Category History

 

          Bimbisara was a king of Magadha. His capital was at Rajgir. Bimbisara became king at the age of fifteen, and reigned for fifty-two years, until his kingdom was taken over by his son Ajatashatru. It is said that he had 500 wives, although we know about only four of them!

          Bimbisara’s expansion of his kingdom, especially his annexation of the kingdom of Anga to the east, is considered to have laid the foundation for the later expansion of the Mauryan Empire. He is also known for his cultural achievements, and was a great friend and protector of the Buddha. The king’s support greatly helped the growth of Buddhism in India.

          Legends tell us that Bimbisara’s son Ajatashatru, who imprisoned the king, is said to have starved him to death.

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          Prehistoric ‘Megalithic’ or large stone graves are found in great numbers in south India, especially in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. As you know, the pyramids are massive monuments built over a tomb that contained all the objects which would be useful for a dead person in his afterlife.

          Similarly, megaliths were large stone constructions built over a tomb. Rectangular chambers made of large stone slabs are very common. They also contained jewellery, axes, arrowheads and household articles for the afterlife. In this respect, they are similar to the pyramids of Egypt. There were also urn burials, in which the bones of the dead person were put in a pot or urn and then buried in a pit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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       The ‘Mahajanapadas’ or great states, were the many new states that existed in the 6th century BC in the northern part of India. They came into being when people started settling in one place, in groups. They usually settled in a fertile area, and wanted to defend their land, crops and houses from other people. So, these states had their own armies, and were ruled by kings, or ruling councils.

       The Mahajanapadas were 16 in number. Anga, Kashi, Kosala, Chedi, Vatsa, Matsya, Surasena, Asmaka, Avanti, Gandhar and Magadha were ruled by kings or monarchs. The kings in these states had supreme authority.

       The Mahajanapadas of Vajji, Malla, Kuru, Panchal and Kamboj were republican states, and so were other smaller states like Lichhavi, Shakya, Koliya, Bhagga, and Moriya. These republican states had a ‘Ganaparishad’ or an assembly of senior and responsible citizens. It had the supreme authority in the state. All the administrative decisions were taken by the assembly. Of all these, Kosala, Vatsa, Avanti and Magadha were the most important ones.

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       There were many strange and elaborate rituals and sacrifices in Ancient India. In the later Vedic period, that is, between 1000 and 600 BC, kings performed the Ashvamedha Yagna, or horse sacrifice. It was one of the most important royal rituals of the Vedic religion. Only a king could conduct the Ashvamedha.

       Its purpose was to acquire power and glory, to establish sovereignty over neighbouring provinces, and to ensure general prosperity for a kingdom. A pure white horse was marked with a victory card and allowed to roam about freely. If anyone stopped the horse, the king had to go and defeat him in battle, and bring back the horse. The horse was then sacrificed along with many other animals.

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       There will be hardly anyone who has not heard of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata in India. These two great epics are studied in every nook and corner of the country. They were written in Sanskrit, and were then translated into various languages.

       The Ramayana was written by the Sage Valmiki. The Mahabharata was written by Veda Vyasa. The Mahabharata is much more than an epic; it is a magnificent piece of literature, which, for thousands of years, has been a part of India’s culture. A sweeping tale of the feud between two families, it is the mother of all epics. It spans hundreds of years and deals with a wide range of topics. In fact, its introduction says, “What is found here may be found elsewhere. What is not found here will not be found elsewhere.”

       The Ramayana was originally written in the Sanskrit language. Later on, it was translated into other languages in different versions. The main story of the Ramayana is about Lord Rama. Rama was born in a royal family and was supposed to be the king, but because of his step mother, he was exiled from his kingdom for fourteen years. During this period, his wife Sita was kidnapped by a demon called Ravana, who was the king of Lanka. Rama, with the help of his brother, Lakshman, and an army of monkeys under the leadership of Hanuman, rescued Sita. However, the Ramayana is about not only Lord Rama and his attempt to rescue his wife Sita, but also about devotion, loyalty, family roles and respect to elders. These great epics are the backbone of our great Indian tradition and culture. They have a very great influence on Indian heritage. They convey deep-rooted messages, which have had great impact on Indian society. The essence of these epics is Dharma, righteousness, good conduct, fearlessness, duty and dedication.

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       The Upanishads are sometimes called ‘Vedanta’, which means ‘the end of the Vedas.’ They are part of the Vedas, which primarily discuss meditation and philosophy, and are seen as religious instructions by most schools of Hinduism.

       Studying the Upanishads is like sitting down near a spiritual teacher in order to receive instruction. They are not concerned with gods, worship or sacrifice. Instead, they try to explain the world and the cycle of life and death. The Upanishads were written around 600 BC, and are about 200 in number.

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