Allahabad During the Reigns of Shungas, Mitras, Kushanas, and Maghas
History of Allahabad during a period of great empires and powerful local rulers (184 BC - 350 AD).
We learned in the previous article that after Aśoka’s death the Maurya empire was disintegrated.
Pushyamitra Sunga, who killed the last Maurya ruler Brihadratha, succeeded in occupying a considerable portion of the Maurya empire in the north. Sooner or later, Pushyamitra seems to have shifted his capital from Pataliputra to Kaushambi. Kaushambi since then came to occupy an important political position, which continued till the rise of the Guptas.
After the decline of Shungas, Kaushambi emerged as a strong and independent civic center. The city’s coinage system evolved over time, starting with locally adapted variants of Mauryan-Shunga style copper coins, later transitioning to more independent iconography, and eventually bearing the names of rulers. This shift indicated the city’s transition from local governance to a monarchy, symbolized by the common depiction of a bull on their coins.
During this period, Allahabad was ruled by the Mitra dynasty, which may have taken charge after the collapse of the Shunga Empire, allowing the emergence of various petty states in Northern India. The Mitra dynasty comprised several, possibly related, ruling families in different regions of India, including Ayodhya, Kaushambi, Mathura, and Panchala. The Mitra dynasties in different regions of India may have had a connection with the Shunga dynasty, as evident from the similarity in their rulers' names ending with "mitra". It is plausible that the Shungas adopted a governance approach similar to the preceding Maurya Empire. Under this system, princes with royal lineage were dispatched to govern various provinces. As the central authority weakened, these princes might have established their own dynasties in those regions.
The Mitra dynasty centered in Kaushambi, the capital of the Vatsa region, remains a subject of debate regarding the exact number of kings it had. Some records mention between seven and twenty-five different kings. Some of the rulers of this dynasty include Agaraju, Agnimitra, Ashvaghosha, Brihaspatimitra, Devamitra, Jyeshthamitra, Prajapatimitra, Prausthamitra, Radhamitra, and Sarpamitra.
During the 1st century BC to the 2nd century AD, the Mitras of Kaushambi expanded their influence over Magadha and, possibly, Kannauj, too. Coins and inscriptions from Bihar support this claim, and Brihaspatimitra has been mentioned as the "Magadharaja" (king of Magadha) in Kharavela’s Hathigumpha inscription. This suggests the Mitra dynasty’s considerable sway in the surrounding region for a considerably long period of time from first quarter of the second century BC to first quarter of the first century AD when Kaushambi became a part of the Kushan Empire.
It is clear from Rabatak inscription, Lines 4–8, that Kanishka, the great Kushan king, ruled Kaushambi - “In the year one, it has been proclaimed unto India, unto the whole realm of the governing class, including Koonadeano (Kaundiny, Kundina) and the city of Ozeno (Ozene, Ujjain) and the city of Zageda (Saketa) and the city of Kozambo (Kausambi) and the city of Palabotro (Pataliputra) and as far as the city of Ziri-tambo (Sri-Champa), whatever rulers and other important persons (they might have) he had submitted to (his) will, and he had submitted all India to (his) will."
Kanishka ruled from 127 AD to 150 AD but soon after his death, it seems, Kaushambi again came under the rule of a local dynasty, called Magha dynasty.
As the formidable Kushana empire faced its decline, the landscape of northern and central India witnessed the emergence of several independent states. Among them, the Magha dynasty of Kaushambi stood out. Vashisthiputra Bhimasena, the dynasty’s inaugural ruler from 120 to 140 AD, was succeeded by his son, Kautsiputra Pothasiri, reigning from 140 to 170 AD. Intriguingly, this period coincided with the zenith of Kushana power, yet the Maghas, though confined to a small area near Baghelkhand near Bandhogarh, operated as an independent state.
In the year 155 AD, Bhadra Magha, the heir-apparent, deftly seized control of Kaushambi from the enfeebled Kushanas. Consequently, a dynamic era unfolded with Bhadra Magha ruling Kaushambi and Pothasiri concurrently presiding over Bandhogarh. Bhadra Magha officially ascended to power in 170 AD, only to meet his demise in 175 AD. Stepping into the regal shoes was Gautomi Putra Shiva Magha, who governed from 175 to 184 AD. While Shiva Magha left a notable legacy in the form of numerous coins, much about his reign remains shrouded in mystery.
Following the reign of Shiva Magha, the historical narrative of Allahabad fades into obscurity for nearly two centuries. It’s during this enigmatic period that the Gupta Empire, led by the formidable Samudragupta, eventually wielded its influence, bringing Kaushambi under the sway of the Magadhan Empire in the midst of the 4th century AD. Stay tuned for our next article as we delve into the captivating history of Allahabad during the Gupta era.
