Shunga Empire - Revision history

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Update of Shunga Empire Map

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:01, 2 December 2023
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	{{Location map+		{{Location map+
	\|South Asia		\|South Asia
	\|overlay_image=~~Map of the Shungas~~.~~png~~		\|overlay_image=Sunga map.jpg
	\| width=280 <!-- DO NOT CHANGE MAP SIZE (280) AS THIS WILL DISPLACE THE LABELS -->		\| width=280 <!-- DO NOT CHANGE MAP SIZE (280) AS THIS WILL DISPLACE THE LABELS -->
	\| float = center		\| float = center

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← Older revision		Revision as of 13:36, 26 November 2023
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	===Literary evidence===		===Literary evidence===
	Several works, such as the [[Mahabharata]] and the [[Yuga Purana]] describe the conflict between the Shungas and the Indo-Greeks.		Several works, such as the [[Mahabharata]] and the [[Yuga Purana]] describe the conflict between the Shungas and the Indo-Greeks.

			[[File:AtlasIndoGreek.jpg\|thumb\|Indo-Greecian invasion during Shunga Period]]

	===Military expeditions of the Shungas===		===Military expeditions of the Shungas===

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← Older revision		Revision as of 11:26, 24 November 2023
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	The name "Shunga" has only been used for convenience to designate the historical polity now generally described as "Shunga Empire", or the historical period known as the "Shunga period", which follows the fall of the [[Maurya Empire]].<ref name="RSS"/> The term comes from a single epigraphic inscription in [[Bharhut]], in which a dedication to the [[Buddhism\|Buddhist]] Bharhut [[stupa]] is said to have been made "at the time of the Suga kings" (''Suganam raje''), with no indication as to whom these "Suga kings" might be.<ref name="RSS">{{cite book \|last1=Salomon \|first1=Richard \|title=Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the other Indo-Aryan Languages \|date=10 December 1998 \|publisher=Oxford University Press \|isbn=978-0-19-535666-3 \|pages=141–142 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XYrG07qQDxkC&pg=PA141 \|language=en}}</ref> Other broadly contemporary inscriptions, such as the [[Heliodorus pillar\|Heliodorus pillar inscription]], are only assumed to relate to Shunga rulers.<ref name="RSS"/> The [[Ayodhya Inscription of Dhana]] mentions a ruler named [[Pushyamitra]], but does not mention the name "Shunga".		The name "Shunga" has only been used for convenience to designate the historical polity now generally described as "Shunga Empire", or the historical period known as the "Shunga period", which follows the fall of the [[Maurya Empire]].<ref name="RSS"/> The term comes from a single epigraphic inscription in [[Bharhut]], in which a dedication to the [[Buddhism\|Buddhist]] Bharhut [[stupa]] is said to have been made "at the time of the Suga kings" (''Suganam raje''), with no indication as to whom these "Suga kings" might be.<ref name="RSS">{{cite book \|last1=Salomon \|first1=Richard \|title=Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the other Indo-Aryan Languages \|date=10 December 1998 \|publisher=Oxford University Press \|isbn=978-0-19-535666-3 \|pages=141–142 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XYrG07qQDxkC&pg=PA141 \|language=en}}</ref> Other broadly contemporary inscriptions, such as the [[Heliodorus pillar\|Heliodorus pillar inscription]], are only assumed to relate to Shunga rulers.<ref name="RSS"/> The [[Ayodhya Inscription of Dhana]] mentions a ruler named [[Pushyamitra]], but does not mention the name "Shunga".

	The Bharut epigraph appears on a pillar of the gateway of the stupa, and mentions its erection "during the rule of the ''Sugas'', by [[Dhanabhuti\|Vatsiputra Dhanabhuti]]".<ref name="About INC-ICOM">{{cite web \|title=Bharhut Gallery \|url=http://www.inc-icom.org/newgal_bharut.html \|website=INC-ICOM Galleries \|publisher=Indian National Committee of the International Council of Museums \|access-date=29 September 2014 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235552/http://www.inc-icom.org/newgal_bharut.html \|archive-date=3 March 2016 \|url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="academia.edu">{{cite journal \|last1=Kumar \|first1=Ajit \|title=Bharhut Sculptures and their untenable Sunga Association \|journal=Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology \|date=2014 \|volume=2 \|page=230 \|url=https://www.academia.edu/10237709 \|language=en}}</ref> The expression used (''Suganam raje'', [[Brahmi script]]: 𑀲𑀼𑀕𑀦𑀁 𑀭𑀚𑁂), may mean "during the rule of the Shungas", although not without ambiguity as it could also be "during the rule of the [[Srughna\|Sughana]]s", a northern Buddhist kingdom.<ref>{{cite book \|last1=Olivelle \|first1=Patrick \|title=Between the Empires: Society in India 300 BCE to 400 CE \|date=13 July 2006 \|publisher=Oxford University Press \|isbn=978-0-19-977507-1 \|page=58 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=efaOR_-YsIcC&pg=PA58 \|language=en}}</ref~~><ref name="academia.edu"/~~> There is no other instance of the name "Shunga" in the [[epigraphy\|epigraphical]] record of India.<ref>{{cite book \|last1=Salomon \|first1=Richard \|title=Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the other Indo-Aryan Languages \|date=1998 \|publisher=Oxford University Press \|isbn=978-0-19-535666-3 \|page=141 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XYrG07qQDxkC&pg=PA141 \|language=en}}</ref> The unique inscription reads:		The Bharut epigraph appears on a pillar of the gateway of the stupa, and mentions its erection "during the rule of the ''Sugas'', by [[Dhanabhuti\|Vatsiputra Dhanabhuti]]".<ref name="About INC-ICOM">{{cite web \|title=Bharhut Gallery \|url=http://www.inc-icom.org/newgal_bharut.html \|website=INC-ICOM Galleries \|publisher=Indian National Committee of the International Council of Museums \|access-date=29 September 2014 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235552/http://www.inc-icom.org/newgal_bharut.html \|archive-date=3 March 2016 \|url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="academia.edu">{{cite journal \|last1=Kumar \|first1=Ajit \|title=Bharhut Sculptures and their untenable Sunga Association \|journal=Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology \|date=2014 \|volume=2 \|page=230 \|url=https://www.academia.edu/10237709 \|language=en}}</ref> The expression used (''Suganam raje'', [[Brahmi script]]: 𑀲𑀼𑀕𑀦𑀁 𑀭𑀚𑁂), may mean "during the rule of the Shungas", although not without ambiguity as it could also be "during the rule of the [[Srughna\|Sughana]]s", a northern Buddhist kingdom.<ref name="academia.edu"/><ref>{{cite book \|last1=Olivelle \|first1=Patrick \|title=Between the Empires: Society in India 300 BCE to 400 CE \|date=13 July 2006 \|publisher=Oxford University Press \|isbn=978-0-19-977507-1 \|page=58 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=efaOR_-YsIcC&pg=PA58 \|language=en}}</ref> There is no other instance of the name "Shunga" in the [[epigraphy\|epigraphical]] record of India.<ref>{{cite book \|last1=Salomon \|first1=Richard \|title=Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the other Indo-Aryan Languages \|date=1998 \|publisher=Oxford University Press \|isbn=978-0-19-535666-3 \|page=141 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XYrG07qQDxkC&pg=PA141 \|language=en}}</ref> The unique inscription reads:

	{{multiple image\|perrow=2\|total_width=450\|caption_align=center		{{multiple image\|perrow=2\|total_width=450\|caption_align=center
Line 84:		Line 84:
	}}		}}

