Mauryan Age, Post Mauryan Age: Indo-Greeks, Satvahanas, Sangam Age Mains Test
Mains Test Series
Mauryan Age, Post Mauryan Age: Indo-Greeks, Satvahanas, Sangam Age
Q1. Magadha’s rise as an economic and political powerhouse is as curious as its fall. Exemplify. (250 words)
Introduction: According to the Puranic literature, Magadha’s meteoric rise started with the lesser-known kings Bimbisara and Ajatashatru. The Nandas further expanded it. However, it has been curious why only Magadha out of 16 Mahajanapadas could conquer all of North India. Further, it is more curious why the importance of Magadha declined after the Guptas.Â
Factors that favoured the rise of Magadha:
- Ambitious rulers such as Bimbisara, Ajatsatru and Mahapadmananda expanded the kingdom by employing all means, fair and foul.
- The Geographical advantage in terms of the availability of Iron deposits enabled the Magadhan princes to equip themselves with effective weapons. Besides this, the two capitals of Magadh, the first at Rajgriha and the second at Patliputra, were strategically located and were virtually impregnable due to the surrounding hills and rivers.
- Agricultural Productivity: Immensely fertile alluvial land due to its location in the middle Gangetic plain and heavy rainfall significantly increased agricultural productivity and hence generated surplus, which could be mopped up by rulers in the form of taxes.
- Urbanisation: The rise of towns and the use of metal money supported trade and commerce.
- Military: Magadha enjoyed a unique advantage in its military organisation. They were the first to use elephants on such a large scale in the war against their neighbours. Moreover, they had a constant supply of war elephants from the forests of the Chhota Nagpur plateau.
However, it is curious to note that despite such advantages, the Magadha power eventually declined.
Factors leading to the fall of Magadha:
- The increased importance of Fortification: With the rising prevalence of Cavalry, it became difficult to defend the cities in the Plains. Eventually, by the time of Harsha, Kannauj replaced Magadha as the Centre of Polity. Â
- Rising Feudalism: By the end of the Gupta Empire, the feudal setup grew very strong, as evident from the various titles such as Raja, Maharaja, Maharajadhiraja, etc. This remained a source of permanent instability.
- Economic problems – The state monopoly of metals was being lost through intrusion by the local chiefs. The iron demands, so crucial for the expanding agrarian economy, could no longer be met by Magadha alone.
- Foreign Invasions: Continuous invasions by the Shakas, Kushanas and Hunas weakened the control of North Indian rulers.
- Cracking up of bureaucratic setup – In the later part of the Mauryan empire, the bureaucratic setup was under stress and strain, resulting in an inefficient administration unable to maintain social order.
- Ashoka’s Pacifist policies – Many believe that Ashoka’s policy of nonaggression could have weakened his empire. However, this argument has little merit, as Ashoka maintained a strong standing army even after his Kalinga conquest.
- The Civil Wars – The Mauryan and Gupta empires were each marred by civil wars. This weakened the empires.
Conclusion: It was the strategic advantage of Magadha that led to its rise. However, after dominating the Indian polity for a millennium, the change in the nature of the economy and warfare led to its eventual fall.
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