Post Mauryan Period : Shunga Dynasty
The Shunga Empire was an ancient Indian dynasty from Magadha
that controlled areas of the central and eastern Indian subcontinent from
around 184 to 75 BCE.
The founder of the dynasty, Pushyamitra Shunga, overthrew the
Mauryas; either in 187 B.C. or 184 B.C. After him there were nine other rulers.
Among them, Agnimitra, Vasumitra, Bhagvata and Devabhumi were the prominent
ones. The names of the first two were associated with some events in political
history, whereas the latter two were known for their long rule.
Pushyamitra Shunga(185–149 BCE)
According to many historians Pushyamitra Sunga was Brahmin
army chief of Brihadratha, the last king of the Mauryas. During a military parade, he killed
Brihadratha and established himself on the throne in 185 or 186 BC. According
to some historians, this was an internal revolt against the last Mauryan king.
Some say it was a Brahminical reaction to the Mauryan overwhelming patronage of
Buddhism. Pushyamitra
Shunga's history is recorded in the Harshacharita authored by Bāṇabhaṭṭa. Following
the Mauryans, the first Brahmin emperor was Pushyamitra Shunga, and is believed
by some historians to have persecuted Buddhists and contributed to a resurgence
of Brahmanism that forced Buddhism outwards to Kashmir, Gandhara and Bactria.
Buddhist scripture such as the Asokavadana account of the Divyavadana and
ancient Tibetan historian Taranatha have written about persecution of
Buddhists. Pushyamitra is said to have burned down Buddhist monasteries,
destroyed stupas, massacred Buddhist monks and put rewards on their heads, but
some consider these stories as probable exaggerations
Such accounts portray
him as a persecutor of Buddhists and a destroyer of stupas but there has been
no authoritative evidence to this claim.
Based on Buddhist tradition, some scholars believe that
Pushyamitra was indeed a persecutor of the Buddhist faith. However, others
believe that Buddhist scholars were biased against Pushyamitra, because he did
not patronize them
V. A. Smith and H. P. Shastri believed that Pushyamitra's
rebellion against the Maurya dynasty was a Brahminical reaction to the rise of
Buddhism. According to archaeologist John Marshall, there is evidence of some
damage to Buddhist establishments at Takshashila around the time of Shunga
rule. He also theorized that the Sanchi stupa was vandalized in 2nd century BCE
(that is, during Pushyamitra's reign), before being rebuilt on a larger scale.
G. R. Sharma, who excavated the Buddhist ruins at Kaushambi, suggested that the
destruction of the local monastery might have happened during the reign of
Pushyamitra Shunga. P. K. Mishra believes that the damage to the Deur Kothar
stupa is also datable to Pushyamitra's period. H. C. Raychaudhari pointed out
that Buddhist monuments were constructed at Bharhut during the Shunga rule.
However, according to N. N. Ghosh, these were constructed during the reign of
later Shunga rulers, not Pushyamitra's period. H. Bhattacharya theorized that Pushyamitra might have
persecuted Buddhists for political, rather than religious, reasons: the
politically active Buddhists probably supported the Indo-Greek rivals of
Pushyamitra, which might have prompted him to persecute them.The Ashokavadana
states that Pushyamitra declared a reward for killing Buddhist monks in Shakala
(present-day Sialkot), which was located near the Indo-Greek frontiers.
According to K. P. Jayaswal, this further highlights a political motivation
behind his alleged persecution of Buddhists.
Controversy Regarding his
identity
There is some controversy about the identity of Pushyamitra
Sunga. It was stated in a Sutra that he belonged to a family of teachers.
Patanjali claims that he was a brahminor the Bhardwaja gotra. Ivyavadana stated
that the Sungas were related to the Mauryas. A Malavikagnimitram refers to them
as brahmins belonging to Kashyap gotra. According to the Puranas, Pushyamitra
became the king after killing his master Brihadratha, the last Mauryan
king. However, the Buddhist text Divyavadana names Pushyamitra as the last
Mauryan king. This text appears to have confused Brihadratha with Pushyamitra.
During Pushyamitras reign, the Stupas at Sanchi and Barhut were
renovated. He built the sculptured stone gateway at Sanchi.
He performed Vedic sacrifices such as Ashvamedha, Rajasuya
and Vajapeya.
Pushyamitra Sunga patronised the Sanskrit grammarian
Patanjali.
According to the Puranas, his reign lasted for 36 years. He
died in 151 BC.
Agnimitra( 149-141 BCE)
Agnimitra (r. 149 – 141 BCE) was the second king of the Shunga dynasty
of northern India. He succeeded his father, Pushyamitra Shunga, in 149 BCE.
His reign lasted from about 149 BC to 141 BC.