	[[Dhanabhuti]] was making a major dedication to a Buddhist monument, [[Bharhut]], whereas the historical "Shungas" are known to have been [[Hindu]] monarchs, which would suggest that Dhanabhuti himself may not have been a member of the Shunga dynasty.<ref name="SRQ">{{cite book \|last1=Quintanilla \|first1=Sonya Rhie \|title=History of Early Stone Sculpture at Mathura: Ca. 150 BCE - 100 CE \|date=2007 \|publisher=BRILL \|isbn=9789004155374 \|pages=8–9 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X7Cb8IkZVSMC&pg=PA8 \|language=en}}</ref> Neither is he known from "Shunga" regnal lists.<ref name="SRQ"/><ref name="SRQ13"/> The mention "in the reign of the Shungas" also suggests that he was not himself a Shunga ruler, only that he may have been a tributary of the Shungas, or a ruler in a neighbouring territory, such as [[Kosala]] or [[Panchala]].<ref name="SRQ13">{{cite book \|last1=Quintanilla \|first1=Sonya Rhie \|title=History of Early Stone Sculpture at Mathura: Ca. 150 BCE - 100 CE \|date=2007 \|publisher=BRILL \|isbn=9789004155374 \|page=13 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X7Cb8IkZVSMC&pg=PA13 \|language=en}}</ref~~><ref name="SRQ"/~~>		[[Dhanabhuti]] was making a major dedication to a Buddhist monument, [[Bharhut]], whereas the historical "Shungas" are known to have been [[Hindu]] monarchs, which would suggest that Dhanabhuti himself may not have been a member of the Shunga dynasty.<ref name="SRQ">{{cite book \|last1=Quintanilla \|first1=Sonya Rhie \|title=History of Early Stone Sculpture at Mathura: Ca. 150 BCE - 100 CE \|date=2007 \|publisher=BRILL \|isbn=9789004155374 \|pages=8–9 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X7Cb8IkZVSMC&pg=PA8 \|language=en}}</ref> Neither is he known from "Shunga" regnal lists.<ref name="SRQ"/><ref name="SRQ13"/> The mention "in the reign of the Shungas" also suggests that he was not himself a Shunga ruler, only that he may have been a tributary of the Shungas, or a ruler in a neighbouring territory, such as [[Kosala]] or [[Panchala]].<ref name="SRQ"/><ref name="SRQ13">{{cite book \|last1=Quintanilla \|first1=Sonya Rhie \|title=History of Early Stone Sculpture at Mathura: Ca. 150 BCE - 100 CE \|date=2007 \|publisher=BRILL \|isbn=9789004155374 \|page=13 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X7Cb8IkZVSMC&pg=PA13 \|language=en}}</ref>

	The name "Sunga" or "Shunga" is also used in the ''[[Vishnu Purana]]'', the date of which is contested, to designate the dynasty of kings starting with [[Pushyamitra]] {{Circa\|185 BCE}}, and ending with [[Devabhuti]] circa 75 BCE. According to the [[Vishnu Purana]]:<ref name="RSS"/><ref>{{cite book \|title=A Comprehensive History Of Ancient India (3 Vol. Set) \|date=1 December 2003 \|publisher=Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd \|isbn=978-81-207-2503-4 \|page=93 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gE7udqBkACwC&pg=PA93 \|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book \|title=Indian History \|publisher=Allied Publishers \|isbn=978-81-8424-568-4 \|page=254 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MazdaWXQFuQC&pg=PA254 \|language=en}}</ref>		The name "Sunga" or "Shunga" is also used in the ''[[Vishnu Purana]]'', the date of which is contested, to designate the dynasty of kings starting with [[Pushyamitra]] {{Circa\|185 BCE}}, and ending with [[Devabhuti]] circa 75 BCE. According to the [[Vishnu Purana]]:<ref name="RSS"/><ref>{{cite book \|title=A Comprehensive History Of Ancient India (3 Vol. Set) \|date=1 December 2003 \|publisher=Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd \|isbn=978-81-207-2503-4 \|page=93 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gE7udqBkACwC&pg=PA93 \|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book \|title=Indian History \|publisher=Allied Publishers \|isbn=978-81-8424-568-4 \|page=254 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MazdaWXQFuQC&pg=PA254 \|language=en}}</ref>

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:26, 24 November 2023
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	The name "Shunga" has only been used for convenience to designate the historical polity now generally described as "Shunga Empire", or the historical period known as the "Shunga period", which follows the fall of the [[Maurya Empire]].<ref name="RSS"/> The term comes from a single epigraphic inscription in [[Bharhut]], in which a dedication to the [[Buddhism\|Buddhist]] Bharhut [[stupa]] is said to have been made "at the time of the Suga kings" (''Suganam raje''), with no indication as to whom these "Suga kings" might be.<ref name="RSS">{{cite book \|last1=Salomon \|first1=Richard \|title=Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the other Indo-Aryan Languages \|date=10 December 1998 \|publisher=Oxford University Press \|isbn=978-0-19-535666-3 \|pages=141–142 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XYrG07qQDxkC&pg=PA141 \|language=en}}</ref> Other broadly contemporary inscriptions, such as the [[Heliodorus pillar\|Heliodorus pillar inscription]], are only assumed to relate to Shunga rulers.<ref name="RSS"/> The [[Ayodhya Inscription of Dhana]] mentions a ruler named [[Pushyamitra]], but does not mention the name "Shunga".		The name "Shunga" has only been used for convenience to designate the historical polity now generally described as "Shunga Empire", or the historical period known as the "Shunga period", which follows the fall of the [[Maurya Empire]].<ref name="RSS"/> The term comes from a single epigraphic inscription in [[Bharhut]], in which a dedication to the [[Buddhism\|Buddhist]] Bharhut [[stupa]] is said to have been made "at the time of the Suga kings" (''Suganam raje''), with no indication as to whom these "Suga kings" might be.<ref name="RSS">{{cite book \|last1=Salomon \|first1=Richard \|title=Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the other Indo-Aryan Languages \|date=10 December 1998 \|publisher=Oxford University Press \|isbn=978-0-19-535666-3 \|pages=141–142 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XYrG07qQDxkC&pg=PA141 \|language=en}}</ref> Other broadly contemporary inscriptions, such as the [[Heliodorus pillar\|Heliodorus pillar inscription]], are only assumed to relate to Shunga rulers.<ref name="RSS"/> The [[Ayodhya Inscription of Dhana]] mentions a ruler named [[Pushyamitra]], but does not mention the name "Shunga".

