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{{Short description|Ruling dynasty of Magadha}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = Nanda dynasty
| common_name            = Nanda dynasty
| era                    = Iron Age India
| year_start             = {{Circa|345 BCE}}{{efn|variously dated from 5th century BCE or mid-4th century BCE}}
| image_coat             = File:MauryanCoin.JPG
| coa_size               = 280px
| symbol_type            = [[Punch-marked coins|Punch-marked coinage]] of the Nanda Empire
| status                 = [[Empire]]
| year_end               = {{Circa|322 BCE}}{{sfn|Irfan Habib|Vivekanand Jha|2004|p=13}}
| title_leader           = [[List of monarchs of Magadha#House of Nanda|King]]
| leader1                = [[Mahapadma Nanda|Mahapadma]] (first)
| year_leader1           = {{Circa|345|340 BCE}}
| leader2                = [[Dhana Nanda|Dhana]] (last)
| year_leader2           = {{Circa|329|322 BCE}}
| p1                     = Shaishunaga dynasty
| p2                     = Mithila (region){{!}}Mithila
| p3                     = Panchala
| p4                     = Surasena
| p5                     = Vatsa
| p6                     = Kuru Kingdom{{!}}Kuru
| p7                     = Mahishmati{{!}}Haihaya
| p8                     = Vanga kingdom{{!}}Vanga
| p9                     = Asmaka
| s1                     = Maurya Empire
| image_map              = Nanda Empire, c.325 BCE.png
| map_width              = 300
| image_map_caption      = Possible extent of the Nanda Empire under its last ruler [[Dhana Nanda]] ({{Circa|325 BCE}}).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Schwartzberg |first1=Joseph E. |title=A Historical atlas of South Asia |date=1978 |publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] |location=Chicago |page=145, map XIV.1 (a) |isbn=0226742210 |url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/schwartzberg/pager.html?object=182 |archive-date=24 February 2021 |access-date=25 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224162023/https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/schwartzberg/pager.html?object=182 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| capital                = [[Pataliputra]]
| government_type        = Monarchy
| today                  = [[Bangladesh]]<br />[[India]]<br />[[Nepal]]
| religion               = [[Jainism]]{{sfn|Bronkhorst|2011|p=12}}<br />[[Ajivika|Ajivikism]]{{sfn|Bronkhorst|2011|p=12}}<br />[[Buddhism]]{{sfn|Sujato|Brahmali|2014|p=22-23}}<br />[[Brahmanism]]{{sfn|Bronkhorst|2011|p=30-31}}
| demonym                = 
| area_km2               = 
| area_rank              = 
| GDP_PPP                = 
| GDP_PPP_year           = 
| HDI                    = 
| HDI_year               = 
}}
{{History of Bihar}}
{{History of India}}
{{HistoryOfSouthAsia}}
The '''Nanda Empire''' was a vast empire that governed in [[Magadha]] and [[Gangetic plains]] with an enormous geographical reach in 4th-century BCE northeastern India, with some accounts suggesting existence as far back as the 5th century BCE. The Nandas built on the successes of their [[Haryanka dynasty|Haryanka]] and [[Shaishunaga]] predecessors and instituted a more centralised administration. Ancient sources credit them with amassing great wealth, which was probably a result of the introduction of a new currency and taxation system.

Ancient texts also suggest that the Nandas were unpopular among their subjects because of their low-status birth, excessive taxation, and general misconduct. The last Nanda king [[Dhana Nanda]] was overthrown by [[Chandragupta Maurya]], founder of the [[Maurya Empire]].

Modern historians generally identify the ruler of the [[Gangaridai]] and the Prasii mentioned in ancient Greco-Roman accounts as a Nanda king. While describing [[Alexander the Great]]'s [[Indian campaign of Alexander the Great|invasion]] of [[Punjab]] (327–325 BCE), Greco-Roman writers depict this kingdom as a great military power. The prospect of a war against this kingdom, which according to Greek sources had an army five times the size of the Macedonian army,<ref>{{cite book |last=Bongard-Levin |first=G. |title=A History of India |publisher=Progress Publishers |year=1979 |location=Moscow |pages=264}}</ref> coupled with the exhaustion resulting from almost a decade of campaigning, led to a mutiny among Alexander's homesick soldiers, putting an end to his Indian campaign.

