The Early History of India, from 600 B.C. to the Muhammadan Conquest, including the Invasion of Alexander the Great c10.17

c10.17

The reputation for special sanctity enjoyed by both Benares and Gayā in Magadha among orthodox Brahmanical Hindus adds little to the detailed information available, which is mainly derived from the writings of Jains and Buddhists, who were esteemed as heretics by the worshippers of the old gods. But the Brahmanical Purāṇas, compiled centuries later in honour of the orthodox deities,¹ happily include lists of the Buddhist and other kings of Magadha, which had become, before the time of their compilation, the recognized centre both religious and political of India; and so it happens that the Jain, Buddhist, and Brahmanical books combined tell us much about the history of Magadha, Anga, Kosala, Kāsī, and Vaisāli, while they leave us in the dark concerning the fortunes of most other parts of India.