Question

How do modern historians explain the development and rise of Magadhan power? Explain briefly.

Answer 1

Between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, Magadha (in present-day Bihar) became the most powerful mahajanapada. Modern historians explain this development in a variety of ways:

1. Magadha was a region where agriculture was especially productive.
2. Besides, iron mines (in present-day Jharkhand) were accessible and provided resources for tools and weapons.
3. Elephants, an important component of the army, were found in forests in the region.
4. Also, the Ganga and its tributaries provided a means of cheap and convenient communication.
5. However, early Jain and Buddhist writers who wrote about Magadha attributed its power to the policies of individuals, ruthlessly ambitious kings of whom Bimbisara, Ajatashatru, and Mahapadma Nanda are the best known, and their ministers, who helped implement their policies.
6. The two capitals, i.e., Rajagaha (Rajgir) and Pataliputra (Patna) of Magadha, had their own advantages.
7. Rajagaha was a fortified settlement, located amongst hills, and thus was not easily captured. Pataliputra was easily communicable through the Ganga and its tributaries.
8. The growth of Magadha culminated in the emergence of the Mauryan Empire. Chandragupta Maurya, who founded the empire (c. 321 BCE), extended control as far northwest as Afghanistan and Baluchistan, and his grandson Asoka, arguably the most famous ruler of early India, conquered Kalinga (present-day coastal Orissa).