==Origins==
===Homeland===
The Nanda Empire became a significant ruling authority in [[Magadha]],{{sfn|Roy|2012|p=58}} prior to the creation of the [[Maurya Empire]] who established a large empire in the [[Ganga]] valley. In the [[Buddhist]] accounts, the Nandas ascended the throne by open conquest in the field and not through secret intrigues or assassinations.{{sfn|Mackenzie|2016|p=1–4}}

[[Greece|Greek]] authors refer to a great kingdom to the east of the kingdom of King [[Porus]], beyond the [[Jhelum River]]. The kingdom is referred to as belonging to the [[Gangaridae]] and Prasioi, and the capital at ''Palibothra'', which is generally accepted as referring to [[Pataliputra]]. Prasioi is derived from the [[Sanskrit]] term Prachya, meaning "eastern," and Gangaridae is traced to the [[Gangetic Plain]]. These references suggest that the kingdom of [[Magadha]] extended dominion over the country to the east of the Jhelum, and its capital was at Pataliputra.{{sfn|Mackenzie|2016|p=1–4}}

===Ancestry===
Both Indian and Greco-Roman traditions characterise the dynasty's founder as of low birth.{{sfn|Irfan Habib|Vivekanand Jha|2004|p=12}} According to Greek historian [[Diodorus Siculus|Diodorus]] (1st century BCE), Porus told Alexander that the contemporary Nanda king was thought to be the son of a barber.{{sfn|R. K. Mookerji|1966|p=5}} Roman historian [[Quintus Curtius Rufus|Curtius]] (1st century CE) adds that according to Porus, this barber became the former queen's paramour thanks to his attractive looks, treacherously assassinated the then king, usurped the supreme authority by pretending to act as a guardian for the then princes, and later killed the princes.{{sfn|R. K. Mookerji|1966|p=5}}{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=14}}

The Jain tradition, as recorded in the ''Avashyaka Sutra'' and the 12th-century text ''[[Parishishtaparvan|Parishishta-parvan]]'', corroborates the Greco-Roman accounts, stating that the first Nanda king was the son of a barber. {{sfn|R. K. Mookerji|1966|p=14}}{{sfn|Irfan Habib|Vivekanand Jha|2004|p=13}}{{sfn|Dilip Kumar Ganguly|1984|p=20}} According to the 12th century text ''Parishishta-parvan'', the mother of the first Nanda king was a courtesan. However, the text also states that the daughter of the last Nanda king married Chandragupta, because it was customary for [[Kshatriya]] girls to choose their husbands; thus, it implies that the Nanda king claimed to be a Kshatriya, that is, a member of the warrior class.{{sfn|R. K. Mookerji|1966|p=14}}

The [[Puranas]] name the dynasty's founder as [[Mahapadma Nanda|Mahapadma]], and claim that he was the son of the [[Shaishunaga dynasty|Shaishunaga]] king [[Mahanandin]]. However, even these texts hint at the low birth of the Nandas, when they state that Mahapadma's mother belonged to the [[Shudra]] class, the lowest of the [[varna in Hinduism|varnas]].{{sfn|Dilip Kumar Ganguly|1984|p=20}}{{sfn|Singh|2008|p=273}}

Since the claim of the barber ancestry of the dynasty's founder is attested by two different traditions—Greco-Roman and Jain, it appears to be more reliable than the Puranic claim of Shaishunaga ancestry.{{sfn|Dilip Kumar Ganguly|1984|p=23}}

The Buddhist tradition calls the Nandas "of unknown lineage" (''annata-kula''). According to ''[[Mahavamsa]]'', the dynasty's founder was Ugrasena, who was originally "a man of the frontier": he fell into the hands of a gang of robbers, and later became their leader.{{sfn|Singh|2008|p=272}} He later ousted the sons of the Shaishunaga king [[Kalashoka]] (or Kakavarna).{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=14}}

[[K. N. Panikkar]] suggested that the Nandas were the sole Kshatriyas in India "at the time of the Mauryas" and [[M. N. Srinivas]] suggested that the "other Kshatriya castes have come into existence through a process of caste mobility from among the lower castes".<ref>{{cite journal |journal=Sociological Bulletin |volume=51 |number=2 |date=September 2002 |pages=175–194 |publisher=[[Indian Sociological Society]] |editor-first=N. |editor-last=Jayaram |title=Religion, Caste, and Communalism in Punjab |first=Paramjit S. |last=Judge |doi=10.1177/0038022920020202 |jstor=23619969|s2cid=147989946}}</ref>{{rp|177}}

==Regnal period==
There is little unanimity among the ancient sources regarding the total duration of the Nanda reign or their regnal period.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=23}} For example, the ''[[Matsya Purana]]'' assigns 88 years to the rule of the first Nanda king alone,{{sfn|Dilip Kumar Ganguly|1984|p=23}} while some manuscripts of the ''[[Vayu Purana]]'' state the total duration of the Nanda rule as 40 years. The 16th century Buddhist scholar [[Taranatha]] assigns 29 years to the Nandas.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|pp=22–23}}

It is difficult to assign precise date for the Nanda and other early dynasties of Magadha.{{sfn|Singh|2008|p=273}} Historians [[Irfan Habib]] and Vivekanand Jha date the Nanda rule from {{Circa|344}}–322 BCE, relying on the Sri Lankan Buddhist tradition which states that the Nandas ruled for 22 years.{{sfn|Irfan Habib|Vivekanand Jha|2004|p=13}} Historian [[Upinder Singh]] dates the Nanda rule from 364/345 BCE to 324 BCE, based on the assumption that [[Gautama Buddha]] died in {{Circa|486 BCE}}.{{sfn|Singh|2008|p=273}}