	The Bharut epigraph appears on a pillar of the gateway of the stupa, and mentions its erection "during the rule of the ''Sugas'', by [[Dhanabhuti\|Vatsiputra Dhanabhuti]]".<ref name="About INC-ICOM">{{cite web \|title=Bharhut Gallery \|url=http://www.inc-icom.org/newgal_bharut.html \|website=INC-ICOM Galleries \|publisher=Indian National Committee of the International Council of Museums \|access-date=29 September 2014 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235552/http://www.inc-icom.org/newgal_bharut.html \|archive-date=3 March 2016 \|url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="academia.edu">{{cite journal \|last1=Kumar \|first1=Ajit \|title=Bharhut Sculptures and their untenable Sunga Association \|journal=Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology \|date=2014 \|volume=2 \|page=230 \|url=https://www.academia.edu/10237709 \|language=en}}</ref> The expression used (''Suganam raje'', [[Brahmi script]]: 𑀲𑀼𑀕𑀦𑀁 𑀭𑀚𑁂), may mean "during the rule of the Shungas", although not without ambiguity as it could also be "during the rule of the [[Srughna\|Sughana]]s", a northern Buddhist kingdom.<ref>{{cite book \|last1=Olivelle \|first1=Patrick \|title=Between the Empires: Society in India 300 BCE to 400 CE \|date=13 July 2006 \|publisher=Oxford University Press \|isbn=978-0-19-977507-1 \|page=58 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=efaOR_-YsIcC&pg=PA58 \|language=en}}</ref~~><ref name="academia.edu"/~~> There is no other instance of the name "Shunga" in the [[epigraphy\|epigraphical]] record of India.<ref>{{cite book \|last1=Salomon \|first1=Richard \|title=Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the other Indo-Aryan Languages \|date=1998 \|publisher=Oxford University Press \|isbn=978-0-19-535666-3 \|page=141 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XYrG07qQDxkC&pg=PA141 \|language=en}}</ref> The unique inscription reads:		The Bharut epigraph appears on a pillar of the gateway of the stupa, and mentions its erection "during the rule of the ''Sugas'', by [[Dhanabhuti\|Vatsiputra Dhanabhuti]]".<ref name="About INC-ICOM">{{cite web \|title=Bharhut Gallery \|url=http://www.inc-icom.org/newgal_bharut.html \|website=INC-ICOM Galleries \|publisher=Indian National Committee of the International Council of Museums \|access-date=29 September 2014 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235552/http://www.inc-icom.org/newgal_bharut.html \|archive-date=3 March 2016 \|url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="academia.edu">{{cite journal \|last1=Kumar \|first1=Ajit \|title=Bharhut Sculptures and their untenable Sunga Association \|journal=Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology \|date=2014 \|volume=2 \|page=230 \|url=https://www.academia.edu/10237709 \|language=en}}</ref> The expression used (''Suganam raje'', [[Brahmi script]]: 𑀲𑀼𑀕𑀦𑀁 𑀭𑀚𑁂), may mean "during the rule of the Shungas", although not without ambiguity as it could also be "during the rule of the [[Srughna\|Sughana]]s", a northern Buddhist kingdom.<ref name="academia.edu"/><ref>{{cite book \|last1=Olivelle \|first1=Patrick \|title=Between the Empires: Society in India 300 BCE to 400 CE \|date=13 July 2006 \|publisher=Oxford University Press \|isbn=978-0-19-977507-1 \|page=58 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=efaOR_-YsIcC&pg=PA58 \|language=en}}</ref> There is no other instance of the name "Shunga" in the [[epigraphy\|epigraphical]] record of India.<ref>{{cite book \|last1=Salomon \|first1=Richard \|title=Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the other Indo-Aryan Languages \|date=1998 \|publisher=Oxford University Press \|isbn=978-0-19-535666-3 \|page=141 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XYrG07qQDxkC&pg=PA141 \|language=en}}</ref> The unique inscription reads:

	{{multiple image\|perrow=2\|total_width=450\|caption_align=center		{{multiple image\|perrow=2\|total_width=450\|caption_align=center
Line 84:		Line 84:
	}}		}}

	[[Dhanabhuti]] was making a major dedication to a Buddhist monument, [[Bharhut]], whereas the historical "Shungas" are known to have been [[Hindu]] monarchs, which would suggest that Dhanabhuti himself may not have been a member of the Shunga dynasty.<ref name="SRQ">{{cite book \|last1=Quintanilla \|first1=Sonya Rhie \|title=History of Early Stone Sculpture at Mathura: Ca. 150 BCE - 100 CE \|date=2007 \|publisher=BRILL \|isbn=9789004155374 \|pages=8–9 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X7Cb8IkZVSMC&pg=PA8 \|language=en}}</ref> Neither is he known from "Shunga" regnal lists.<ref name="SRQ"/><ref name="SRQ13"/> The mention "in the reign of the Shungas" also suggests that he was not himself a Shunga ruler, only that he may have been a tributary of the Shungas, or a ruler in a neighbouring territory, such as [[Kosala]] or [[Panchala]].<ref name="SRQ13">{{cite book \|last1=Quintanilla \|first1=Sonya Rhie \|title=History of Early Stone Sculpture at Mathura: Ca. 150 BCE - 100 CE \|date=2007 \|publisher=BRILL \|isbn=9789004155374 \|page=13 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X7Cb8IkZVSMC&pg=PA13 \|language=en}}</ref~~><ref name="SRQ"/~~>		[[Dhanabhuti]] was making a major dedication to a Buddhist monument, [[Bharhut]], whereas the historical "Shungas" are known to have been [[Hindu]] monarchs, which would suggest that Dhanabhuti himself may not have been a member of the Shunga dynasty.<ref name="SRQ">{{cite book \|last1=Quintanilla \|first1=Sonya Rhie \|title=History of Early Stone Sculpture at Mathura: Ca. 150 BCE - 100 CE \|date=2007 \|publisher=BRILL \|isbn=9789004155374 \|pages=8–9 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X7Cb8IkZVSMC&pg=PA8 \|language=en}}</ref> Neither is he known from "Shunga" regnal lists.<ref name="SRQ"/><ref name="SRQ13"/> The mention "in the reign of the Shungas" also suggests that he was not himself a Shunga ruler, only that he may have been a tributary of the Shungas, or a ruler in a neighbouring territory, such as [[Kosala]] or [[Panchala]].<ref name="SRQ"/><ref name="SRQ13">{{cite book \|last1=Quintanilla \|first1=Sonya Rhie \|title=History of Early Stone Sculpture at Mathura: Ca. 150 BCE - 100 CE \|date=2007 \|publisher=BRILL \|isbn=9789004155374 \|page=13 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X7Cb8IkZVSMC&pg=PA13 \|language=en}}</ref>

	The name "Sunga" or "Shunga" is also used in the ''[[Vishnu Purana]]'', the date of which is contested, to designate the dynasty of kings starting with [[Pushyamitra]] {{Circa\|185 BCE}}, and ending with [[Devabhuti]] circa 75 BCE. According to the [[Vishnu Purana]]:<ref name="RSS"/><ref>{{cite book \|title=A Comprehensive History Of Ancient India (3 Vol. Set) \|date=1 December 2003 \|publisher=Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd \|isbn=978-81-207-2503-4 \|page=93 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gE7udqBkACwC&pg=PA93 \|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book \|title=Indian History \|publisher=Allied Publishers \|isbn=978-81-8424-568-4 \|page=254 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MazdaWXQFuQC&pg=PA254 \|language=en}}</ref>		The name "Sunga" or "Shunga" is also used in the ''[[Vishnu Purana]]'', the date of which is contested, to designate the dynasty of kings starting with [[Pushyamitra]] {{Circa\|185 BCE}}, and ending with [[Devabhuti]] circa 75 BCE. According to the [[Vishnu Purana]]:<ref name="RSS"/><ref>{{cite book \|title=A Comprehensive History Of Ancient India (3 Vol. Set) \|date=1 December 2003 \|publisher=Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd \|isbn=978-81-207-2503-4 \|page=93 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gE7udqBkACwC&pg=PA93 \|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book \|title=Indian History \|publisher=Allied Publishers \|isbn=978-81-8424-568-4 \|page=254 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MazdaWXQFuQC&pg=PA254 \|language=en}}</ref>

