Mahavira and Jainism The parents of Mahavira were Siddhartha, a Jnatrika chief of Kundapura, and Trisala, a Kshatriya lady related to the ruling families of Vaisali and Magadha. The early li... Read more
Religion From the point of view of religion, the early days of the Magadhan ascendancy were among the most eventful in Indian history. Great changes took place within the fold of Brahmanism.... Read more
Economic Condition As already stated, the vast majority of the people seem to have preferred country life to residence in “towns covered with dust.” The rural population consiste... Read more
Social Life With the Aryan expansion over practically the whole of India, came a wide diversity of social conditions. Customs not approved in the Gangetic Doab were admitted as good usage in... Read more
Administration Neither in the east nor in the west was monarchy the only form of government in the beginning of our period or towards its close. There were, no doubt, powerful rajas in South... Read more
Administrative arrangements made by Alexander The Macedonian king had no desire to renounce his new conquests. He wished to incorporate them permanently into his extensive empire. He formed... Read more
The Nandas The new king belonged to a family called Nanda by all our authorities. His personal name or epithet was Mahapadma, or Mahapadmapati, “sovereign of an infinite host”, o... Read more
Bimbisara The most remarkable king of the Haryanka line was Srenika or Bimbisara, who was anointed king by his father while yet a boy of fifteen. The event took place, according to Ceylonese... Read more
The Great Janapadas The idea of a universal king was present before the minds of the Rig-Vedic poets, and in the later Vedic texts we find mention of several rulers who went round the... Read more
Religious Development Great changes took place in the religious life of the people. The lustre of the older gods was gradually dimmed, though one would still find, here and there, especially... Read more