According to another theory, based on astronomical calculations, the first Nanda king ascended the throne in 424 BCE. Proponents of this theory also interpret the [[Hathigumpha inscription]] to mean that "Nandaraja" (the Nanda king) flourished in year 103 of the [[Vira Nirvana Samvat|Mahavira Era]], that is, in 424 BCE.{{sfn|Jyoti Prasad Jain|2005|p=25}}

The 14th century Jain writer [[Merutunga]], in his ''Vichara-shreni'', states that king Chandra [[Pradyota dynasty|Pradyota]] of [[Avanti (Ancient India)|Avanti]] died on the same night as the Jain leader [[Mahavira]]. He was succeeded by his son Palaka, who ruled for 60 years. After that, the Nandas rose to power at [[Pataliputra]] and captured the Avanti capital [[Ujjayini]]. The Nanda rule, spanning the reigns of nine kings, lasted for 155 years, after which the Mauryas came to power. According to the [[Śvetāmbara]] Jain tradition, Mahavira died in 527 BCE, which would mean that the Nanda rule—according to Merutunga's writings—lasted from 467 BCE to 312 BCE. According to historian [[R. C. Majumdar]], while all the chronological details provided by Merutunga cannot be accepted without corroborative evidence, they cannot be dismissed as entirely unreliable unless contradicted by more reliable sources.{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1976|pp=59–60}}

==Nanda kings==
The Buddhist, Jain, and Puranic traditions all state that there were 9 Nanda kings,{{sfn|Singh|2008|p=272}} but the sources differ considerably on the names of these kings.{{sfn|Irfan Habib|Vivekanand Jha|2004|p=13}}

According to the Greco-Roman accounts, the Nanda rule spanned two generations.{{sfn|Irfan Habib|Vivekanand Jha|2004|p=12}} For example, the Roman historian [[Quintus Curtius Rufus|Curtius]] (1st century CE) suggests that the dynasty's founder was a barber-turned-king, and that his son was the dynasty's last king, who was overthrown by Chandragupta.{{sfn|R. K. Mookerji|1966|p=5}} The Greek accounts name only one Nanda king—Agrammes or Xandrames—who was a contemporary of Alexander. "Agrammes" may be a Greek transcription of the Sanskrit word "Augrasainya" (literally "son or descendant of Ugrasena", Ugrasena being the name of the dynasty's founder according to the Buddhist tradition).{{sfn|Irfan Habib|Vivekanand Jha|2004|p=13}}{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=14}}

The [[Puranas]], compiled in India in {{Circa|4th century CE}} (but based on earlier sources), also state that the Nandas ruled for two generations.{{sfn|Irfan Habib|Vivekanand Jha|2004|p=12}} According to the Puranic tradition, the dynasty's founder was Mahapadma: the ''[[Matsya Purana]]'' assigns him an incredibly long reign of 88 years, while the ''[[Vayu Purana]]'' mentions the length of his reign as only 28 years.{{sfn|Dilip Kumar Ganguly|1984|p=23}} The Puranas further state that Mahapadma's 8 sons ruled in succession after him for a total of 12 years, but name only one of these sons: Sukalpa.{{sfn|Dilip Kumar Ganguly|1984|p=20}} A ''Vayu Purana'' script names him as "Sahalya", which apparently corresponds to the "Sahalin" mentioned in the Buddhist text ''[[Divyavadana]]''.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=23}} [[Dhundhiraja of Svamimalai|Dhundhi-raja]], an 18th-century [[Puranas|Puranic]] commentator, names one of the Nanda kings as Sarvatha-siddhi, and states that his son was Maurya, whose son was Chandragupta Maurya.{{sfn|Singh|2008|p=273}} However, the Puranas themselves do not talk of any relation between the Nanda and the Maurya dynasties.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=140}}

According to the Sri Lankan Buddhist text ''Mahavamsa'', written in [[Pali language]], there were 9 Nanda kings – they were brothers who ruled in succession, for a total of 22 years.{{sfn|Irfan Habib|Vivekanand Jha|2004|p=13}} These nine kings were:{{sfn|Singh|2008|p=273}}{{sfn|Irfan Habib|Vivekanand Jha|2004|p=13}}

{{columns-list|colwidth=20em|
# [[Mahapadma Nanda|Ugra-sena]] (Uggasena in Pali)
# Panduka
# Pandugati
# Bhuta-pala
# Rashtra-pala
# Govishanaka
# Dasha-siddhaka
# Kaivarta
# [[Dhana Nanda|Dhana]]
}}

==Imperial extent==
[[File:Magadha Expansion 1.gif|thumb|400px|An estimate of the territorial evolution of the [[Magadha]] empires, including during the rule of predecessors and successors of the Nandas<ref> Mookerji, Radhakumud. Chandragupta Maurya and his times. Motilal Banarsidass Publ., 1966. p165-166 </ref>]]