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:36, 18 October 2026
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	}}		}}
	}}		}}
	The '''Shunga Empire''' ([[IAST]]: ''{{IAST\|Śuṅga}}'') was a ruling entity centred around [[Magadha]] and controlled most of the northern [[Indian subcontinent]] from around 187 to 75 BCE. The dynasty was established by [[Pushyamitra Shunga\|Pushyamitra]], after taking the throne of Magadha from the [[Mauryas]]. The Shunga empire's capital was [[Pataliputra]], but later emperors such as [[Bhagabhadra]] also held court at Besnagar (modern [[Vidisha]]) in eastern [[Malwa]].<ref>{{cite journal \|last=Stadtner \|first=Donald \|date=1975 \|title=A Śuṅga Capital from Vidiśā \|journal=Artibus Asiae \|volume=37 \|issue=1/2 \|pages=101–104 \|doi=10.2307/3250214 \|jstor=3250214}}</ref> This dynasty is also responsible for successfully fighting and resisting the ~~Greeks~~ in [[Shunga–Greek War]].<ref>{{Cite book \|last=Mani \|first=Chandra Mauli \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HSoE8qR-5BgC&pg=PA38 \|title=A Journey Through India's Past \|date=2005 \|publisher=Northern Book Centre \|isbn=978-81-7211-194-6 \|pages=38 \|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book \|last=Sen \|first=Sailendra Nath \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wk4_ICH_g1EC&pg=PA170 \|title=Ancient Indian History and Civilization \|date=1999 \|publisher=New Age International \|isbn=978-81-224-1198-0 \|pages=170 \|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book \|last=Raychaudhuri \|first=Hem Channdra \|url=http://archive.org/details/politicalhistory00raycuoft \|title=Political history of ancient India, from the accession of Parikshit to the extinction of the Gupta dynasty \|date=1923 \|publisher=Calcutta, Univ. of Calcutta \|others=Robarts - University of Toronto \|pages=205}}</ref>		The '''Shunga Empire''' ([[IAST]]: ''{{IAST\|Śuṅga}}'') was a ruling entity centred around [[Magadha]] and controlled most of the northern [[Indian subcontinent]] from around 187 to 75 BCE. The dynasty was established by [[Pushyamitra Shunga\|Pushyamitra]], after taking the throne of Magadha from the [[Mauryas]]. The Shunga empire's capital was [[Pataliputra]], but later emperors such as [[Bhagabhadra]] also held court at [[Vidisha\|Besnagar]] (modern [[Vidisha]]) in eastern [[Malwa]].<ref>{{cite journal \|last=Stadtner \|first=Donald \|date=1975 \|title=A Śuṅga Capital from Vidiśā \|journal=Artibus Asiae \|volume=37 \|issue=1/2 \|pages=101–104 \|doi=10.2307/3250214 \|jstor=3250214}}</ref> This dynasty is also responsible for successfully fighting and resisting the [[Greek]]s in [[Shunga–Greek War]].<ref>{{Cite book \|last=Mani \|first=Chandra Mauli \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HSoE8qR-5BgC&pg=PA38 \|title=A Journey Through India's Past \|date=2005 \|publisher=Northern Book Centre \|isbn=978-81-7211-194-6 \|pages=38 \|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book \|last=Sen \|first=Sailendra Nath \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wk4_ICH_g1EC&pg=PA170 \|title=Ancient Indian History and Civilization \|date=1999 \|publisher=New Age International \|isbn=978-81-224-1198-0 \|pages=170 \|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book \|last=Raychaudhuri \|first=Hem Channdra \|url=http://archive.org/details/politicalhistory00raycuoft \|title=Political history of ancient India, from the accession of Parikshit to the extinction of the Gupta dynasty \|date=1923 \|publisher=Calcutta, Univ. of Calcutta \|others=Robarts - University of Toronto \|pages=205}}</ref>

	Pushyamitra ruled for 36 years and was succeeded by his son [[Agnimitra]]. There were ten Shunga rulers. However, after the death of Agnimitra, the second king of the dynasty, the empire rapidly disintegrated:<ref name="books.google.com">K.A. Nilkantha Shastri (1970), [https://books.google.com/books?id=E3tDAAAAYAAJ ''A Comprehensive History of India: Volume 2''], p.108: "Soon after Agnimitra there was no 'Sunga empire'."</ref> inscriptions and coins indicate that much of northern and central India consisted of small kingdoms and city-states that were independent of any Shunga [[hegemony]].<ref name="Bhandare, Shailendra 2006 p.96">Bhandare, Shailendra. "Numismatics and History: The Maurya-Gupta Interlude in the Gangetic Plain". in [https://books.google.com/books?id=efaOR_-YsIcC ''Between the Empires: Society in India, 300 to 400''], ed. Patrick Olivelle (2006), p.96</ref> The dynasty is noted for its numerous wars with both foreign and indigenous powers. They fought the [[Kalinga (historical kingdom)\|Kalinga]], the [[Satavahana dynasty]], the [[Indo-Greek kingdom]] and possibly the [[Panchala]]s and [[Mitra dynasty (Mathura)\|Mitras of Mathura]].		Pushyamitra ruled for 36 years and was succeeded by his son [[Agnimitra]]. There were ten Shunga rulers. However, after the death of Agnimitra, the second king of the dynasty, the empire rapidly disintegrated:<ref name="books.google.com">K.A. Nilkantha Shastri (1970), [https://books.google.com/books?id=E3tDAAAAYAAJ ''A Comprehensive History of India: Volume 2''], p.108: "Soon after Agnimitra there was no 'Sunga empire'."</ref> inscriptions and coins indicate that much of northern and central India consisted of small kingdoms and city-states that were independent of any Shunga [[hegemony]].<ref name="Bhandare, Shailendra 2006 p.96">Bhandare, Shailendra. "Numismatics and History: The Maurya-Gupta Interlude in the Gangetic Plain". in [https://books.google.com/books?id=efaOR_-YsIcC ''Between the Empires: Society in India, 300 to 400''], ed. Patrick Olivelle (2006), p.96</ref> The dynasty is noted for its numerous wars with both foreign and indigenous powers. They fought the [[Kalinga (historical kingdom)\|Kalinga]], the [[Satavahana dynasty]], the [[Indo-Greek kingdom]] and possibly the [[Panchala]]s and [[Mitra dynasty (Mathura)\|Mitras of Mathura]].

	Art, education, philosophy, and other forms of learning flowered during this period, including small [[terracotta]] images, larger stone sculptures, and architectural monuments such as the [[stupa]] at [[Bharhut]], and the renowned Great Stupa at [[Sanchi]]. The Shunga rulers helped to establish the tradition of royal sponsorship of learning and art. The script used by the empire was a variant of [[Brahmi script]] and was used to write [[Sanskrit]].		[[Art]], education, philosophy, and other forms of learning flowered during this period, including small [[terracotta]] images, larger stone sculptures, and architectural monuments such as the [[stupa]] at [[Bharhut]], and the renowned Great Stupa at [[Sanchi]]. The Shunga rulers helped to establish the tradition of royal sponsorship of learning and art. The script used by the empire was a variant of [[Brahmi script]] and was used to write [[Sanskrit]].

	The Shungas were important patrons of culture at a time when some of the most important developments in [[Hindu]] thought were taking place. [[Patanjali]]'s ''[[Mahābhāṣya]]'' was composed in this period. Artistry also progressed with the rise of the [[Mathura]] art style.		The Shungas were important patrons of culture at a time when some of the most important developments in [[Hindu]] thought were taking place. [[Patanjali]]'s ''[[Mahābhāṣya]]'' was composed in this period. Artistry also progressed with the rise of the [[Mathura]] art style.
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	===Accounts of persecution===		===Accounts of persecution===
	[[File:Sunga horseman Bharhut.jpg\|thumb\|Shunga horseman, [[Bharhut]].]]		[[File:Sunga horseman Bharhut.jpg\|thumb\|Shunga horseman, [[Bharhut]].]]
	Following the ~~Mauryans~~, the first Sunga emperor, a Brahmin named Pushyamitra,<ref>{{cite journal \|last1=Mishra \|first1=Ram Kumar \|title=Pushyamitra Sunga and the Buddhists \|journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress \|date=2012 \|volume=73 \|pages=50–57 \|jstor=44156189 \|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44156189 \|issn=2249-1937\|quote=Pushyamitra Sunga, himself a Brahmana,...}}</ref> is believed by some historians to have persecuted Buddhists and contributed to a resurgence of [[Vedic Brahmanism\|Brahmanism]] that forced Buddhism outwards to [[Kashmir]], [[Gandhara]] and [[Bactria]].<ref name="Sarvastivada">Sarvastivada pg 38–39</ref> Buddhist scripture such as the ''[[Ashokavadana]]'' account of the ''[[Divyavadana]]'' and ancient Tibetan historian [[Taranatha]] have written about persecution of Buddhists. Pushyamitra is said to have burned down Buddhist monasteries, destroyed stupas, massacred Buddhist monks and put rewards on their heads, but some consider these stories as probable exaggerations.<ref name="Sarvastivada"/><ref name="books.google.fr">{{cite book \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HSoE8qR-5BgC&pg=PA38 \|title=A Journey Through India's Past \|date=2005 \|publisher=Northern Book Centre \|isbn=978-81-7211-194-6 \|access-date=18 October 2026}}</ref>		Following the [[Mauryan Empire\|Mauryan]]s, the first Sunga emperor, a [[Brahmin]] named Pushyamitra,<ref>{{cite journal \|last1=Mishra \|first1=Ram Kumar \|title=Pushyamitra Sunga and the Buddhists \|journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress \|date=2012 \|volume=73 \|pages=50–57 \|jstor=44156189 \|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44156189 \|issn=2249-1937\|quote=Pushyamitra Sunga, himself a Brahmana,...}}</ref> is believed by some historians to have persecuted Buddhists and contributed to a resurgence of [[Vedic Brahmanism\|Brahmanism]] that forced Buddhism outwards to [[Kashmir]], [[Gandhara]] and [[Bactria]].<ref name="Sarvastivada">Sarvastivada pg 38–39</ref> Buddhist scripture such as the ''[[Ashokavadana]]'' account of the ''[[Divyavadana]]'' and ancient Tibetan historian [[Taranatha]] have written about persecution of Buddhists. Pushyamitra is said to have burned down Buddhist monasteries, destroyed stupas, massacred Buddhist monks and put rewards on their heads, but some consider these stories as probable exaggerations.<ref name="Sarvastivada"/><ref name="books.google.fr">{{cite book \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HSoE8qR-5BgC&pg=PA38 \|title=A Journey Through India's Past \|date=2005 \|publisher=Northern Book Centre \|isbn=978-81-7211-194-6 \|access-date=18 October 2026}}</ref>

