Udayin

Udayin (c. 460-444 BCE) also known as Udayabhadra was a king of Magadha in ancient India. According to the Buddhist and Jain accounts, he was the son and successor of the Haryanka king Ajatashatru. Udayin laid the foundation of the city of Pataliputra at the confluence of two rivers, the Son and the Ganges. He shifted his capital from Rajagriha to Pataliputra due to the latter's central location in the empire.

Udayin
Sculpture of Udayin
Ruler of Magadha
3rd Haryanka Maharaja
Reignc. 460 – c. 444 BCE
PredecessorAjatashatru
SuccessorAnuruddha [1]
Died444 BC
DynastyHaryanka
FatherAjatashatru
MotherVajira
ReligionJainism & Buddhism

Ancestry

According to the Buddhist accounts, the successors of the Magadha ruler Bimbisara were Ajatashatru, Udayabhadda (Udayin), Anuruddha, Munda and Nagadasaka.[2] The Jain tradition mentions Udayin as the son and successor of Ajatashatru.[3] Kings Bimbisara (c. 558 – c. 491 BCE), Ajatashatru (c. 492–460 BCE), and Udayin (c. 460–440 BCE) of the Haryanka dynasty were patrons of Jainism.[4] However, the Puranas name the successors of Bimbisara as Ajatashatru, Darshaka, Udayin, Nandivardhana and Mahanandin.[2][5] The Matsya Purana names Vamsaka as the successor of Ajatashatru.[6] Since the Buddhist texts were composed at a later date, the Hindu purans seems to be more reliable.[2] The Nagadasaka of the Buddhist chronicles is identified with the "Darshaka" of the Puranas.[7]

Professor H. C. Seth (1941) identified Udayin with the king Udayana mentioned in the Sanskrit play Svapnavasavadatta.[6] The Chinese traveler Xuanzang states that the last descendant of Bimbisara built a sangharama (monastery) at Tiladaka. Seth theorized that this last descendant was Darshaka, and Udayin established a new dynasty, as signified by his transfer of the empire's capital from Rajgriha to Pataliputra.[8] Liladhar B. Keny (1943) criticized Seth's theory as incorrect. According to him, the Udayana of Svapnavasavadatta was a different king, who ruled Vatsa kingdom with his capital at Kaushambi.[6]

R. G. Bhandarkar notes that the name of Darshaka (Dasaka) is prefixed with the word "Naga" in the Buddhist chronicles, which may signify his detachment to his successors and his attachment to the Nagas of Padmavati . This implies that he may be from a different family and had become the king approximately three generations after Ajatashatru, not immediately succeeding him.[9]

Life and reign

The Buddhist traditions state that Udayin was Ajatashatru's favourite son, and was alive during the reign of his grandfather Bimbisara. When Ajatashatru met Gautama Buddha, Udayin was a young prince.[7] Udayin ruled during c. 460-444 BC.[10] he established his capital at Pataliputra at the confluence of the Son and the Ganges rivers.[11] His father had built a fort here to repulse a potential Pradyota invasion from Avanti. Udayin moved his capital to Pataliputra, probably because it was at the centre of his growing kingdom.[3]

He defeated Palaka of Avanti multiple times but was ultimately killed by him in 444 BC.[12] The Puranas mention Nandivardhana as the successor of Udayin. However, the Sri Lankan Buddhist chronicles state that he was succeeded by Anuruddha. These Buddhist chronicles also state that all the kings from Ajatashatru to Nagadasaka, including Udayin, killed their fathers.[3] Jain texts mention that Uadyin was killed by an assassin of rival kingdom.[11] Being childless, he was succeeded by Nanda who was selected by his ministers.[11]

References

Citations
  1. "Anuruddha".
  2. Keny 1943, p. 61.
  3. V. K. Agnihotri, ed. (2010). Indian History. Allied Publishers. p. A-168. ISBN 978-81-8424-568-4.
  4. Glasenapp, Helmuth von (1999). Jainism: An Indian Religion of Salvation. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. ISBN 978-81-208-1376-2.
  5. Upinder Singh 2016, p. 273.
  6. Keny 1943, p. 63.
  7. Keny 1943, p. 62.
  8. Keny 1943, pp. 61–64.
  9. Bhandarkar, Devadatta Ramkrishna (1918). "Lectures on the ancient history of India, on the period from 650 to 325 B. C." University of Calcutta. pp. 71–72.
  10. R.S. Sharma (2006). India's Ancient Past. Oxford University Press India. p. 158. ISBN 978-0-19-908786-0.
  11. Natubhai Shah 2004, p. 42.
  12. Kailash Chand Jain 1972, p. 102.

Sources
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