Magadha

Mahajanapada Level 2 ★ Major power

c. 700–321 BCE

The Mahajanapada that absorbed its rivals and became the base of the Mauryan Empire.

🗺 See on map in 344 BCE

Capital: Rajagriha, later Pataliputra
Region: East
Duration: 379 years
Main period: Mahajanapadas

Changing extent

c. 700 BCE — ≈ 30,000 km²
c. 540 BCE — ≈ 50,000 km²: Anga annexed
c. 460 BCE — ≈ 190,000 km²: Kosala, Kashi and the Vajji confederacy absorbed
c. 345 BCE — ≈ 660,000 km²: Nanda empire: the Ganga plain from the Beas to Bengal

Approximate extent over time (solid = latest, dashed = earlier).

At a glance

Move along the chart to read any year; click a ruler or event to open the map there.

Dynasties

Haryanka Dynasty Shishunaga Dynasty Nanda Dynasty

Rulers

Bimbisara Ajatashatru Udayin Shishunaga Kalashoka Mahapadma Nanda Dhana Nanda

Events

Extent

700 BCE600 BCE500 BCE400 BCE321 BCE

Dynasties

Dynasty	Period	Notes
Haryanka Dynasty	c. 544–413 BCE	Dynasty of Bimbisara and Ajatashatru.
Shishunaga Dynasty	c. 413–345 BCE	Conquered Avanti; Kalashoka's reign saw the Second Buddhist Council.
Nanda Dynasty	c. 345–321 BCE	Rich, powerful dynasty overthrown by Chandragupta Maurya.

Rulers

Haryanka Dynasty 544–413 BCE

Bimbisara King
Annexed Anga; patron of the Buddha.
c. 544–492 BCE
Ajatashatru King
Defeated the Vajji confederacy; built Pataligrama fort.
c. 492–460 BCE
Udayin King
Founded Pataliputra as capital.
c. 460–444 BCE

Shishunaga Dynasty 413–345 BCE

Shishunaga King
Conquered Avanti.
c. 413–395 BCE
Kalashoka King
Second Buddhist Council at Vaishali.
c. 395–367 BCE

Nanda Dynasty 345–321 BCE

Mahapadma Nanda King
Called 'destroyer of all Kshatriyas' in the Puranas.
c. 345–329 BCE
Dhana Nanda King
Last Nanda, overthrown by Chandragupta.
c. 329–321 BCE

Selected rulers; gaps in the list are not gaps in the dynasty.

Key events

Year	Event	Place
c. 540 BCE	Bimbisara annexes Anga The first step in Magadha's expansion.	Champa
c. 492 BCE	Ajatashatru becomes king of Magadha	Rajagriha
c. 483 BCE	First Buddhist Council at Rajagriha	Rajgir
c. 468 BCE	Ajatashatru defeats the Vajji confederacy	Vaishali
c. 460 BCE	Pataliputra becomes Magadha's capital	Pataliputra
c. 413 BCE	Shishunaga dynasty replaces the Haryankas Shishunaga later annexed Avanti.	Magadha
c. 383 BCE	Second Buddhist Council at Vaishali	Vaishali
c. 345 BCE	Mahapadma Nanda founds the Nanda dynasty	Pataliputra

Sites & monuments

Pataliputra

Capital / fort · c. 490 BCE

Capital of Magadha, the Mauryas and the Guptas.

📚 Recommended reading on the Magadha

Textbook

Our Pasts I, II & III (Classes 6–8)

NCERT · NCERT

The simplest possible start: short, illustrated and the base of countless exam questions.

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Textbook

Themes in Indian History, Parts I–III (Class 12)

NCERT · NCERT

Source-based chapters on Harappa, Vijayanagara, the Mughal court and 1857 — essential for UPSC.

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An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I (Class 11)

NCERT · NCERT

The standard base for art and architecture questions — stupas, temples and sculpture.

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Textbook

India's Ancient Past

R. S. Sharma · Oxford University Press

The expanded version of the classic old-NCERT ancient India text; clear and exam-friendly.

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We may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. See all recommended books →

Contemporaries

Powers that coexisted with the Magadha for a significant part of its history. The bar shows when, within its own span.

Anuradhapura Kingdom ★

Sri Lanka · c. 437 BCE – c. 1017

Overlap: 116 years

North · c. 1,200–350 BCE

Overlap: 350 years

Northwest · c. 1,200–518 BCE

Overlap: 182 years

Gangetic Plain · c. 1,100–350 BCE

Overlap: 350 years

Gangetic Plain · c. 1,100–460 BCE

Overlap: 240 years

East · c. 1,100–600 BCE

Overlap: 100 years

West · c. 1,100–350 BCE

Overlap: 350 years

Later Vedic Polities

Gangetic Plain · c. 1,000–600 BCE

Overlap: 100 years

Gangetic Plain · c. 1,000–500 BCE

Overlap: 200 years

Central · c. 1,000–300 BCE

Overlap: 379 years

Gangetic Plain · c. 1,000–400 BCE

Overlap: 300 years

Central · c. 1,000–345 BCE

Overlap: 355 years

North · c. 800–350 BCE

Overlap: 350 years

Northwest · c. 800–330 BCE

Overlap: 370 years

East · c. 700–540 BCE

Overlap: 160 years

Assaka / Asmaka

Deccan · c. 700–350 BCE

Overlap: 350 years

East · c. 700–261 BCE

Overlap: 379 years

Vajji / Vrijji Confederacy

East · c. 600–468 BCE

Overlap: 132 years

Gangetic Plain · c. 600–400 BCE

Overlap: 200 years

Achaemenid Gandhara & Hindush

Northwest · c. 518–330 BCE

Overlap: 188 years

Early Pandyas (Sangam era)

South · c. 400 BCE – c. 300 CE

Overlap: 79 years