	{{quote\|"... Pushyamitra equipped a fourfold army, and intending to destroy the Buddhist religion, he went to the Kukkutarama. ... Pushyamitra therefore destroyed the sangharama, killed the monks there, and departed. ... After some time, he arrived in Sakala, and proclaimed that he would give a ... reward to whoever brought him the head of a Buddhist monk."\| ''[[Asokavadana]]'' account of the ''[[Divyavadana]]''<ref>{{cite book \| author=John S. Strong \| author-link = John S. Strong \| title=The Legend of King Aśoka: A Study and Translation of the Aśokāvadāna \| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kp9uaQTQ8h8C&pg=PA293 \| access-date=30 October 2012 \| year=1989 \| publisher=[[Motilal Banarsidass]] \| isbn=978-81-208-0616-0 }}</ref>{{rp\|293}}}}		{{quote\|"... Pushyamitra equipped a fourfold army, and intending to destroy the Buddhist religion, he went to the Kukkutarama. ... Pushyamitra therefore destroyed the sangharama, killed the monks there, and departed. ... After some time, he arrived in Sakala, and proclaimed that he would give a ... reward to whoever brought him the head of a Buddhist monk."\| ''[[Asokavadana]]'' account of the ''[[Divyavadana]]''<ref>{{cite book \| author=John S. Strong \| author-link = John S. Strong \| title=The Legend of King Aśoka: A Study and Translation of the Aśokāvadāna \| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kp9uaQTQ8h8C&pg=PA293 \| access-date=30 October 2012 \| year=1989 \| publisher=[[Motilal Banarsidass]] \| isbn=978-81-208-0616-0 }}</ref>{{rp\|293}}}}

	Pushyamitra is known to have revived the supremacy of the [[Brahmanism\|Bramahnical]] religion and reestablished animal sacrifices ([[Yajna]]s) that had been prohibited by [[Ashoka]].<ref name="books.google.fr"/> However, in the [[Harshacharita]] of [[Banabhatta]], Pushyamitra is referred to as an ''Anarya'' (non-Aryan).{{cn\|date=August 2025}}		Pushyamitra is known to have revived the supremacy of the [[Brahmanism\|Bramahnical]] religion and reestablished animal sacrifices ([[Yajna]]s) that had been prohibited by [[Ashoka]].<ref name="books.google.fr"/> However, in the [[Harshacharita]] of [[Banabhatta]], Pushyamitra is referred to as an ''Anarya'' (non-[[Aryan]]).{{cn\|date=August 2025}}

	===Accounts against persecution===		===Accounts against persecution===
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	Some writers believe that Brahmanism competed in political and spiritual realm with Buddhism<!-- <ref name="ashok"/ > --><ref name="Sarvastivada"/> in the [[Gangetic plains]]. Buddhism flourished in the realms of the Bactrian kings. {{Citation needed\|date=December 2011}}		Some writers believe that Brahmanism competed in political and spiritual realm with Buddhism<!-- <ref name="ashok"/ > --><ref name="Sarvastivada"/> in the [[Gangetic plains]]. Buddhism flourished in the realms of the Bactrian kings. {{Citation needed\|date=December 2011}}

	Some Indian scholars are of the opinion that the orthodox Shunga emperors were not intolerant towards Buddhism and that Buddhism prospered during the time of the Shunga emperors. The existence of Buddhism in Bengal in the Shunga period can also be inferred from a terracotta tablet that was found at [[Tamralipti]] and is on exhibit at the [[Asutosh Museum of Indian Art\|Asutosh Museum]] in Kolkata.		Some Indian scholars are of the opinion that the orthodox Shunga emperors were not intolerant towards Buddhism and that Buddhism prospered during the time of the Shunga emperors. The existence of Buddhism in [[Bengal]] in the Shunga period can also be inferred from a terracotta tablet that was found at [[Tamralipti]] and is on exhibit at the [[Asutosh Museum of Indian Art\|Asutosh Museum]] in Kolkata.

	====Royal dedications====		====Royal dedications====
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	:"''The gift of Nagadevi the wife of King Brahmamitra.''"		:"''The gift of Nagadevi the wife of King Brahmamitra.''"
	* Another inscription reads:		* Another inscription reads:
	:"''The gift of Kurangi, the mother of living sons and the wife of King Indragnimitra, son of Kosiki. The gift also of Srima of the royal palace shrine''."<ref name="ccbs.ntu.edu.tw">(Barua, B.M., '[http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-ENG/bar.htm ''Old Buddhist Shrines at Bodh-Gaya Inscriptions''])</ref><ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.buddhanet.net/bodh_gaya/bodh_gaya02.htm \|title=Bodh Gaya from 500 BCE to 500 CE \|work=buddhanet.net}}</ref>		:"''The gift of [[Kurangi]], the mother of living sons and the wife of King Indragnimitra, son of Kosiki. The gift also of Srima of the royal palace shrine''."<ref name="ccbs.ntu.edu.tw">(Barua, B.M., '[http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-ENG/bar.htm ''Old Buddhist Shrines at Bodh-Gaya Inscriptions''])</ref><ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.buddhanet.net/bodh_gaya/bodh_gaya02.htm \|title=Bodh Gaya from 500 BCE to 500 CE \|work=buddhanet.net}}</ref>

	[[Alexander Cunningham\|Cunningham]] has regretted the loss of the latter part of these important records. As regards the first coping inscription, he has found traces of eleven Brahmi letters after "''Kuramgiye danam''", the first nine of which read "''rajapasada-cetika sa''". Bloch reads these nine letters as "''raja-pasada-cetikasa''" and translates this expression in relation to the preceding words:		[[Alexander Cunningham\|Cunningham]] has regretted the loss of the latter part of these important records. As regards the first coping inscription, he has found traces of eleven Brahmi letters after "''Kuramgiye danam''", the first nine of which read "''rajapasada-cetika sa''". Bloch reads these nine letters as "''raja-pasada-cetikasa''" and translates this expression in relation to the preceding words:
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	====Great Stupa (No 1)====		====Great Stupa (No 1)====
	During the later rule of the Shunga, the stupa was expanded with stone slabs to almost twice its original size. The dome was flattened near the top and crowned by three superimposed parasols within a square railing. With its many tiers it was a symbol of the [[dharma]], the Wheel of the Law. The dome was set on a high circular drum meant for [[circumambulation]], which could be accessed via a double staircase. A second stone pathway at ground level was enclosed by a stone balustrade. The railing around Stupa 1 do not have artistic reliefs. These are only slabs, with some dedicatory inscriptions. These elements are dated to {{Circa\|150 BCE}}.<ref name="Shaw 88"/>		During the later rule of the Shunga, the stupa was expanded with stone slabs to almost twice its original size. The dome was flattened near the top and crowned by three superimposed parasols within a square railing. With its many tiers it was a symbol of the [[dharma]], the Wheel of the [[Law]]. The dome was set on a high circular drum meant for [[circumambulation]], which could be accessed via a double staircase. A second stone pathway at ground level was enclosed by a stone balustrade. The railing around Stupa 1 do not have artistic reliefs. These are only slabs, with some dedicatory inscriptions. These elements are dated to {{Circa\|150 BCE}}.<ref name="Shaw 88"/>

