Thread by @PrasunNagar

History of India after the Mauryas

This short thread will chronicle the details of India, after the demise of Mauryas up till the rise of Guptas.

After the death of Ashoka in 232 BCE Mauryan empire was consigned to the pages of history less than 50 years after his death.

A succession of weak kings, rebellions & foreign attacks ended the empire by 184 BCE when Pushyamitra deposed the last Mauryan King.

The Mauryas were able to achieve the Vedic political ideal as defined in the 'Atraeya Brahmana' , that a king should be 'Ekarat', the 'supreme sovereign of the country up to the seas.'

However, it is very difficult to control an area of India, which during Mauryan times encompassed an area of 5 million sq km, from Herat in Afghanistan to Bengal, and from Baluchistan to Southern Karnataka.

The country is simply too big!

The political and economic situation of India was apt for creating a big empire, especially after Alexander's invasion, which devoid the NW India of its military prowess, and hence Chandragupta Maurya was able to conquer the country, without much difficulty.

NW of India had already become a separate political entity under king Sophagasenus ( Subhagsena).

According to a Roman historian, Polybius, the 'King of Indians' ( Subhagsena) confronted Anitochus-III of Syria, who had to 'renew his friendship' with the Indian king.

According to the Kashmir traditions, Ashoka's own son named Jaluka set up an independent kingdom in Kashmir and even extended his territories by conquest.

In the interior, The Mauryas were replaced by Sungas in 184 BCE. The Shungas were in turn, replaced by Kanvas in 73 BCE.

The 45 year rule of Kanvas was replaced, in 28 BCE by Andhras.

Kalinga which was annexed by Ashoka in 261 BCE, also became a powerful kingdom. Led by its King , Kharvela, who was a menace to Magadha, to the Satvahanas and even to the south.

Hathigumpha inscription of Kharvela

India was thus, in a state of great political unrest marked by struggles between different States and Powers for supremacy.

This political upheaval, gave rise to invasions from the NW of India.

Foreign Invasions:

In the North-West the situation was out of control. The political anarchy after the demise of Mauryas invited foreign invasions.

The first of these were the Bactrian Greeks lead by Demetrius & Menander - King Milinda of 'Milinda-Panho', A Buddhist work.

King Menander, according to Patanjali, besieged 'Madhyamka' ( near Chitor) & Saketa ( Ayodhya), & according to 'Gargi Samhita', occupied Panchala ( Bareilly region), and Mathura, and even threatened Kusumdhvaja or Pataliputra.

Image of King Menander

The tide of this invasion was for a time stemmed by the Sunga Emperor, Pushyamitra, whose grandson Vasumitra defeated the 'Yavanas' ( Greeks) at the banks of Indus river.

Image of Menander with Nagasena, during the course of their conversation

But this reverse did not prevent the Greeks from occupying Punjab region, where Menander began to rule with his capital at Sangala ( modern Sialkot).

Coin of Menander

The extent of Greek authority & influence in India is indicated by the fact that the coins Menander were in circulation in 1st century in the markets of 'Barygaza' ( Bharoch, in Gujarat), as stated in the 'Periplus'.

Image of a Indo-Greek coin, pic courtsey @IndiaArtHistory

Kushans :-

By the first century AD, the Shakas and Pahlavas, gave way to Yueh- Chi's, lead by a section called Kushans who under their leader called Kadhipses - I and Kadhipses-II , established the Kushan Empire. @Tat_Tvam_Asi_

The Kushan Empire was further consolidated by Kanishka.

His empire in India included Kapisa ( Southern Afghanistan), Gandhara, Kashmir, and extended till Benaras and beyond .

Image of a coin portraying Kanishka

The Eastern part of this Kushan Empire was governed by the satraps of Kanishka, called Maha- Kshatrpa Kharapallana & Kshtrapa Vanashpara.

The northern end of Kanishka's empire was governed by his generals Lala, and Satraps named as Vepasi and Liaka.

Image of 'Kanishka casket'

The great Kushans are taken to be:

1) Kanishka ( 125- 150 AD),

2) Huviska ( 150- 167 AD ), and

3) Vadudeva - I ( around 175 AD).

After Vasudeva-I , Kushan Empire broke up into small States , whose rulers imitated the coins of Kanishka and Vasudeva - I & reigned up to 3rd & 4th century AD, until the emergence of Guptas in India & by Sassanid Empire from North and West.

Coin of Vasudeva-I

By the third century AD, four small Kushan kingdoms were ruling in :

1) Ta- Hua ( Oxus region),

2) Ki-Pin ,( Kapisa),

3) Kabul, and

4) Indian borderlands.

The Sassanian King Varhan -II ( 276-293 AD), conquered parts of north west India.

@cestlaviepriya

A Kushan King gave his daughter in marriage to his Sassanian overlord Hormizd ( 301-309 AD), while the Sassanian king Shapur -II while besieging Amida ( in Turkey) in 350 AD, used Indian Elephants given to him by his Kushan feudatories.

Image of Shapur-II

Very soon, this Sassanian supremacy was replaced by the Guptas.

The Allahabad pillar inscription of Samudra Gupta refers to the precious presents sent to him in recognition of his suzerainty by these Kushan Kings, who are called as 'Daivaputra Shahi- Shahanushahi'.

End

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