Beginning of Regional Kingdoms Sunga Dynasty

Introduction: Beginning of Regional Kingdoms and Cultures

• The period between approximately 200 BCE and 300 CE did not witness the rise of large empires like the Mauryas, but it was marked by significant historical, political, and cultural developments.

• During this time, the political focus shifted from Magadha to north-western India, leading to the emergence of regional kingdoms and new forms of governance, such as joint rule and subordinate rule.

• In the East, Central India and the Deccan, the Mauryas were succeeded by the Sungas, the Kanvas and the Satavahanas.

• Urbanization and the expansion of cities became prominent, with specialized crafts and extensive trade networks growing.

• The use of currency increased in the economy.

• This era was characterized by cultural interactions, doctrinal debates, the rise of image-based devotional worship, and the institutionalization of religious activities.

• It also saw the development of sophisticated sculptural and architectural styles. In summary, this period contributed significantly to the diverse and rich heritage of the Indian subcontinent as we know it today.

Sunga Dynasty

• The Maurya dynasty came to an end in 187 BCE when its last king, Brihadartha, was assassinated by his own commander-in-chief, Pushyamitra Sunga, establishing the Sunga Dynasty as the rulers of Magadha.

• The Sunga rulers were of Brahmin caste origin and are mentioned in various texts, both Buddhist and Brahminical, including the Harshacharita, the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad,Panini’s Ashtadhyayi,Kalidasa’s Malavikaagnimitram, Divyavadana, and Tarantha’s historical account.

• There were ten Shunga rulers. However, after the death of Agnimitra, the second king of the dynasty, the empire rapidly disintegrated.

• 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.

• According to Patanjali’s Mahabhasya, there were Greek attacks during Sunga’s rule

Period and Territories:

• The Sunga Dynasty saw ten kings reigning for a total of approximately 112 years.

• The capital city was Pataliputra and later Vidisha.

• Pushyamitra’s domain covered only a portion of the former Maurya empire, including Pataliputra, Ayodhya, Vidisha, and certain areas in modern-day Punjab, such as Jalandhar and Sakala (now known as Sialkot).

• Major cities include Ujjain, Mathura, Saket, Sanchi and Kapilavastu.

Bhagabhadra or Bhagavata

• Bhagavata could refer to either the fifth king Kasiputa Bhagabhadra or the ninth king Bhagavata, as suggested by the significant Besnagar Pillar inscription by Heliodorus.

Pushyamitra Sunga

• He was the former Mauryan Army’s commander-in-chief who assassinated Brihadratha and founded the Shunga Dynasty.

• He conducted two Ashvamedha sacrifices, as confirmed by King Dhana’s Ayodhya stone inscription.

• His rule stretched from the Narmada River in the south to cities like Pataliputra, Ayodhya, and Vidisha.

Kaildasa’s “Malavikaagnimitram” recounts his conflict with Vidarbha’s king, Yajnasena, and the Sungas’ victory. It also details the challenge to Pushyamitra’s Ashvamedha horse by foreign yavanas, leading to a clash with Prince Vasumitra.

• He also defeated the Bactrian Greek king, Demetrius, as mentioned in Patanjali’s works.

• Patanjali, a prominent grammarian, lived during Pushyamitra Sunga’s time.

• The “Divyavadana” chronicles Pushyamitra’s cruelty towards Buddhists and his hostility towards Buddhism.

• Pushyamitra ruled for 36 years and was succeeded by his son Agnimitra.

Agnimitra

• Son of Pushyamitra Shunga.

• Vidarbha became independent during this period.

• His son Vasumitra succeeded after him.

Vasumitra

• Malavikagnimitram (“Love story of Malavika and Agnimitra, son of Pushyamitra”), a play by Kalidasa, mentions the defeat of the Yavanas (Bactrian Greeks) at the hands of Vasumitra, the grandson of Pushyamitra Sunga.

Devabhuti

• Devabhuti (Devabhumi) is the final ruler of the Sunga Dynasty.

• According to the Harschcharita, he met his demise at the hands of his Brahmana minister Vasudeva Kanva, who subsequently established the Kanva dynasty.

• The Satavahanas took over the remnants of the Sunga empire.

The Sunga State: Polity & Culture Administration:

• The King was assisted by a Council of Ministers and

Bureaucrats, and his empire was divided into provinces.

• The provinces were put under the charge of Governors of royal blood.

• A council assisted the Governor.

• Certain tribal regions having autonomous power were also integrated.

Art and Architecture:

• The period saw the flowering of visual arts including small terracotta images, larger stone sculptures and architectural monuments like the chaitya hall at Bhaja, the stupa at Bharhut and the Great Stupa at Sanchi.

• The Shunga rulers helped to establish the tradition of royal sponsorship of learning and art. The script used by the empire was a variant of Brahmi script and was used to write Sanskrit.

• The gates and railings of the Bharhut stupa and the fine gateway railings that surround the Sanchi stupa are said to have been built during the Sunga period.

North     Torana (Gateway) (Sunga period) of Sanchi Stupa    

• Human figures in the reliefs illustrate episodes from the life of the Buddha and incidents that give us an idea of contemporary life.

• The Sungas adapted the Bharhut stupa, which was originally erected by Ashoka.

• Some sculptures of Bharhut, Bodhgaya and Sanchi represent the first organized art activity which was opposite to the court art of the Mauryas. It reflects for the first time the results of the ethnic, social and religious fusion and integration.

• Unlike the Mauryas’ imperial art, the reliefs and figures in the Bharhut stupa were provided by laypeople, monks, and nuns, according to inscriptions on the railings.

• As a result, it is considered one of the earliest instances of Maurya’s popular art.

• Artistry also progressed with the rise of the Mathura art style.

• The Shunga art style differed somewhat from imperial Mauryan art, which was influenced by

Persian art. In both, continuing elements of folk art and cults of the mother goddess appear in popular art but are now produced with more skill in more monumental forms.

• The Shunga style was thus seen as ‘more Indian’ and is often described as the more indigenous.

• Patanjali lived during this period sometime between 2nd and 4th Century CE.

• The author of the Mahābhāṣya, an ancient treatise on Sanskrit grammar and linguistics, based on the Aṣṭ dhy y of P ṇini.

• The compiler of the Yogasutras, a classical text on Yoga theory and practice.

• A notable scholar of Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy.

• Author of a medical text called Patanjalatantra.

• He is not to be confused with another author Patanjali, who likely lived in 8th-century CE and wrote a commentary on Charaka Samhita and this text is called Charakavarttika.

• The script used by the Shunga was a variant of Brahmi and was used to write the Sanskrit language.

Religion:

• After Ashoka’s tryst with liberal Dhamma and Buddhism, the Sungas reverted to Brahmanical orthodoxy to augment royal power and ensure divine reverence for the king.

• In the Ayodhya inscription of Dhanadeva, Pushyamitra Sunga is credited with the performance of two Asvamedha sacrifices.

• Buddhist sources claim that he persecuted the Buddhists. Divyavadana depicts Pushyamitra as a destroyer of Buddhist monasteries and places of worship, particularly those constructed by Ashoka.

Decline of Sungas

• The last Sunga king, Devabhuti, was killed by his Brahmana minister Vasudeva. Thus, the Sunga line came to an end by 75 BCE.