Magadha

Magadha also called the Kingdom of Magadha or the Magadha Empire, was a kingdom and empire, and one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas, 'Great Kingdoms' of the Second Urbanization, based in southern Bihar in the eastern Ganges Plain, in Ancient India. Magadha was ruled by the Brihadratha dynasty, the Haryanka dynasty (544–413 BCE), the Shaishunaga dynasty (413–345 BCE), the Nanda dynasty (345–322 BCE), the Mauryan dynasty (322–184 BCE), the Shunga dynasty (184–73 BCE) and the Kanva dynasty (73–28 BCE). It lost much of its territory after being defeated by the Satavahanas of Deccan in 28 BC and was reduced to a small principality around Pataliputra.^[2][3] Under the Mauryas, Magadha became a pan-Indian empire, covering large swaths of the Indian subcontinent and Afghanistan.

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Magadha
684 BCE – 28 BCE
Kingdom of Magadha and other Mahajanapadas during the Second Urbanization.
Expansion of the Magadha empire between 6th and 4th century BCE Magadha empire under Haryanka and       Shaisunga dynasties Magadha empire under Nanda dynasty      Magadha empire under Maurya dynasty    Magadha empire under Shunga dynasty    Magadha empire under Kanva dynasty      Territorial expansion of the Magadha empire 6th century BCE onwards
Capital	Rajagriha (Girivraj) Later, Pataliputra (modern-day Patna)
Common languages	Sanskrit[1] Magadhi Prakrit Ardhamagadhi Prakrit
Religion	Hinduism Buddhism Jainism
Demonym(s)	Māgadhī
Government	Absolute monarchy[lower-alpha 1]
Notable Emperors
• c. 544 – c. 492 BCE	Bimbisara
• c. 492 – c. 460 BCE	Ajatashatru
• c. 413 – c. 395 BCE	Shishunaga
• c. 395 – c. 367 BCE	Kalashoka
• c. 329 – c. 321 BCE	Dhana Nanda
• c. 321 – c. 297 BCE	Chandragupta Maurya
• c. 268 – c. 232 BCE	Ashoka
• c. 185 – c. 149 BCE	Pushyamitra Shunga
Historical era	Iron Age
Currency	Panas
Preceded by Succeeded by Kikata Kingdom Satavahana Empire Kalinga (Mahameghavanas) Vidarbha Kingdom
Today part of	India

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Magadha played an important role in the development of Jainism and Buddhism.^[4] It was the core of four of northern India's greatest empires, the Nanda Empire (c. 345 – c. 322 BCE), Maurya Empire (c. 322–185 BCE), Shunga Empire (c. 185–78 BCE) and Gupta Empire (c. 319–550 CE). The Pala Empire also ruled over Magadha and maintained a royal camp in Pataliputra.^[5][6]

The Pithipatis of Bodh Gaya referred to themselves as Magadhādipati and ruled in parts of Magadha until the 13th century.^[7]