THE SHUNGAS
After killing Brihadratha, the last Mauryan king, in about 185-180 Be, his brahmana general, Pushyamitra Shunga, founded the Shunga dynasty. Panini connects the Shungas with the well-known brahmana family of the Bharadwajas. In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad and the Ashvalayana Shrautasutra, the Shungas are known as teachers.
Agnimitra, Pushyamitra's son and viceroy of Vidisa, was instrumental in suppressing the revolt of Vidarbha under Yajnasena. Greek invasions also troubled Pushyamitra's reign, but his grandson Vasumitra repulsed a major attack led by Demetrius.
Pushyamitra's dominions extended up to eastern Punjab and included Jalandhar and Sakala, Magadha in the east with Pataliputra as its capital and Kosala with Ayodhya as its capital, and central India with Vidisa as its capital.
Pushyamitra's was not a closely-knit centralised rule; it was more of a federal one. All through his rule he was referred to as senapati. After Agnimitra and Vasumitra, the Shunga dynasty had weak rulers, and it gradually declined.
Under the Shungas, brahmanical influence revived. The practice of Vedic sacrifices was popularised: Pushyamitra is said to have performed two Ashvamedha yajnas. Sanskrit literature flourished. Patanjali, the great grammarian who wrote the Mahabhashya, was born at Gonanda in central India in this period. Despite Buddhist persecution which seems to have taken place, the reign saw the Bharhut stupa being built, besides the fine railings of the Sanchi stupa. Incidentally, Kalidasa based the story of his play, Malavikagnimitra, on the life of Agnimitra of this dynasty.
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