The Early History of India, from 600 B.C. to the Muhammadan Conquest, including the Invasion of Alexander the Great c11.s1: Chronology (Approximate) of Śaiśunāga and Nanda Dynasties

c11.s1.1

| *Serial No.* | *King (Matsya Purāṇa).* | *Length of Reign. (Matsya P.)* | *Probable date of Accession.* | *Remarks.* |
| | **Śaiśunāga Dynasty.** | | **B. C.** | |
| 1 | Śiśunāga . . . | 40 | ? 642 | Originally Rājā of Kāsī or Benares. |
| 2 3 4 | Kākavarṇa . . Kshemadharman Kshemajit or Kshatraujas . | .26 / 36 / 24 126 | .. .. .. | .Nothing known. Sixty / years allowed for four / reigns. |
| 5 | Bimbisāra. . . | 28 | *c.* 582 | Built New Rājagṛiha ; annexed Anga ; contemporary with Mahāvīra and Gautama Buddha. |
| 6 | Ajātaśatru . . | 27 | *c.* 554 | Death of Buddha, 543 ; built fort of Pāṭaliputra ; wars with Kosala and Vaisālī ; death of Mahāvīra. |
| 7 | Darśaka . . . | 24 | *c.* 527 | See *Svapna-Vāsavadatta* of Bhāsa. |
| 8 | Udāsin or Udaya | 33 | *c.* 503 | Built city of Kusumapura near Pāṭaliputra. |
| 9 10 | Nandivardhana . Mahānandin . . | .40 / 43 83 | ? 470 .. | Nothing known ; reigns probably shorter in reality : 57 years allowed. |
| | *Total* . . *Average* . | **321** **32·1** | ***c.* 229** **22·9** **(maximum possible 25·0)** | The *Matsya* assigns either 360 or ? 163 (Pargiter, p. 69) to the dynasty, as a whole. |
| | **Nanda Dynasty.** | | | |
| .11 / 12 | Mahāpadma, &c., 9 ; 2 generations | . 100 | 413 | 91 years allowed. Low caste heretics, hostile to Brahmans and Kshatriyas ; destroyed by Chandragupta and Kautilya. |
| | **Maurya Dynasty.** | | | |
| 13 | Chandragupta . | 24 | 322 (?325) | Date approximately correct. |