Mod 1: The Haryanka Dynasty — Name, Sources, Kings and Chronology (c. 544–412 BCE)
Concept
6.1 The first historical dynasty of Magadha
🏫 School level · NCERT Class 6–12 History (the base for UPSC, BPSC, BSSC and other PSC exams)
Name, kings and dates
The Haryanka dynasty is the first historically attested ruling house of Magadha. Its founder-king Bimbisara was a contemporary and friend of the Buddha, and under him and his son Ajatashatru Magadha became the strongest state of north India. NCERT Class 6 names Bimbisara and Ajatashatru as ambitious rulers who used all possible means to conquer other janapadas.
The name comes from Ashvaghosha’s Buddhacharita, which calls Bimbisara a king of the Haryanka-kula (“family marked by the lion”, hari = lion). The Puranas instead count Bimbisara among the Shaishunagas. Buddhist and Jain texts call him Seniya / Shrenika, a title explained as “one who has an army (sena)” or as a family name.
- Haryanka = first historical dynasty of Magadha (c. 544–412 BCE).
- Kings: Bimbisara (544–492), Ajatashatru (492–460), Udayin (460–444), Anuruddha, Munda, Nagadasaka.
- Name from Buddhacharita; Bimbisara = Shrenika/Seniya.
- Question: Who founded the Haryanka dynasty? Answer: Bimbisara (70th BPSC).
- Question: What is Bimbisara’s Jain name? Answer: Shrenika (Seniya).
MCQs
Answer this question, then use Next.
Question 2: In Jain canonical literature, by what epithet is King Bimbisara designated?
[70th BPSC 2024] Which great ruler founded the “Haryak Vansh” in ancient Bihar?
[SSC CGL 2019] Ajatashatru, a ruler of the Haryanka dynasty, was the son of:
[School] Bimbisara was a contemporary of:
[BPSC level] The name “Haryanka” for Bimbisara’s family is found in:
[UPSC level] According to the Mahavamsa, Bimbisara was crowned at the age of:
[BPSC level] The exam chronology places Bimbisara’s reign in:
[BSSC pattern] The correct order of Haryanka kings is:
One-liners
Write your answer, then submit to see the correct answer.
Who founded the Haryanka dynasty?
Bimbisara (70th BPSC).What is Bimbisara’s Jain name?
Shrenika (Seniya).Concept
6.2 Sources and the chronology problem
🏫 School level · NCERT Class 6–12 History (the base for UPSC, BPSC, BSSC and other PSC exams)
Mahavamsa, Vinaya, Jain texts and the Puranas
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| Mahavamsa / Dipavamsa | Bimbisara crowned at 15 by his father Bhattiya; reigned 52 years; became a follower of the Buddha in the 16th year |
| Vinaya Pitaka (Mahavagga) | Bimbisara’s meeting with the Buddha; gift of Venuvana; assembly of 80,000 village headmen |
| Digha Nikaya | Ajatashatru’s visit to the Buddha (Samannaphala Sutta); Vajji war (Mahaparinibbana Sutta) |
| Jain texts | Shrenika and Kunika as followers of Mahavira; the war machines; Udayin’s Jain shrine (Bhagavati, Aupapatika, Parishishtaparvan) |
| Puranas | Place Bimbisara in the Shaishunaga line; father Kshetraujas/Hemajit; reign 28 years |
The Mahavamsa says that from Ajatashatru onwards every king killed his father: Ajatashatru → Udayabhadda → Anuruddha → Munda → Nagadasaka. The angry citizens finally removed the “dynasty of parricides” (pitrihanta-vamsha) and made the minister Shishunaga king. Historians treat this as a moralising Buddhist tale, but it shows that succession was violent and the dynasty lost public support.
The Buddha died in the 8th year of Ajatashatru. Exam books use the Sri Lankan date (544/543 BCE) and get Bimbisara 544–492 BCE. If the Buddha died c. 483 BCE, Bimbisara’s reign begins c. 545–540 BCE on a 52-year reign; if the “short chronology” (c. 400 BCE) is used, everything moves about 80 years later. Many recent scholars favour a later date, but BPSC/UPSC keys follow the conventional 544 BCE.
- Mahavamsa: crowned at 15 by Bhattiya, 52-year reign; parricide dynasty.
- Puranas: Bimbisara a Shaishunaga, 28 years.
- Question: Which chronicle calls the Haryankas parricides? Answer: The Mahavamsa.
MCQs
Answer this question, then use Next.
[UPSC level] The Puranas place Bimbisara in which dynasty?
[BPSC level] Bimbisara’s father, according to the Mahavamsa, was:
[UPSC level] The Mahavamsa calls the Haryanka line a dynasty of:
[BPSC level] Which Buddhist text records an assembly of 80,000 village headmen (gramikas) called by Bimbisara?
[UPSC level] Why do exam books date Bimbisara to 544 BCE?
[School] Which faith claimed Bimbisara as a devoted follower?
[BSSC pattern] In which year did the Haryanka dynasty end?
One-liners
Write your answer, then submit to see the correct answer.
Which chronicle calls the Haryankas parricides?
The Mahavamsa.Concept
🎯 UPSC · BPSC · BSSC · State PSC level: PYQs, traps and mains
| Exam | What it asks from this module |
|---|---|
| UPSC | Sources for Magadha; chronology; Buddhist and Jain views of kings |
| BPSC | Founder of Haryanka dynasty (70th BPSC 2024); Shrenika; parricide dynasty |
| BSSC / SSC | Ajatashatru son of Bimbisara (SSC CGL 2019); order of kings |
Which of the following great rulers founded the “Haryak Vansh” in ancient Bihar? (a) Bimbisara (b) Brihadrath (c) Ajatshatru (d) More than one of the above
- Bimbisara is regarded as the founder of the Haryanka dynasty and of Magadhan imperial power. Brihadratha founded the earlier, legendary Barhadratha line.
- Some books name Bimbisara’s father (Bhattiya) as the first Haryanka; BPSC treats Bimbisara as the founder.
- Shrenika/Seniya = Bimbisara; Kunika = Ajatashatru.
- Haryanka period ends in 412 BCE with Nagadasaka, not with Udayin.
Model question: Assess the reliability of Buddhist and Jain sources for the history of the Haryanka dynasty. Points: contemporaneity with the Buddha and Mahavira; each tradition claims the kings as followers; moral tales (parricide); chronological conflicts with the Puranas; corroboration by archaeology of Rajgir and Pataliputra.
- 70th BPSC 2024: founder = Bimbisara; SSC CGL 2019: Ajatashatru son of Bimbisara.
- Question: When did the Haryanka dynasty end? Answer: 412 BCE.
MCQs
Answer this question, then use Next.
[UPSC level] Which statement about the Haryanka chronology is correct?
[BPSC level] “Kunika” in Jain texts refers to:
[BSSC pattern] The last Haryanka king was:
[UPSC level] Which pair of a king and his epithet is correct?
[BPSC level] Who replaced the Haryankas on the throne of Magadha?
One-liners
Write your answer, then submit to see the correct answer.
When did the Haryanka dynasty end?
412 BCE.