this, the Shungas repaired the Sanchi Stupa and fully constructed the Bharhut Stupa during their time. Patanjali, the author of Mahabhasya, lived during Pushyamitra’s era.
- Bhagbhadra, an important king of the Shunga dynasty, saw a reduction of the Shunga territories to Magadha and Central India during his rule.
| Heliodorus, an ambassador from Taxila, constructed a pillar in Vidisha in honor of God Vasudeva (Krishna), synonymous with Vishnu, during the time of Bhagbhadra. |
- Devabhuti was the last Shunga king, murdered by his minister Vasudeva Kanva in 75 BC, according to Banabhatta.