Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c20.s3.t8.5

v1.c20.s3.t8.5

Presenting literary and epigraphic evidences, Banerjee (1965: 18-25) has suggested that the second phase of culture at Ujjain (and the neighbouring area including Nāgdā etc.) started with the warrior ruler Pradyota defeating the Haihayas of Māhiṣmatī or Maheswar on the bank of Narmada (southern Avanti) and founding his empire of northern Avanti at Ujjain around 528 BC. Pradyota was contemporary to Gautam Buddha and the mahājanapadas at Kauśāmbī, Magadha, Śrāvasti, Taxila etc. He waged an unsuccessful war against king Pukkusāti (Pukkusārin) of Gāndhāra (Taxila) which must have taken place prior to c. 521 BC when some areas in the north-west part of India, including Gāndhāra were conquered by the Persians under Darius. Pradyota imprisoned Udayana, king of Kauśāmbī. The war-like activities in the mahājanapadas explain the fortifications at Kauśāmbī, Ujjain etc. and the increasing production of offence equipments made of iron.