The Nanda capital was located at [[Pataliputra]] (near present-day [[Patna]]) in the [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]] region of eastern India. This is confirmed by the Buddhist and Jain traditions, as well as the Sanskrit play ''[[Mudrarakshasa]]''. The Puranas also connect the Nandas to the [[Shaishunaga dynasty]], which ruled in the Magadha region. The Greek accounts state that Agrammes (identified as a Nanda king) was the ruler of the [[Gangaridai]] (the [[Ganges River|Ganges]] valley) and the Prasii (probably a transcription of the Sanskrit word ''prachya''s, literally "easterners"). According to the later writer [[Megasthenes]] ({{Circa|300 BCE}}), Pataliputra (Greek: Palibothra) was located in the country of the Prasii, which further confirms that Pataliputra was the Nanda capital.{{sfn|Irfan Habib|Vivekanand Jha|2004|p=13}}

The Nanda empire appears to have stretched from present-day [[Punjab]] in the west to [[Odisha]] in the east.{{sfn|Bronkhorst|2011|p=12}} An analysis of various historical sources – including the ancient Greek accounts, the [[Puranas]], and the [[Hathigumpha inscription]] – suggests that the Nandas controlled eastern India, the [[Ganges River|Ganges]] valley, and at least a part of [[Kalinga (historical region)|Kalinga]].{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|pp=17–20}} It is also highly probable that they controlled the [[Avanti (India)|Avanti]] region in Central India, which made it possible for their successor [[Chandragupta Maurya]] to conquer present-day [[Gujarat]] western India.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|pp=19–20}} According to the Jain tradition, the Nanda minister subjugated the entire country up to the coastal areas.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=17}}

The Puranas state that the Nanda king Mahapadma destroyed the [[Kshatriya]]s, and attained undisputed sovereignty.{{sfn|Dilip Kumar Ganguly|1984|pp=19–20}} The [[Kshatriya]]s said to have been exterminated by him include [[Mithila (region)|Maithalas]], [[Kingdom of Kashi|Kasheyas]], [[Pasenadi|Ikshvakus]], [[Panchala]]s, [[Shurasena]]s, [[Kuru Kingdom|Kurus]], [[Heheya Kingdom|Haihayas]], [[Vitihotras]], [[Kalinga (historical kingdom)|Kalinga]]s, and [[Ashmaka]]s.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=17}}

* The Maithala (literally, "of [[Mithilā (ancient city)|Mithilā]]") territory was located to the north of Magadha, on the border of present-day Nepal and northern [[Bihar]]. This region had come under the control of Magadha during the reign of the 5th century BCE king [[Ajatashatru]]. The Nandas probably subjugated the local chieftains, who may have retained some degree of independence from Magadha.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=19}}
* The Kasheyas were the residents of the area around Kashi, that is, present-day [[Varanasi]]. According to the Puranas, a Shaishunaga prince was appointed to govern Kashi, which suggests that this region was under Shaishunaga control. The Nandas may have captured it from a successor of the Shaishunaga prince.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=17}}
* The Ikshvakus ruled the historical Kosala region of present-day [[Uttar Pradesh]], and had come into conflict with the Magadha kingdom during the reign of Ajatashatru. Their history after the reign of [[Virudhaka]] is obscure. A passage of the 11th century story-collection ''[[Kathasaritsagara]]'' refers to the Nanda camp (''kataka'') in the [[Ayodhya]] town of the Kosala region. This suggests that the Nanda king went on a military campaign to Kosala.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=17}}
* The Panchalas occupied the Ganges valley to the north-west of the Kosala region, and there are no records of their conflict with the Magadha monarchs before the Nanda period. Therefore, it appears that the Nandas subjugated them.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=17}} According to the Greek accounts, Alexander expected to face king Agrammes (identified as a Nanda king) if he advanced eastwards from the [[Punjab region]]. This suggests that the Nanda territory extended up to the Ganges river in the present-day western [[Uttar Pradesh]].{{sfn|Irfan Habib|Vivekanand Jha|2004|p=13}}
* The Shurasenas ruled the area around [[Mathura]]. The Greek accounts suggest that they were subordinates to the king of the Prasii, that is, the Nanda king.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=19}}
* The Kuru territory, which included the sacred site of [[Kurukshetra]], was located to the west of the Panchala territory.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|pp=18–19}} The Greek records suggest that the king of Gangaridai and Prasii controlled this region, which may be taken as corrorobrative evidence for the Nanda conquest of the Kuru territory.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=19}}
* The Haihayas ruled the [[Narmada River|Narmada]] valley in central India, with their capital at [[Mahishmati]].{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|pp=17–18}} The Nanda control over this territory does not seem improbable, given that their predecessors – the Shaishunagas – are said to have subjugated the rulers of Avanti in central India (according to the Puranas), and their successors – the Mauryas – are known to have ruled over Central India.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=18}}
* The Vitihotras, according to the Puranas, were closely associated with the Haihayas. Their sovereignty is said to have ended before the rise of the [[Pradyota dynasty]] in Avanti, far earlier than the Nandas and the Shaishunagas came to power. However, a passage in the ''Bhavishyanukirtana'' of the Puranas suggests that the Vitihotras were contemporaries of the Shaishunagas. It is possible that the Shaishunagas restored a Pradyota prince as a subordinate ruler, after defeating the Pradyotas. The Nandas may have defeated this Vitihotra ruler.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=19}} The Jain writers describe the Nandas as the successors of Palaka, the son of king [[Pradyota]].{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=20}}
* The Kalingas occupied the coastal territory in present-day [[Odisha]] and [[Andhra Pradesh]].{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=18}} The Nanda control of this region is corroborated by the [[Hathigumpha inscription]] of the later king [[Kharavela]] ({{Circa|1st or 2nd century BCE}}).{{sfn|Irfan Habib|Vivekanand Jha|2004|p=13}} The inscription states that "Nanda-raja" (the Nanda king) had excavated a canal in Kalinga, and had taken a Jain idol from Kalinga.{{sfn|Singh|2008|p=273}} According to the inscription, this canal had been dug "''ti-vasa-sata''" years ago: the term is variously interpreted as "three hundred" or "one hundred and three".{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=13}}
* The Ashmakas occupied the [[Godavari River|Godavari]] valley in the [[Deccan]] region.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=18}} According to one theory, [[Nanded]] in this region was originally called "Nau Nand Dehra" (abode of the nine Nandas), which may be considered as evidence of the Nanda control of this area. However, there is no concrete evidence that the Nanda rule extended to the south of the [[Vindhya range]].{{sfn|Singh|2008|p=273}}{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=18}}