Agnimitra is the hero of Kalidasa’s poem, Malavikagnimitram.
Agnimitra's reign ended in 141 BCE and he was succeeded either by his son Vasujyeshtha (according to the Matsya Purana) or Sujyeshtha (according totheVayu,Brahamānda,Vishnu, and Bhagavata Puranas).
Other Shunga Kings
Vasumitra’s successors are not clearly known. Different names
crop up in several accounts such as Andhraka, Pulindaka, Vajramitra and Ghosha.
The last Sunga king was Devabhuti. He was preceded by Bhagabhadra.
Devabhuti was killed by his own minister, Vasudeva Kanva in
around 73 BC. This established the Kanva dynasty at Magadha from 73 to 28 BC.
Cultural Contributions of Shunga’s
The script used by the Shunga was a variant of Brahmi, and
was used to write the Sanskrit language.
The Shunga style was seen as 'more Indian' and is often described as the more indigenous. Art ,education, philosophy flowered during this period. Most notably, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and Mahabhasya were composed in this period . It is also noted for its subsequent mention in the Malavikaagnimitra. This work was composed by Kalidasa in the later Gupta period, and romanticized the love of Malavika and King Agnimitra with a background of court intrigue.
Bronze coin of the Shunga period, Eastern India. 2nd–1st century BCE.
Shunga fecundity deity. 2nd–1st century BCE.
Shunga period contributions in Sanchi Stupa
It has been argued that Pushyamitra may have destroyed the
original stupa, and his son Agnimitra rebuilt it. The original brick stupa was
covered with stone during the Shunga period.
Great Stupa, the most noteworthy of the structures at the
historic site of Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh state, India. It is one of the oldest
Buddhist monuments in the country and the largest stupa at the site.
The Great Stupa (Stupa no. 1), during the later rule of the Shunga, the stupa was
expanded with stone slabs to almost twice its original size. The dome was
flattened near the top and crowned by three superimposed parasols within a
square railing. With its many tiers it was a symbol of the dharma, the Wheel of
the Law.
The buildings which seem to have been commissioned during the rule of the Shungas are the Second and Third stupas (but not the highly decorated gateways, which are from the following Satavahana period, as known from inscriptions), and the ground balustrade and stone casing of the Great Stupa (Stupa No 1). The Relics of Sariputra and Mahamoggallana are said to have been placed in Stupa No 3. These are dated to circa 115 BCE for the medallions, 80 BCE for the gateway carvings,slightly after the reliefs of Bharhut, with some reworks down to the 1st century CE.
Elephant and Riders at Stupa No.2
Military Expansions :
Pushyamitra sent an army to Pataliputra and as far as Sakala
(todays Sialkot), in the Punjab.
War with Greeks :
The Indo-Greeks, called Yavanas in Indian sources, either led
by Demetrius I or Menander I, then invaded India, possibly receiving the help
of Buddhists. Menander in particular is described as a convert to Buddhism in
the Milindapanha. Western sources also suggest that this new offensive of the
Greeks into India led them as far as the capital Pataliputra..
Battle on Sindhu :
An account of a direct battle between the Greeks and the
Shunga is also found in the Mālavikāgnimitram, a play by Kālidāsa which
describes a battle between a squadron of Greek cavalrymen and Vasumitra, the
grandson of Pushyamitra, accompanied by a hundred soldiers on the "Sindhu
river", in which the Indians defeated a squadron of Greeks and Pushyamitra
successfully completed the Ashvamedha Yagna.This river may be the Indus river
in the northwest, but such expansion by the Shungas is unlikely, and it is more
probable that the river mentioned in the text is the Sindh River or the Kali
Sindh River in the Ganges Basin.
The Shunga Empire
Decline of Shunga Dynasty
After the death of Agnimitra, the second king of the dynasty, the empire rapidly disintegrated.Inscriptions and coins indicate that much of northern and central India consisted of small kingdoms and city-states that were independent of any Shunga hegemony. The last king of Sungas, Devabhuti was assassinated by his minister Vasudeva Kanva, who then established Kanva dynasty.
The Sunga territory greatly reduced only to the region of
Magadha, with many independent, petty kingdoms such as such as Mathura and
Panchal
What is the Shunga Dynasty known for?
The dynasty is noted for its numerous wars with both foreign
and indigenous powers. They fought the Kalinga, the Satavahana dynasty, the
Indo-Greek Kingdom and possibly the Panchalas and Mitras of Mathura. Their
contributions in the great Sanchi Stupa is remarkable also Pushyamitras military
expedition is quite noticeable .
Blog Credits : Suyash Deulgaonkar ( Team Historic Wednesday )
References :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pushyamitra_Shunga
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnimitra
https://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/History/prelims/SUNGAS.html
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