A fall of darkness falls over the Mauryan history after Asoka.
The scarcity of contemporary epigraphs and the conflicting statements,
made in ancient literary sources render it difficult to establish a clear sequence of rulers and of historical events. The practice of recording imperial activities on imperishable surfaces, such as
rocks and pillars, seems to have been given up by Asoka’s successors.
of them, only Das’aratha left brief epigraphs recording his gift
of three caves in Nagarjuni hills to the Ajivikas. Tivara, the
only prince mentioned by Ashoka in one of his inscriptions, is not
heard of again. The Puranas are our main source of information on
this period. Some fragmentary, but vivid, details are supplied by
the Yuga Purana of the Gargi Samhita! of the Buddhist literature,
the Divyavadana and the History of Buddhism of the Tibetan historian,
Taranatha, give us a list of Ashoka’s successors. Among them the
latter mentions only Kunala, Vigatas’ oka and Virasena, the last two
of whom do not belong to the main line ruling in Magadha. The
Divyavadana tradition is even less reliable. It makes even
Pushyamitra a descendant of Ashoka, and the rulers listed by it
between Sampadi and Pushyamitra do not figure in the Puranas and
other sources at all. The list is-
- Kunala (son of Asoka)
- Sampadi (son of Kunala)
- Brihaspajati (son of Sampadi)
J.B.O.R.S., XIV, 1928, pp. - Vrishasena (son of Brihaspajati)
- Pushyadharman (son of Vrishasena)
- Pushyamitra (son of Pushyadharman) The Buddhist chronicles create the impression that the whole
glory of the Maurya dynasty vanished after Asoka, and generally do
not carry the history beyond him.
The interest of the Jain writers namely Hemachandra is
centred in Samprati, who displayed the, same Zeal for the propagation
of Jainism as Asoka did for Buddhism. Jinaprabha suri, the author
of the Tirtha-Kalpa, apparently exaggerates the achievements of
this prince when he states in the Pataliputra-Kalpa, “In Paraliputra
flourished the great king Samprati, son of Kunala, lord of Bharata,
with its continents, the great arahanta who established Viharas
for the Sramanas even in non Aryan countries. Because of
bias, the Buddhist and Jain works cannot be accepted as reasonably
Authentic sources of history.
Curiously enough, Dasararatha, the
only successor of Asoka to leave behind a personal epigraph, does
not at all figure in the Buddhist and Jain records,
Thus we have to fall back mainly on the Puranas for reconstructing the history of post-Asokan period, supplementing
their information from stray references elsewhere, in particular Bana’s Harsha-Charita, the Rajatarngini and Polybuis. But thePuranic genealogies, too, have not come down untampered. Losses ofnames of Kings and additions are evident in the contradictory
versions even of the same Purana.
Asoka, according to a Tibetan tradition, died at Taxila,
Reference: - Dr. D.R. Bhandarkar, Comprehensive History of India,
Vol.II, pp.43-44, places undue reliance on this tradition. - See Marshall, Taxila, I, p. 25.
- All sources. agree in placing Kunala on Asoka most probably in 237 B.C.
the Magadhan throne after him.
The Puranas assign a brief reign of
8 years. The blind King could not have held effective sway over
the vest empire. The probability is that the provincial governors
assumed vide powers, and soon after him set themselves up as
independent rulers. It may be kept in mind that the Mauryas followed
the age old practice of appointing royal princes as Governors.
and Bindusara, both, we know, had served in this capacity before
coming to the Throne. Thus when the central authority became weak
after Kunala, the royal princes governing the outlying provinces
not only declared independence, but also pro-claimed themselves as
the kings of Magadha, claiming to be heirs to the emperor. That
must explain the varying lists of successors of Kunala supplied
by different sources, each one of which was apparantly upholding
the pretentions of one or the other of the viceroys. Pargiter has
summarised the Pauranic lists into two main branches after Bandhu-
palita: After giving Chandragupta a reign of 24 years. Bindusara
of 25 years, Asoka of 36 years and Kunala of 8 years these lists
part as under-
Matsya and Vayu, Kunala’s son Bandhupalita, will enjoy the kingdom 8 years.
Vayu generally and Brahmanda
Kunala’s son Bandhupalita
will enjoy the kingdom 8 years.
Their grandson Dasona will reign 6. Bandhupalita’s heir Indra-7 years.
His son Dasaratha will be king
8 years. palita will reign 10 years.
(See Barna, Asoka and His Inscriptions, pp.54ff.; C.H. 1..p512; Marshall, Taxila, p.25. Dynasties of Kali Age, p.70)
The Maurya Empire
Edicts of Ashoka