The [[Amaravati|Amaravathi]] hoard of [[Punch-marked coins|Punch marked coins]] have revealed imperial standard coins dating back to the Nandas besides other dynasties of Magadha, including the Mauryas; but it is not certain when this region was annexed by the Magadhan rulers.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Bernholz|first1=Peter|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KFglBAAAQBAJ&q=andhra+punched+mark+pre+mauryan+coin&pg=PA61|title=Explaining Monetary and Financial Innovation: A Historical Analysis|last2=Vaubel|first2=Roland|date=26 June 2014|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-3-319-06109-2|language=en|pages=61–62}}</ref>

Some [[Kuntala country]] (North Mysore) inscriptions suggest that the Nandas also ruled it, which included a part of present-day [[Karnataka]] in southern India. However, these inscriptions are relatively late ({{Circa|1200 CE}}), and therefore, cannot be considered as reliable in this context. The Magadha empire included parts of southern India during the reign of the Mauryas – the successors of the Nandas – but there is no satisfactory account of how they came to control this area.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=20}} For example, an inscription discovered at Bandanikke states:

{{cquote|the [[Kuntala country]] (which included the north-western parts of Mysore and the southern parts of the Bombay Presidency) was ruled by the nava-Nanda, [[Gupta Empire|Gupta-kula]], [[Maurya Empire|Mauryya kings]]; then the [[Rashtrakuta dynasty|Rattas]] ruled it : after whom were the [[Chalukya dynasty|Chalukyas]]; then the [[Kalachuris of Kalyani|Kalachuryya family]]; and after them the ([[Hoysala Empire|Hoysala]]) Ballalas.|Bandanikke inscription<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.107941/page/n17/mode/1up/search/nava-nanda|title=Annual Report Of Mysore 1886 To 1903|page=1}}</ref>}}

==Military strength==
[[Alexander the Great]] [[Indian campaign of Alexander the Great|invaded north-western India]] at the time of Agrammes or Xandrames,{{sfn|Irfan Habib|Vivekanand Jha|2004|p=13}} whom modern historians generally identify as the last Nanda king – [[Dhana Nanda]].{{sfn|Dilip Kumar Ganguly|1984|p=36}} In the summer of 326 BCE, Alexander's army reached the [[Beas River]] (Greek: Hyphasis), beyond which the Nanda territory was located.{{sfn|Ian Worthington|2014|p=252}}

According to Curtius, Alexander learned that Agrammes had 200,000 infantry; 20,000 cavalry; 3,000 [[war elephant|elephants]]; and 2,000 four-horse chariots.{{sfn|Irfan Habib|Vivekanand Jha|2004|p=13}}{{sfn|Singh|2008|p=273}} Diodorus gives the number of elephants as 4,000.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=15}} [[Plutarch]] inflates these numbers significantly, except the infantry:{{sfn|Irfan Habib|Vivekanand Jha|2004|p=14}} according to him, the Nanda force included 200,000 infantry; 80,000 cavalry; 6,000 elephants; and 8,000 chariots.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=16}} It is possible that the numbers reported to Alexander had been exaggerated by the local Indian population, who had the incentive to mislead the invaders.{{sfn|Ian Worthington|2014|p=252}}

