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1. Nanda Dynasty
(c. 5th century BCE or
mid-4th century to 322 BCE)
Sachin Kr. Tiwary

2. 544-412 BCE 412-344 BCE 344-324 BCE
Nanda Dynasty

3. Sources
Dispute
about the
caste
Rulers
Importance
Extend
Decline
Time ?
Issues to be
discussed…

4. Introduction
• Nandas overthrew the Shaishunaga dynasty.
• The Nandas built on the successes of
their Haryanka and Shaishunaga predecessors, and
instituted a more centralised administration.
• Ancient sources credit them with amassing great
wealth, which was probably a result of
introduction of new currency and taxation system.
• Ancient texts also suggest that the Nandas were
unpopular among their subjects because of their
low status birth, their excessive taxation, and their
general misconduct.
• Matsya Purana assigns 88 years to the rule of the
first Nanda king alone,
• Vayu Purana state the total duration of the Nanda
rule as 40 years.
• Taranatha assigns 29 years to the Nandas.
• The Hathigumpha inscription mentioned that
"Nandaraja" (the Nanda king) flourished in year
103 of the Mahavira Era, that is, in 424 BCE.

5. Dispute about the caste
• Greek historian Diodorus (1st century BCE)- Porus told Alexander that the
contemporary Nanda king was thought to be the son of a barber.
• Roman historian Curtius (1st century CE) adds that according to Porus, this barber
became the former queen's paramour thanks to his attractive looks, treacherously
assassinated the then king, usurped the supreme authority by pretending to act as
a guardian for the then princes, and later killed the princes.
• Jain literature Avashyaka Sutra and Parishishta-parvan states that the first Nanda
king was the son of a barber.
– Parishishta-parvan, the mother of the first Nanda king was a courtesan.
– Parishishta-parvan also states that the daughter of the last Nanda king married
Chandragupta, because it was customary for Kshatriya girls to choose their husbands;
thus, it implies that the Nanda king claimed to be a Kshatriya, that is, a member of the
warrior class.
• Buddhist tradition calls the Nandas "of unknown lineage" (annata-kula). According
to Mahavamsa, the dynasty's founder was Ugrasena, who was originally "a man of
the frontier": he fell into the hands of a gang of robbers, and later became their
leader. He later ousted the sons of the Shaishunaga king Kalashoka (or Kakavarna).
• Puranas states the dynasty's founder as Mahapadma, and claim that he was the
son of the Shaishunaga king Mahanandin. However, even these texts hint at the
low birth of the Nandas, when they state that Mahapadma's mother belonged to
the Shudra class.

6. Mahapadam Nand ("lord of immense wealth")
• The First ruler of this dynasty.
• Also known as Ugrasena in Buddhist texts Augraseniya in Greeco-Roman
texts.
• Upadhi- According to Puranas ekarat (sole sovereign) and sarva-
kshatrantaka (destroyer of all the Kshatriyas).
• Nanda capital was Pataliputra- Mudrārākṣasa (Vishakhadatta)
• Reign Time- 88 years (Matsya Puran), 28 years (Vayu Puran), 29 years
(Tibet), 29 years (Simghali), 22 years (Buddhist lit.).
• Mahapadma had eight sons.

7. • He defeated – Maithalas (north of Magadha, on the border of
present-day Nepal and northern Bihar), Kasheyas (Present
Varanasi), Ikshvakus (ancient Kosala region of Uttar
Pradesh), Panchalas (Present Wetern UP), Shurasenas (Mathura
region), Kurus (Ahichchhatra was capital of northern Panchala
and Kampilya was capital of southern Panchala), Haihayas
(Narmada valley of Central India), Vitihotras (Narmada valley of
Central India), Kalingas (Coastal Odisha and AP), and Ashmakas
(south of Vindhya/Godawari river valley).
War

8. Dhana Nanda(died c. 321 BCE), according to the Buddhist
text Mahabodhivamsa, was the last ruler of the Nanda dynasty.
• He was the youngest amongst the eight brothers.
• He was contemporary to Alexander and mentioned Agrammes or Xandrames in the
Grecco-Roman lit. as.
• The Buddhist text Mahavamsa and Puran names 9 Nanda kings, who were all
brothers, and ruled in succession for a total of 22 years. The first of these kings was
Ugrasena, and the last was Dhana Nanda
1. Ugra-sena (Uggasena in Pali)
2. Panduka
3. Pandugati
4. Bhuta-pala
5. Rashtra-pala
6. Govishanaka
7. Dasha-siddhaka
8. Kaivarta
9. Dhana Nanda
• Buddhist tradition states that Dhana Nanda
insulted a Brahmin Kautilya/Chanakya/Vishnugupta.

9. Importance
Defense
System
Trade and
Commerce
Mixture of
Arya - Anarya
Development
of Buddhism-
Jaininsm

11. Decline
Nanda king
Mahapadma
destroyed
the Kshatriyas,
Puranas
Over Taxation
Against Brahmins

13. Contemporary Rulers
Thank you
Any Question ?