SHUNGA DYNASTY

Shunga Dynasty

The last Mauryan king Brithadratha was killed by his commander-in-chief Pushyamitra Sunga in 185 BC. He did so on being disgusted with his ruler's policy of the so-called non-violence that stood in the way of his leading a campaign against the alien invaders who had occupied a big chunk of North-Western India. He after that fought against the invaders and pushed them beyond the natural north-western boundary of the country and performed Asvamedha Yajna on the bank of River Indus ( Sindhu ). He also performed a grand Ashvamedha Yajna in Pataliputra ( Patna ), the capital city. We find a mention of these Yajnas in a rock-edict of Ayodhya. Thus he re-established the Vaidika-Dharma in India. We find an account of his son, Agnimitra's life in Kalidas's drama Malavikagnimitram.

Pushyamitra Sunga a brahamin from Ujjayini, became the ruler of the Magadha and neighbouring territories. The north-western regions comprising Rajputana, Malwa, Punjab, Afghanistan and Baluchastan, passed into the hands of Greek rulers.

He was succeeded by son Agnimitra. Agnimitra is the hero of Malavikagnimitra, a famous drama by Kalidasa. After Agnimitra, the power of the Sungas gradually weakened.

The Sunga dynasty lasted for about one century and was then overthrown by the Brahman minister Vasudeva, who founded the Kanva dynasty