The Nanda army did not have the opportunity to face Alexander, whose soldiers mutinied at the Beas River, refusing to go any further in the east. Alexander's soldiers had first started to agitate to return to their homeland at [[Hecatompylos]] in 330 BCE, and the stiff resistance that they had met in north-western India in the subsequent years had demoralised them. They mutinied, when faced with the prospect of facing the Nanda army, forcing Alexander to withdraw from India.{{sfn|Ian Worthington|2014|pp=251–253}}

[[Greece|Greek]] authors also refer to the [[Gangaridae]] and Prasioi as having a fine military tradition, suggesting the fact that during [[Alexander]] the Great's invasion of India in the late 4th century BCE, the country was under the rule of two factions. The two factions may have been a confederacy, or one may have overshadowed the other. The king referred to by [[Diodorus]] as [[Xandrames]] or [[Agrammes]] is thought to have been a Nanda king, and this would suggest that the Nandas were in control of this vast country to the east, including the land of the Gangaridae.{{sfn|Mackenzie|2016|p=1–4}}

==Administration==
Little information survives on the Nanda administration today.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=21}} The Puranas describe the Nanda king as ''ekarat'' ("single ruler"), which suggests that the Nanda empire was an integrated monarchy rather than a group of virtually independent feudal states.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=11}} However, the Greek accounts suggest the presence of a more federated system of governance. For example, [[Arrian]] mentions that the land beyond the Beas River was governed by "the aristocracy, who exercised their authority with justice and moderation." The Greek accounts mention the [[Gangaridai]] and the Prasii separately, although suggesting that these two were ruled by a common sovereign. Historian [[H. C. Raychaudhuri]] theorises that the Nandas held centralised control over their core territories in present-day Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, but allowed considerable autonomy in the frontier parts of their empire.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=21}} This is suggested by Buddhist legends, which state Chandragupta was unable to defeat the Nandas when he attacked their capital but was successful against them when he gradually conquered the frontier regions of their empire.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|pp=21–22}}

The Nanda kings appear to have strengthened the Magadha kingdom ruled by their Haryanka and Shaishunaga predecessors, creating the first great empire of northern India in the process. Historians have put forward various theories to explain the political success of these dynasties of Magadha. Pataliputra, the capital of Magadha, was naturally protected because of its location at the junction of the Ganges and the Son rivers. The Ganges and its tributaries connected the kingdom with important trade routes. It had fertile soil and access to [[lumber]] and elephants of the adjacent areas. Some historians have suggested that Magadha was relatively free from the [[Brahmanism|Brahmanical]] orthodoxy, which may have played a role in its political success; however, it is difficult to assess the veracity of this claim. [[Damodar Dharmananda Kosambi|D. D. Kosambi]] theorised that Magadha's monopoly over iron ore mines played a major role in its imperial expansion, but historian [[Upinder Singh]] has disputed this theory, pointing out that Magadha did not have a monopoly over these mines, and the iron mining in the historical Magadha region started much later. Singh, however, notes that the adjoining [[Chota Nagpur Plateau]] was rich in many minerals and other raw materials, and access to these would have been an asset for Magadha.{{sfn|Singh|2008|p=273}}

===Ministers and scholars===
According to the Jain tradition, Kalpaka was the minister of the first Nanda king. He became a minister reluctantly, but after assuming the office, he encouraged the king to adopt an aggressive expansionist policy. The Jain texts suggest that the ministerial offices of the Nanda Empire were hereditary. For example, after the death of Shakatala, a minister of the last Nanda king, his position was offered to his son Sthulabhadra; when Sthulabhadra refused the offer, Shakatala's second son Shriyaka was appointed as the minister.{{sfn|Singh|2008|p=273}}

The ''[[Brihatkatha]]'' tradition claims that under the Nanda rule, the city of Pataliputra not only became the abode of the goddess of material prosperity ([[Lakshmi]]), but also of the goddess of learning ([[Sarasvati]]). According to this tradition, notable grammarians such as Varsha, Upavarsha, [[Pāṇini|Panini]], [[Katyayana]], [[Vararuchi]], and Vyadi lived during the Nanda period.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=25}} While much of this account is unreliable folklore, it is probable that some of the grammarians who preceded [[Patanjali]] lived during the Nanda period.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|pp=25–26}}

===Wealth===
[[File:I12 1karshapana Maghada 1ar (8482307176).jpg|thumb|A silver coin of 1 [[karshapana]] of the Magadha Empire (ca 600–32 BCE), King Mahapadma Nanda or his sons (ca 346–321 BCE) '''Obv:''' different symbols '''Rev:''' different symbols including an elephant. '''Dimensions:''' 17 mm '''Weight:''' 2.5 g.]]

