Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

Author(s): J C Sikdar
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 518

Sec. III]
STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SUTRA
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flourishing side by side with their respective political ideals of imperialism and republicanism during the time of Lord Mahāvīra.. And there was no political unity among these states under one paramount sovereign, so a political struggle went on between Magadha under king Kuņika-Ajātaśatru and Vaisali and its allies for establishing their political and economic supremacy over the North-eastern region of India and it ended in the final victory of the Magadhan king over the combined forces of his rival camp led by king Cetaka. Thus the ancient republicanism of Vaisāli had to bow down its head to the aggressive imperialism of Magadha
The effect of the two wars was far-reaching, as it went a long way to pave the way for the expansion of Magadha to all directions and to bring about the political unification of India under the leadership of its rulers of the successive dynasties-the Nanda and the Maurya till the Kalinga war which changed the whole character of its foreign policy of war to that of peace. So the political conditions will not be dealt with again in details in this section.
As regards the other historical kings, the Ksatriya clans, Indian tribes and foreign peoples an attempt will be made here to form an exact idea of their political life and position in the history of those days and of the extent of the country on the basis of the BhS.
With regard to the monarchies the text makes mention of the kingdom of Magadha with its capital at Rajagṛha, presided over by Seņiya-Bimbisāra1 and his son, king Kūņika-Ajātaśatru, ruling at Campa in succession, to the west and north-west lay the kingdoms of Kasi and Kosala with their capitals at Vārāṇasī and Srāvasti respectively, still further to the north-west there was the kingdom of Hastinapura ruled over by king Siva". There lay to the south of Kosala the kingdom of Vatsa with its capital at Kausambz on the Yamuna under the kingship of Udayana, the
1 Bhs, 1, 1, 4. 8.4 Ib, 7, 9, 300. Ib, 12, 2, 441.
2 Ib, 7, 9, 300, 301. Ib, 11, 9, 417.