	====Stupa No2 and Stupa No3====		====Stupa No2 and Stupa No3====
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	\|		\|
	<gallery>		<gallery>
	File:Sanchi 8-16.JPG\|Elephant and Riders.		File:Sanchi 8-16.JPG\|[[Elephant]] and Riders.
	File:Sanchi 8-17.jpg\|Balustrade post with Lakshmi.		File:Sanchi 8-17.jpg\|Balustrade post with [[Lakshmi]].
	File:Sanchi 8-18.JPG\|Balustrade post with Yaksha.		File:Sanchi 8-18.JPG\|Balustrade post with Yaksha.
	File:Sanchi Stupa 2 elephants and Dharmachakra.jpg\|Pillar with elephants supporting a wheel.		File:[[Sanchi Stupa]] 2 elephants and [[Dharmachakra]].jpg\|Pillar with elephants supporting a wheel.
	File:Sanchi Stupa Sculpture 17.jpg\|Personage.		File:Sanchi Stupa Sculpture 17.jpg\|Personage.
	File:Sanchi Stupa Sculpture 18.jpg\|Lotus.		File:Sanchi Stupa Sculpture 18.jpg\|Lotus.
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	{{Main Article\|Shunga–Greek War}}		{{Main Article\|Shunga–Greek War}}
	{{Continental Asia in 100 BCE}}		{{Continental Asia in 100 BCE}}
	War and conflict characterised the Shunga period. They are known to have warred with the [[Kalinga (historical kingdom)\|Kalingas]], [[Satavahana]]s, the [[Indo-Greeks]], and possibly the [[Panchalas]] and [[Mathura]]s.{{citation needed\|date=September 2017}}		[[War]] and conflict characterised the Shunga period. They are known to have warred with the [[Kalinga (historical kingdom)\|Kalingas]], [[Satavahana]]s, the [[Indo-Greeks]], and possibly the [[Panchalas]] and [[Mathura]]s.{{citation needed\|date=September 2017}}

	The Shunga empire's wars with the Indo-Greek kingdom figure greatly in the history of this period. From around 180 BCE the [[Greco-Bactrian]] ruler [[Demetrius I of Bactria\|Demetrius]] conquered the Kabul Valley and is theorised to have advanced into the trans-Indus to confront the Shungas.<ref name="books.google.fr"/> The Indo-Greek [[Menander I]] is credited with either joining or leading a campaign to [[Pataliputra]] with other Indian rulers; however, very little is known about the exact nature and success of the campaign. The net result of these wars remains uncertain.{{citation needed\|date=September 2017}}		The Shunga empire's wars with the Indo-Greek kingdom figure greatly in the history of this period. From around 180 BCE the [[Greco-Bactrian]] ruler [[Demetrius I of Bactria\|Demetrius]] conquered the Kabul Valley and is theorised to have advanced into the trans-Indus to confront the Shungas.<ref name="books.google.fr"/> The Indo-Greek [[Menander I]] is credited with either joining or leading a campaign to [[Pataliputra]] with other Indian rulers; however, very little is known about the exact nature and success of the campaign. The net result of these wars remains uncertain.{{citation needed\|date=September 2017}}

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:26, 18 October 2026
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	According to historical reconstructions, the Shunga dynasty was established in 184 BCE, about 50 years after [[Ashoka]]'s death, when the emperor [[Brihadratha Maurya]], the last ruler of the [[Maurya Empire]], was assassinated by his ''Senānī'' or [[commander-in-chief]], [[Pushyamitra Shunga\|Pushyamitra]],<ref>"Pushyamitra is said in the Puranas to have been the ''senānī'' or army-commander of the last Maurya emperor Brihadratha" The Yuga Purana, Mitchener, 2002.</ref> while he was reviewing the Guard of Honour of his forces. Pushyamitra then ascended the throne.{{sfn\|Thapar\|2013\|p=296}}<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=efaOR_-YsIcC&q=brahmin+dynasties Between the Empires: Society in India 300 BCE to 400 CE By Patrick Olivelle, Oxford University Press, Page 147-152]</ref>		According to historical reconstructions, the Shunga dynasty was established in 184 BCE, about 50 years after [[Ashoka]]'s death, when the emperor [[Brihadratha Maurya]], the last ruler of the [[Maurya Empire]], was assassinated by his ''Senānī'' or [[commander-in-chief]], [[Pushyamitra Shunga\|Pushyamitra]],<ref>"Pushyamitra is said in the Puranas to have been the ''senānī'' or army-commander of the last Maurya emperor Brihadratha" The Yuga Purana, Mitchener, 2002.</ref> while he was reviewing the Guard of Honour of his forces. Pushyamitra then ascended the throne.{{sfn\|Thapar\|2013\|p=296}}<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=efaOR_-YsIcC&q=brahmin+dynasties Between the Empires: Society in India 300 BCE to 400 CE By Patrick Olivelle, Oxford University Press, Page 147-152]</ref>

	Pushyamitra became the ruler of [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)\|Magadha]] and neighbouring territories. His realm essentially covered the central parts of the old [[Mauryan Empire]].<ref name="NA"/> The Shunga definitely had control of the central city of [[Ayodhya]] in northern central India, as is proved by the [[Dhanadeva-Ayodhya inscription]].<ref name="NA">[https://books.google.com/books?id=Wk4_ICH_g1EC&pg=PA169 Ancient Indian History and Civilization~~, Sailendra Nath Sen,~~ New Age International~~, 1999, p.169]~~</ref> However, the city of [[Mathura]] further west never seems to have been under the direct control of the Shungas, as no archaeological evidence of a Shunga presence has ever been found in Mathura.<ref name="Rhie"/> On the contrary, according to the [[Yavanarajya inscription]], Mathura was probably under the control of [[Indo-Greeks]] from some time between 180 BCE and 100 BCE, and remained so as late as 70 BCE.<ref name="Rhie">History of Early Stone Sculpture at Mathura: Ca. 150 BCE - 100 CE, Sonya Rhie Quintanilla, BRILL, 2007, p.8-10 [https://books.google.com/books?id=X7Cb8IkZVSMC&pg=PA8]</ref>		Pushyamitra became the ruler of [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)\|Magadha]] and neighbouring territories. His realm essentially covered the central parts of the old [[Mauryan Empire]].<ref name="NA"/> The Shunga definitely had control of the central city of [[Ayodhya]] in northern central India, as is proved by the [[Dhanadeva-Ayodhya inscription]].<ref name="NA">{{cite book \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wk4_ICH_g1EC&pg=PA169 \|title=Ancient Indian History and Civilization \|date=1999 \|publisher=New Age International \|isbn=978-81-224-1198-0 \|access-date=18 October 2026}}</ref> However, the city of [[Mathura]] further west never seems to have been under the direct control of the Shungas, as no archaeological evidence of a Shunga presence has ever been found in Mathura.<ref name="Rhie"/> On the contrary, according to the [[Yavanarajya inscription]], Mathura was probably under the control of [[Indo-Greeks]] from some time between 180 BCE and 100 BCE, and remained so as late as 70 BCE.<ref name="Rhie">History of Early Stone Sculpture at Mathura: Ca. 150 BCE - 100 CE, Sonya Rhie Quintanilla, BRILL, 2007, p.8-10 [https://books.google.com/books?id=X7Cb8IkZVSMC&pg=PA8]</ref>

