Post-Mauryan India – Sunga Dynasty

Introduction

The Sunga Dynasty mainly came into power after taking over the Magadha region which the Mauryas left. This happened in 185 BC where the following territories from the Ganga river to Narmada, Vidisha and northern India region were included in the Sunga empire. The Mauryan empire fell after Ashoka’s death, after which foreign powers started invading the North West. Strong holdings of the empire like Kalinga became independent and with it, the Mauryan Empire came down as there was no leadership.

Image 1: Map of the Shungas

About the Sunga Dynasty

The Sunga dynasty came into existence with the fall of the Mauryan Empire in 185 BCE and ruled up to 73 BCE. After Ashoka’s death, his descendants were unable to hold the Empire down together, and it slowly separated into independent regions and kingdoms.

The expanse of the Sunga Empire covered a vast area from the river Ganga to the valley of Narmada. It also consisted of Vidhisa and chunks of Northern India. Pataliputra was established as the capital of the empire at the beginning but later changed to Vidisha.

The other important cities of the Sunga Empire were Ujjain, Saket, Sanchi, Mathura, and Kapilavastu. The origin of the Sunga Dynasty was from the Bharadvaja clan which was essentially a Brahmin family.

Sunga Dynasty: Important Rulers

During its rather short rule the Sunga Dynasty saw the advent of some great rulers. Their names, achievements and exploits are hereby mentioned below −

• Pushyamitra Sunga − Pushyamitra Sunga was the person who founded the Sunga kingdom. He was of Brahmin origin and used to serve as an army chief under the last king of the Mauryan Empire, Brihadratha. He killed Brihadratha when a military parade was going on and emerged on the throne of Magadha.

  The reason for this murder is often disputed as some say it was due to an internal revolt. Others say it was his Brahmannical spirit revolting against the Mauryan obsession with Buddhism. Pushyamitra established the Sunga Dynasty in 180 B.C and named Pataliputra its capital.

  Pushyamitra alone resisted the invasions of two Greek kings ‘Menander and Demetrius and won both battles. Events of these battles are documented in Gargi Samhita and Malavikagnimitram. He is also known for his victory against the Kalinga king Kharavela.

• Agnimitra − Agnimitra was the descendant of Pushyamitra Sunga. He was the ruler of the Sunga Empire for a brief period between 149 BC and 141 BC. The Vidarbha region had already separated from the Sunga dynasty and claimed an independent existence before Agnimitra came to rule.

Image 2: Coin of the Panchala king Agnimitra (c. 1st century CE)

Agnimitra’s name is accounted for in Kalidasa’s Malavikagnimitram, which is considered a legendary poem. After Agnimitra the throne was taken by his son Sujyeshta, who was later replaced by his son, Vasumitra. After Vasumitra the line of the Sunga dynasty soon started to weaken and the name of the rulers are unknown.

There is an account of Heliodorus, the Greek ambassador who visited the court of a Sunga king named Bhagavat. Devabhuti is perhaps the last known Sunga king.

Sunga Dynasty: Cultural Contributions

• They are known to have revived Brahmanism and Bhagavatam. The caste system was also reborn under their rule. There are accounts in Manusmriti telling about the existence of the 4 folds’ society during the Sunga rule.

• The Sungas worked importantly on mixing castes and also introduced foreigners to the Indian Society.

• The Sanskrit language gained immense popularity during the Sunga Empire. It was also the official language of the court. The Buddhist works were also translated into Sanskrit.

• The inclusion of human figures and symbols was greatly seen in the art and architecture of this period. Mauryan art previously focused on wood, the Sunga art replaced it with the usage of stone. This was seen on many railings and gateways of Buddhist Stupas.

• The Bharhut inscription of this period gives an account of the lives of Indians and their perspective of the world.

• The tradition of building temples began during the Sunga dynasty. One such exhibit is the Vishnu temple at Vidisha.

Sunga Dynasty: Religious Policy

The great king Ashoka’s love for Dhamma and Buddhism was replaced by the Sunga Dynasty’s faith towards Brahmanical orthodoxy. Pushyamitra was known for his hatred of Buddhism as he was a Brahmin, thus he destroyed a lot of Buddhist monasteries. There are some historians though, who claim that Pushyamitra Sunga followed Buddhism.

This matter is highly disputed due to a lack of proper evidence. There are accounts of him renovating the Buddhist stupas of Sanchi and Barhut. Pushyamitra also performed Vedic sacrifices like Vajapeya and Rajasuya. He was also known for performing the Ashvamedha or horse sacrifice.

Conclusion

During the rule of the Mauryans, the Sungas were the viceroys of the Ujjain region. The dynasty emerged properly when Pushyamitra Sunga, the first Sunga ruler assassinated Brihadratha and took over the throne of Magadha. It is said that political unity was absent in India during the reign of the Sunga Empire. The details of this dynasty have been documented in Mahabhasya and Divyadana written by Patanjali. It is also there in Malavikagnimitram written by Kalidasa and Harshacharita written by Bana. The empire was at its peak during the reign of Pushyamitra and Agnimitra. It suffered a downfall after the reign of Vasumitra.

FAQs

Q1. How many rulers ruled during the reign of the Sunga dynasty?

Ans. The Sunga dynasty was founded by Pushyamitra after the fall of the Mauryan Empire. It took over parts of Magadha and formed a great empire itself. A total number of 10 rulers ruled during this reign and among them, Pushyamitra and Agnimitra were the most influential.

Q2. What is the story of Vasumitra narrated in Malavikagnimitra?

Ans. The story briefly narrates the battle of Vasumitra against the Yavana army. Vasumitra is said to have performed the Ashyamedha yajya prior to the battle as he took the horse with him while travelling. The horse was later sacrificed after he was victorious in the battle.

Q3. What was the prevalent script during the Sunga Empire?

Ans. The Sungas have been known for using the Brahmi Script during their reign. It was even used to write in the language of Sanskrit. The script was different from that of the Mauryan and Kalinga Brahmi scripts.