The Early History of the Deccan (Parts I–XI) v1.c7.s1.7

v1.c7.s1.7

The concept of imperialism in India, which had its origin in the age of the Brāhmaṇas, aimed at political integration of the country under the adhirāṭ or ekarāṭ (sole monarch). The custom of celebrating its achievements by elaborate rituals of vājapeya, rājasūya, and aśvamedha sacrifices had also come into vogue in this age. At first this imperialism was confined to Northern India, but later it came to embrace as much of the Deccan and South India as possible. This was achieved by the Nandas and the Mauryas who held their court at Pāṭaliputra, the modern Patna, in the province of Bihār. The Purāṇas say that Ugrasena-Mahāpadma of the Nanda dynasty up-rooted all the Kshatriyas, brought the whole earth under one royal umbrella and established himself as ekarāṭ.² An inscription of the early thirteenth century A.D. shows that first the Nandas and then the Mauryas ruled over Kuntala which included the Western Deccan and Northern Mysore.³ Another inscription of the eleventh century A.D. found in the Hyderabad State indirectly hints about the prevalence of the Nanda era in South India, which would not have been possible if Nanda rule had not been established over the Deccan.⁴ That there was a Nanda era is made certain by the Hāthigumphā inscription of Khārvela.⁵ A passage in this inscription also states that King Nanda carried away to Magadha as a trophy the statue of the first Jina. In view of the certainty of Nanda’s conquest of Kaliṅga, the subjugation of the territories lying farther south does not seem to be altogether improbable. The existence on the Godāvarī of a city called ‘Nau Nanda Dehrā’ (Nander) also suggests that the Nanda empire included a large portion of the Deccan.¹ From a commercial point of view also the south began to grow in importance at this time. Kauṭilya wished to maintain communications with the Dakṣiṇāpatha ‘for the sake of its diamond and gold mines, pearl and chank fisheries, and numerous opulent marts’.²