	Some ancient sources however claim a greater extent for the Shunga empire: the ''[[Asokavadana]]'' account of the ''[[Divyavadana]]'' claims that the Shungas sent an army to persecute Buddhist monks as far as [[Sagala\|Sakala]] ([[Sialkot]]) in the [[Punjab region]] in the northwest:		Some ancient sources however claim a greater extent for the Shunga empire: the ''[[Asokavadana]]'' account of the ''[[Divyavadana]]'' claims that the Shungas sent an army to persecute Buddhist monks as far as [[Sagala\|Sakala]] ([[Sialkot]]) in the [[Punjab region]] in the northwest:
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	===Accounts of persecution===		===Accounts of persecution===
	[[File:Sunga horseman Bharhut.jpg\|thumb\|Shunga horseman, [[Bharhut]].]]		[[File:Sunga horseman Bharhut.jpg\|thumb\|Shunga horseman, [[Bharhut]].]]
	Following the Mauryans, the first Sunga emperor, a Brahmin named Pushyamitra,<ref>{{cite journal \|last1=Mishra \|first1=Ram Kumar \|title=Pushyamitra Sunga and the Buddhists \|journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress \|date=2012 \|volume=73 \|pages=50–57 \|jstor=44156189 \|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44156189 \|issn=2249-1937\|quote=Pushyamitra Sunga, himself a Brahmana,...}}</ref> is believed by some historians to have persecuted Buddhists and contributed to a resurgence of [[Vedic Brahmanism\|Brahmanism]] that forced Buddhism outwards to [[Kashmir]], [[Gandhara]] and [[Bactria]].<ref name="Sarvastivada">Sarvastivada pg 38–39</ref> Buddhist scripture such as the ''[[Ashokavadana]]'' account of the ''[[Divyavadana]]'' and ancient Tibetan historian [[Taranatha]] have written about persecution of Buddhists. Pushyamitra is said to have burned down Buddhist monasteries, destroyed stupas, massacred Buddhist monks and put rewards on their heads, but some consider these stories as probable exaggerations.<ref name="Sarvastivada"/><ref name="books.google.fr">[https://books.google.com/books?id=HSoE8qR-5BgC&pg=PA38 A Journey Through India's Past ~~Chandra Mauli Mani,~~ Northern Book Centre~~, 2005, p.38]~~</ref>		Following the Mauryans, the first Sunga emperor, a Brahmin named Pushyamitra,<ref>{{cite journal \|last1=Mishra \|first1=Ram Kumar \|title=Pushyamitra Sunga and the Buddhists \|journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress \|date=2012 \|volume=73 \|pages=50–57 \|jstor=44156189 \|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44156189 \|issn=2249-1937\|quote=Pushyamitra Sunga, himself a Brahmana,...}}</ref> is believed by some historians to have persecuted Buddhists and contributed to a resurgence of [[Vedic Brahmanism\|Brahmanism]] that forced Buddhism outwards to [[Kashmir]], [[Gandhara]] and [[Bactria]].<ref name="Sarvastivada">Sarvastivada pg 38–39</ref> Buddhist scripture such as the ''[[Ashokavadana]]'' account of the ''[[Divyavadana]]'' and ancient Tibetan historian [[Taranatha]] have written about persecution of Buddhists. Pushyamitra is said to have burned down Buddhist monasteries, destroyed stupas, massacred Buddhist monks and put rewards on their heads, but some consider these stories as probable exaggerations.<ref name="Sarvastivada"/><ref name="books.google.fr">{{cite book \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HSoE8qR-5BgC&pg=PA38 \|title=A Journey Through India's Past \|date=2005 \|publisher=Northern Book Centre \|isbn=978-81-7211-194-6 \|access-date=18 October 2026}}</ref>

	{{quote\|"... Pushyamitra equipped a fourfold army, and intending to destroy the Buddhist religion, he went to the Kukkutarama. ... Pushyamitra therefore destroyed the sangharama, killed the monks there, and departed. ... After some time, he arrived in Sakala, and proclaimed that he would give a ... reward to whoever brought him the head of a Buddhist monk."\| ''[[Asokavadana]]'' account of the ''[[Divyavadana]]''<ref>{{cite book \| author=John S. Strong \| author-link = John S. Strong \| title=The Legend of King Aśoka: A Study and Translation of the Aśokāvadāna \| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kp9uaQTQ8h8C&pg=PA293 \| access-date=30 October 2012 \| year=1989 \| publisher=[[Motilal Banarsidass]] \| isbn=978-81-208-0616-0 }}</ref>{{rp\|293}}}}		{{quote\|"... Pushyamitra equipped a fourfold army, and intending to destroy the Buddhist religion, he went to the Kukkutarama. ... Pushyamitra therefore destroyed the sangharama, killed the monks there, and departed. ... After some time, he arrived in Sakala, and proclaimed that he would give a ... reward to whoever brought him the head of a Buddhist monk."\| ''[[Asokavadana]]'' account of the ''[[Divyavadana]]''<ref>{{cite book \| author=John S. Strong \| author-link = John S. Strong \| title=The Legend of King Aśoka: A Study and Translation of the Aśokāvadāna \| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kp9uaQTQ8h8C&pg=PA293 \| access-date=30 October 2012 \| year=1989 \| publisher=[[Motilal Banarsidass]] \| isbn=978-81-208-0616-0 }}</ref>{{rp\|293}}}}
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	===War with the Yavanas (Greeks)===		===War with the Yavanas (Greeks)===
	The [[Indo-Greeks]], called [[Yavanas]] in Indian sources, either led by [[Demetrius I of Bactria\|Demetrius I]] or [[Menander I]], then invaded India, possibly receiving the help of Buddhists.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=HSoE8qR-5BgC&pg=PA39 A Journey Through India's Past ~~Chandra Mauli Mani,~~ Northern Book Centre~~, 2005, p.39]~~</ref> Menander in particular is described as a convert to Buddhism in the ''[[Milindapanha]]''.		The [[Indo-Greeks]], called [[Yavanas]] in Indian sources, either led by [[Demetrius I of Bactria\|Demetrius I]] or [[Menander I]], then invaded India, possibly receiving the help of Buddhists.<ref name="barefix1">{{cite book \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HSoE8qR-5BgC&pg=PA39 \|title=A Journey Through India's Past \|date=2005 \|publisher=Northern Book Centre \|isbn=978-81-7211-194-6 \|access-date=18 October 2026}}</ref> Menander in particular is described as a convert to Buddhism in the ''[[Milindapanha]]''.