Several historical sources refer to the great wealth of the Nandas. According to the ''[[Mahavamsa]]'', the last Nanda king was a treasure-[[compulsive hoarding|hoarder]], and amassed wealth worth 80 ''[[crore|kotis]]'' (800 million). He buried these treasures in the bed of the Ganges river. He acquired further wealth by levying taxes on all sorts of objects, including skins, gums, trees, and stones.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=24}}

A verse by the [[Tamil language|Tamil]] poet [[Mamulanar]] refers to "the untold wealth of the Nandas", which was "swept away and submerged later on by the floods of the Ganges".{{sfn|R. K. Mookerji|1966|p=42}} Another interpretation of this verse states this wealth was hidden in the waters of the Ganges. The 7th-century Chinese traveller [[Xuanzang]] mentions the "five treasures of king Nanda's seven precious substances".{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=24}}

Greek writer [[Xenophon]], in his ''[[Cyropaedia]]'' (4th century BCE), mentions that the king of India was very wealthy, and aspired to arbitrate in the disputes between the kingdoms of West Asia. Although Xenophon's book describes the events of the 6th century BCE (the period of [[Cyrus the Great]]), historian [[H. C. Raychaudhuri]] speculates that the writer's image of the Indian king may be based on the contemporary Nanda king.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=12}}

The ''Kashika'', a commentary on Panini's grammar, mentions ''Nandopakramani manani'' – a measuring standard introduced by the Nandas. This may be a reference to their introduction of a new currency system and [[punch-marked coins]], which may have been responsible for much of their wealth. A hoard of coins found at the site of ancient [[Pataliputra]] probably belongs to the Nanda period.{{sfn|R. K. Mookerji|1966|p=215}}

==Religion==
{{See also|Greater Magadha}}
{{single source|date=January 2025}}
According to Bronkhorst, the Nandas and the Mauryas appear to have patronised the religions originating in the [[Greater Magadha]] region, namely Jainism and [[Ajivika|Ajivikism]].{{sfn|Bronkhorst|2011|p=12}} However, the rulers of the empire never engaged in conversion of their subjects to other religions{{sfn|Bronkhorst|2011|p=12}} and there is no evidence that these rulers discriminated against any contemporary religion.{{sfn|Bronkhorst|2011|p=17}} [[Greater Magadha]], east of the confluence of the Ganges and the Yamuna, was the area where the second urbanisation took place, and where Jainism and Buddhism originated.{{sfn|Bronkhorst|2007|p=3-4}} According to Bronkhorst, it was outside [[Aryavarta]], the heartland of [[Brahmanism|Vedic Brahmanism]] west of the this confuence,{{sfn|Bronkhorst|2007|p=3}} primarily associated with a single state, the [[Kuru kingdom]].{{sfn|Bronkhorst|2011|p=31}} According to Bronkhorst, the Nanda emperors, and later the Mauryan emperors, had little interest in Brahmanism,{{sfn|Bronkhorst|2011|p=5}} and the conquest of the Vedic heartland by the Nanda and Maurya rule deprived the Brahmins of their patrons, threatening the survival of the Vedic ritual tradition,{{sfn|Bronkhorst|2011|pp=32-33}} and creating opportunities for Buddhists and Jains to spread their religion outside the confines of Magadha.{{sfn|Bronkhorst|2011|p=23}} The much later Jain legends suggests that several Nanda ministers were inclined towards Jainism. When Shakatala, a minister of the last Nanda king, died, his son Sthulabhadra refused to inherit his father's office, and instead became a [[Jain monk]]. Sthulabhadra's brother Shriyaka accepted the post.{{sfn|Singh|2008|p=273}}

However, several other Indologists and scholars have questioned Johannes Bronkhorst's claim of a sharp cultural divide between east and west, the supposed lesser influence of Brahmanisation in early Magadha, and his proposed revision of textual chronology, while also criticizing him for overlooking the role of socioeconomic and political developments in shaping new ideological trends.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Norelius |first=Per-Johan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tOr7EAAAQBAJ&pg=PA459 |title=Soul and Self in Vedic India |date=2023-06-19 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-54600-4 |pages=459 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Wynne on Bronkhorst, 'Greater Magadha: Studies in the Culture of Early India' {{!}} H-Net |url=https://networks.h-net.org/node/6060/reviews/16094/wynne-bronkhorst-greater-magadha-studies-culture-early-india |access-date=2024-07-03 |website=networks.h-net.org}}</ref>

According to [[Patrick Olivelle]], those who see Sramana seers of Magadha as non-Brahmanical, anti-Brahmanical, or even non-Aryan precursors of later sectarian ascetics are drawing conclusions that far outstrip the available evidence.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Olivelle |first=Patrick |year=1993 |title=The Aśrama System: The History and Hermeneutics of a Religious Institution |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-534478-3 |url=https://archive.org/details/asramasystemhist00oliv |url-access=limited |via=Archive.org }}</ref>

==Architecture==
{{Multiple image
| align =
| direction =
| total_width = 400
| image1 =
| alt1 =
| caption1 = Nanda-period voussoir with Mauryan polish
| image2 =
| caption2 = Mason's marks of archaic [[Brahmi script|Brahmi]]
}}
'''Pataliputra Voussoir Arch'''

