| Haryanka dynasty | ||||
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| Capital | Rajagriha, later Pataliputra | |||
| Language(s) | Sanskrit | |||
| Religion | Hinduism Buddhism |
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| Government | Monarchy | |||
| King | ||||
| - 558 BC-491 BC | Bimbisara | |||
| - 551 BC-519 BC | Ajatashatru | |||
| - 519 BC-503 BC | Udayabhadra | |||
| Historical era | Antiquity | |||
| - Established | 684 BC | |||
| - Disestablished | 413 BC | |||
The Haryanka dynasty was the second ruling dynasty of Magadha, an ancient kingdom in India, which succeeded the Barhadratha dynasty. According to the Puranas, the second ruling dynasty was the Shaishunga dynasty, but an earlier authority, Ashvagosha in his Buddhacharita refers to Bimbisara, who is mentioned as a ruler of the Shaishunaga dynasty in the Puranas, as a scion of the Haryanka-kula.[1] According to another Buddhist text, the Mahavamsa, Bimbisara was not the founder of this dynasty, as he was anointed king by his father at the age of fifteen.[2] According to Turnour and N.L. Dey, the name of the father of Bimbisara was Bhatiya or Bhattiya, but the Puranas refer him as Hemajit, Kshemajit, Kshetroja or Ksetrauja and the Tibetan texts mention him as Mahapadma.[3]
The reign of this dynasty probably began in 684 BCE. Initially, the capital was Rajagriha. Later, it was shifted to Pataliputra, near the present day Patna in India. This dynasty was succeeded by the Shishunaga dynasty.
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The Haryanka king Bimbisara was responsible for expanding the boundaries of his kingdom through matrimonial alliances and conquest. The land of Kosala fell to Magadha in this way. He is referred to as King Shrenik in Jain scriptures.
Estimates place the territory ruled by this early dynasty at 300 leagues in diameter, and encompassing 80,000 small settlements.
Bimbsara was contemporary of Lord Mahavir and devout follower of Buddha. He remained a devout devotee and follower of Buddha throughout his life.
In some sources, Bimbisara was imprisoned and killed by his son and successor, Ajatasattu (or Ajatashatru), under whose rule the dynasty reached its largest extent.
Vaishali, ruled by the Licchavis, went to war with the kingdom of Magadha at some point, due to a border dispute involving gem mines.
He is thought to have ruled from 551 to 519 BCE.
The Mahavamsa text tells that Udayabhadra eventually succeeded his father, Ajatashatru, moving the capital of the Magadha kingdom to Pataliputra, which under the later Mauryan dynasty, would become the largest city in the world.
He is believed to have ruled for sixteen years.
The kingdom had a particularly bloody succession. Anuruddha eventually succeeded Udaybhadra through assassination, and his son Munda succeeded him in the same fashion, as did his son Nagadasaka.
Due in part to this bloody dynastic feuding, it is thought that a civil revolt led to the emergence of the Shishunaga dynasty.
| Possibly preceded by: Brihadrathas dynasty |
Haryanka dynasty | Succeeded by: Shishunaga dynasty |