	The Hindu text of the ''[[Yuga Purana]]'', which describes Indian historical events in the form of a prophecy,<ref>"For any scholar engaged in the study of the presence of the Indo-Greeks or Indo-Scythians before the Christian Era, the ''Yuga Purana'' is an important source material" Dilip Coomer Ghose, General Secretary, [[Asiatic Society\|The Asiatic Society]], [[Kolkata]], 2002</ref>{{refn\|group=note\|Formerly, scholars doubted the validity of the Yuga Purana, because manuscripts of it have been highly corrupted over its history; however, Sanskrit scholar [[Ludo Rocher]] says that recent "research has [...] been concerned with establishing a more acceptable text," and "The Yuga [Purana] is important primarily as a historical document. It is a matter-of-fact chronicle [...] of the Magadha empire, down to the breakdown of the Sungas and the arrival of the Sakas. It is unique in its description of the invasion and retirement of the Yavanas in Magadha."<ref>{{cite book \|last1=Rocher \|first1=Ludo \|title=The Purāṇas \|date=1986 \|publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag \|isbn=9783447025225 \|pages=253–254 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n0-4RJh5FgoC&pg=PA254 \|language=en}}</ref>}} relates the attack of the Indo-Greeks on the Shunga capital [[Pataliputra]], a magnificent fortified city with 570 towers and 64 gates according to [[Megasthenes]],<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.mssu.edu/projectsouthasia/history/primarydocs/Foreign_Views/GreekRoman/Megasthenes-Indika.htm \|title=Megasthenes: ''Indika'' \|website=Project South Asia \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210080315/http://www.mssu.edu/projectsouthasia/history/primarydocs/Foreign_Views/GreekRoman/Megasthenes-Indika.htm \|archive-date=10 December 2008 \|quote="The greatest city in India is that which is called Palimbothra, in the dominions of the Prasians [...] Megasthenes informs us that this city stretched in the inhabited quarters to an extreme length on each side of eighty stadia, and that its breadth was fifteen stadia, and that a ditch encompassed it all round, which was six hundred feet in breadth and thirty cubits in depth, and that the wall was crowned with 570 towers and had four-and-sixty gates. (Arr. Ind. 10. 'Of Pataliputra and the Manners of the Indians')"}}</ref> and describes the impending war for city:		The Hindu text of the ''[[Yuga Purana]]'', which describes Indian historical events in the form of a prophecy,<ref>"For any scholar engaged in the study of the presence of the Indo-Greeks or Indo-Scythians before the Christian Era, the ''Yuga Purana'' is an important source material" Dilip Coomer Ghose, General Secretary, [[Asiatic Society\|The Asiatic Society]], [[Kolkata]], 2002</ref>{{refn\|group=note\|Formerly, scholars doubted the validity of the Yuga Purana, because manuscripts of it have been highly corrupted over its history; however, Sanskrit scholar [[Ludo Rocher]] says that recent "research has [...] been concerned with establishing a more acceptable text," and "The Yuga [Purana] is important primarily as a historical document. It is a matter-of-fact chronicle [...] of the Magadha empire, down to the breakdown of the Sungas and the arrival of the Sakas. It is unique in its description of the invasion and retirement of the Yavanas in Magadha."<ref>{{cite book \|last1=Rocher \|first1=Ludo \|title=The Purāṇas \|date=1986 \|publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag \|isbn=9783447025225 \|pages=253–254 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n0-4RJh5FgoC&pg=PA254 \|language=en}}</ref>}} relates the attack of the Indo-Greeks on the Shunga capital [[Pataliputra]], a magnificent fortified city with 570 towers and 64 gates according to [[Megasthenes]],<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.mssu.edu/projectsouthasia/history/primarydocs/Foreign_Views/GreekRoman/Megasthenes-Indika.htm \|title=Megasthenes: ''Indika'' \|website=Project South Asia \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210080315/http://www.mssu.edu/projectsouthasia/history/primarydocs/Foreign_Views/GreekRoman/Megasthenes-Indika.htm \|archive-date=10 December 2008 \|quote="The greatest city in India is that which is called Palimbothra, in the dominions of the Prasians [...] Megasthenes informs us that this city stretched in the inhabited quarters to an extreme length on each side of eighty stadia, and that its breadth was fifteen stadia, and that a ditch encompassed it all round, which was six hundred feet in breadth and thirty cubits in depth, and that the wall was crowned with 570 towers and had four-and-sixty gates. (Arr. Ind. 10. 'Of Pataliputra and the Manners of the Indians')"}}</ref> and describes the impending war for city:
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	However, the Yuga Purana indicates that the Yavanas (Indo-Greeks) did not remain for long in Pataliputra, as they were faced with a civil war in [[Greco-Bactrian kingdom\|Bactria]].		However, the Yuga Purana indicates that the Yavanas (Indo-Greeks) did not remain for long in Pataliputra, as they were faced with a civil war in [[Greco-Bactrian kingdom\|Bactria]].

	Western sources also suggest that this new offensive of the Greeks into India led them as far as the capital [[Pataliputra]]:<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=MazdaWXQFuQC&pg=SL1-PA298 Indian History Allied Publishers]</ref>		Western sources also suggest that this new offensive of the Greeks into India led them as far as the capital [[Pataliputra]]:<ref name="barefix2">{{cite book \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MazdaWXQFuQC&pg=SL1-PA298 \|title=Indian History \|date=1988 \|publisher=Allied Publishers \|isbn=978-81-8424-568-4 \|access-date=18 October 2026}}</ref>
	{{quote\|Those who came after [[Alexander the Great\|Alexander]] went to the [[Ganges]] and [[Pataliputra]]\|[[Strabo]], 15.698}}		{{quote\|Those who came after [[Alexander the Great\|Alexander]] went to the [[Ganges]] and [[Pataliputra]]\|[[Strabo]], 15.698}}

	===Battle on the Sindhu river===		===Battle on the Sindhu river===
	An account of a direct battle between the Greeks and the Shunga is also found in the ''[[Mālavikāgnimitram]]'', a play by [[Kālidāsa]] which describes a battle between a squadron of Greek cavalrymen and [[Vasumitra]], the grandson of [[Pushyamitra]], accompanied by a hundred soldiers on the "Sindhu river", in which the Indians defeated a squadron of Greeks and Pushyamitra successfully completed the [[Ashvamedha]] Yagna.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/cu31924022967578#page/n113 The Malavikágnimitra : a Sanskrit play ~~by Kālidāsa; Tawney~~, ~~C. H. p~~.~~91]~~</ref> This river may be the [[Indus River]] in the northwest, but such expansion by the Shungas is unlikely, and it is more probable that the river mentioned in the text is the [[Sindh River]] or the [[Kali Sindh River]] in the [[Ganges Basin]].<ref>"Indo-Greek, Indo-Scythian and Indo-Parthian coins in the Smithsonian institution", [[Bopearachchi]], p16. Also: "Kalidasa recounts in his Mālavikāgnimitra (5.15.14–24) that [[Pushyamitra Shunga\|Puṣpamitra]] appointed his grandson Vasumitra to guard his sacrificial horse, which wandered on the right bank of the Sindhu river and was seized by Yavana cavalrymen- the latter being thereafter defeated by Vasumitra. The "Sindhu" referred to in this context may refer the river [[Indus River\|Indus]]: but such an extension of Shunga power seems unlikely, and it is more probable that it denotes one of two rivers in central India -either the Sindhu river which is a tributary of the [[Yamuna]], or the Kali-Sindhu river which is a tributary of the [[Chambal River\|Chambal]]." T''he Yuga Purana'', Mitchener, 2002.</ref>		An account of a direct battle between the Greeks and the Shunga is also found in the ''[[Mālavikāgnimitram]]'', a play by [[Kālidāsa]] which describes a battle between a squadron of Greek cavalrymen and [[Vasumitra]], the grandson of [[Pushyamitra]], accompanied by a hundred soldiers on the "Sindhu river", in which the Indians defeated a squadron of Greeks and Pushyamitra successfully completed the [[Ashvamedha]] Yagna.<ref name="barefix3">{{cite book \|url=https://archive.org/stream/cu31924022967578#page/n113 \|title=The Malavikágnimitra : a Sanskrit play \|date=1891 \|publisher=Calcutta : Thacker, Spink & Co. \|access-date=18 October 2026}}</ref> This river may be the [[Indus River]] in the northwest, but such expansion by the Shungas is unlikely, and it is more probable that the river mentioned in the text is the [[Sindh River]] or the [[Kali Sindh River]] in the [[Ganges Basin]].<ref>"Indo-Greek, Indo-Scythian and Indo-Parthian coins in the Smithsonian institution", [[Bopearachchi]], p16. Also: "Kalidasa recounts in his Mālavikāgnimitra (5.15.14–24) that [[Pushyamitra Shunga\|Puṣpamitra]] appointed his grandson Vasumitra to guard his sacrificial horse, which wandered on the right bank of the Sindhu river and was seized by Yavana cavalrymen- the latter being thereafter defeated by Vasumitra. The "Sindhu" referred to in this context may refer the river [[Indus River\|Indus]]: but such an extension of Shunga power seems unlikely, and it is more probable that it denotes one of two rivers in central India -either the Sindhu river which is a tributary of the [[Yamuna]], or the Kali-Sindhu river which is a tributary of the [[Chambal River\|Chambal]]." T''he Yuga Purana'', Mitchener, 2002.</ref>

	===Epigraphic and archaeological evidence===		===Epigraphic and archaeological evidence===