A granite stone fragment of an arch discovered by [[K. P. Jayaswal]] from [[Kumhrar]], Pataliputra has been analysed as a pre Maurya-Nanda period keystone fragment of a trefoil arch of gateway with mason's marks of three archaic Brahmi letters inscribed on it which probably decorated a [[Torana]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.20579|title=Proceedinds And Transactions Of The Second Oriental Conference (1923)|last=The Calcutta University|date=1923}}{{pn|date=October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.35494|title=Annual Report Of The Archaeological Survey Of India 1921–22|last=Spooner|first=Brainerd|date=1924}}{{pn|date=October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.41145|title=Memoirs of the archaeological survey of India no.30|last=Chandra|first=Ramaprasad|date=1927}}{{pn|date=October 2023}}</ref> The wedge-shaped stone with indentation has [[Mauryan polish]] on two sides and was suspended vertically.

==Nanda era==
According to [[K. P. Jayaswal|K. P Jayaswal]], Nanda era is mentioned in three sources. Kharavela's [[Hathigumpha inscription]] mentions Nandaraja constructing canal 103rd year of the Nanda period.<ref name=ei20p71>{{cite book |author1=K P Jayaswal |author2=R D Banerji |title=Epigraphia Indica Volume XX |year=1920 |url=https://archive.org/details/epigrahiaindicav014769mbp |publisher=Archaeological Survey of India |pages=71–72}}, {{PD-notice}}</ref>  According to [[Al-Biruni]], the Sri-Harsha era was being used in areas of [[Kannauj]] and [[Mathura]] and there was a difference of 400 years between Sri-Harsha era and Vikrama era which would make it fall in 458 BCE, the attributes of which matched with the Nanda kings. According to 12th century Yedarava inscription of Chalukya king [[Vikramaditya VI]], Nanda era along with [[Vikram Samvat|Vikram era]] and [[Shaka era]] were extant which were abolished in favour of a new Chalukyan era, but other scholars have opined that evidences are too meager to make anything conclusive.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.103481|title=Old Brahmi Inscriptions In The Udayagiri And Khandagiri Caves|last=Barua|first=Benimadhab|date=1929}}{{pn|date=October 2023}}</ref>

==Unpopularity and overthrow==
All historical accounts agree that the last Nanda king was unpopular among his subjects. According to Diodorus, [[Porus the Elder|Porus]] told Alexander that the contemporary Nanda king was a man of "worthless character", and was not respected by his subjects as he was thought to be of low origin. Curtius also states that according to Porus, the Nanda king was despised by his subjects.{{sfn|R. K. Mookerji|1966|p=5}} According to [[Plutarch]], who claims that Androkottos (identified as Chandragupta) met Alexander, Androkottos later declared that Alexander could have easily conquered the Nanda territory (Gangaridai and Prasii) because the Nanda king was hated and despised by his subjects, as he was wicked and of low origin.{{sfn|R. K. Mookerji|1966|pp=5–6}} The Sri Lankan Buddhist tradition blames the Nandas for being greedy and for imposing oppressive taxation.{{sfn|Irfan Habib|Vivekanand Jha|2004|p=14}} The Puranas of India label the Nandas as ''adharmika'', indicating that they did not follow the norms of ''[[dharma]]'' or righteous conduct.{{sfn|Singh|2008|p=272}}

The Nanda dynasty was [[Conquest of the Nanda Empire|overthrown]] by [[Chandragupta Maurya]], who was supported by his mentor (and later minister) [[Chanakya]]. Some accounts mention Chandragupta as a member of the Nanda family. For example, the 11th century writers [[Kshemendra]] and [[Somadeva]] describe Chandragupta as a "son of the genuine Nanda" (''purva-Nanda-suta''). Dhundiraja, in his commentary on the ''[[Vishnu Purana]]'', names Chandragupta's father as Maurya; he describes Maurya as a son of the Nanda king Sarvatha-siddhi and a hunter's daughter named Mura.{{sfn|Singh|2008|p=273}}

The Buddhist text ''[[Milinda Panha]]'' mentions a war between the Nanda general Bhaddasala (Sanskrit:Bhadrashala) and Chandragupta. According to the text, this war led to the slaughter of 10,000 elephants; 100,000 horses; 5,000 charioteers; and a billion foot soldiers. While this is obviously an exaggeration, it suggests that the overthrow of the Nanda dynasty was a violent affair.{{sfn|H. C. Raychaudhuri|1988|p=25}}

{{see also|Conquest of the Nanda Empire}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

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{{refend}}

{{Middle kingdoms of India}}
{{Empires}}
{{Bihar}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Nanda Empire| ]]
[[Category:Magadha]]
[[Category:Kingdoms of Bihar]]
[[Category:Dynasties of Bengal]]
[[Category:4th-century BC establishments in India]]
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[[Category:History of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Former empires]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in the 4th century BC]]