Nanda Dynasty (Nanda Empire) Founder of Nanda Dynasty Mahapadma Nanda, the founder of the Nanda dynasty, proved to be a powerful ruler. From both the Buddhist and Jain sources we come to know that he belonged to very low family. Probably, he was born of a Sudra mother, as the Buddhist sources would…
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Monuments of Gupta Period Monuments of the Gupta period illustrate the existence of different centers of art and architecture of the time. Mathura, Benares, Nalanda were the important centers of art and architecture. The seated Buddha image belonging to the Benares school of art, now preserved in Saranath Museum, is a masterpiece of…
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Migration of Aryans | Aryan Migration Theory Theory of migration of Aryans Introduction: Historians have different opinion about the original homeland of the Aryans. According to one theory, the Aryans migrated to India from outside India. They came from other countries and settled in India. According to another theory, the Aryans migrated from India to…
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Mesolithic Age (Middle Stone Age) Culture in India The Mesolithic culture in India corresponds to the second cultural phase of Pleistocene. Indian microlithism was first marked by Carllayle as early as 1867 from Vindhyan rock-shelter. Later on, Cockburn and Rivett Carnac discovered more microlithic sites. These earlier scholars considered these industries as ‘Proto-Neolithic’.…
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Mehrgarh Civilization Mehrgarh lies at the foot of the major highway down the Bolan Pass and has produced, from its earliest levels, stone and shells originating in very distant region. This civilization has been said to have originated from 7000 B.C. and hence much earlier than the so called Indus culture. We still…
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Megasthenes Visit to India Megasthenes was a Greek historian who came to India in the fourth century B.C. as a representative or ambassador of Seleucus Nicator. He lived in the court of Chandragupta Maurya for about five years (302-298 B.C.) Megasthenes was born in 350 B.C. Megasthenes has written an account of India and…
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Mauryan Administration System (Mauryan Government) The Mauryan Administration System The Mauryan administration system was efficient and monarchical. The king of the Mauryan government was the head of the Mauryan empire administration. The Mauryan Empire had the privileged of having successful administrators such as Chandragupta Maurya, Bindusara Maurya and Ashoka the Great. The administration of Mauryan Empire was…
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Maurya Caste System Caste System prevailed among the Maurya Community. The Greek writers like Megasthenes and Diodorus also told us about Maurya caste system. Indian Community had the traditional fourfold heredities caste system, but the Greeks told about seven castes which has made the scholars wonder. It is possible that the Greeks were…
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Marriage system in Ancient India There were eight forms of Hindu marriage in Ancient India. These marriages were according to the Sastras, of which four were regular. Marriage in the same caste was preferred. The boys obtained adulthood at the age of sixteen and the girls at the age of twelve. Divorce was…
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Mahapatra Nanda Mahapadma Nanda was the founder of Nanda Empire in Magadha. Mahapadma Nanda was the first historical emperor of Northern India. Ancestors of Mahapatra Nanda The ancestry of the first Nanda is a controversial question. We have twofold versions of his origin. According to the Puranas, Mahapadma Nanda was the son of the last…
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