Magadha was a kingdom ruled by Vedic civilization kings. Jarasandha was the greatest among them during epic times. His capital was Rajagriha or Rajgir a modern hill resort in Bihar. Jarasandha's continuous assault on the Yadava kingdom of Surasena resulted in their withdrawal from central India to western India. Jarasandha was a threat not only for Yadavas but also for Kurus. Pandava Bhima killed him in a mace duel aided by the intelligence of Vasudeva Krishna. Thus Yudhisthira, the Pandava king, could complete his campaign of bringing the whole of Indian kingdoms to his sway.
Jarasandha had friendly relations with Chedi king Shishupala, Kuru king Duryodhana and Anga king Karna. After the epic age, in Kali Yuga, Magadha became the foremost of Indian kingdoms with the new capital Pataliputra, a port city on the banks of the river Ganges. Nandas and Mauryas ruled this kingdom. The Mauryas built the celebrated Mauryan Empire that spanned almost whole of India. This empire was formidable even to the Greek warrior Alexander.
Famous quotes containing the word kingdom:
“Illness is the night-side of life, a more onerous citizenship. Everyone who is born holds dual citizenship, in the kingdom of the well and in the kingdom of the sick. Although we all prefer to use only the good passport, sooner or later each of us is obliged, at least for a spell, to identify ourselves as citizens of that other place.”
—Susan Sontag (b. 1933)