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The Causes And Fall Of The Mauryan Empire

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The Mauryan Empire collapsed in 187 BC after the last Mauryan king, Brihadratha was killed by his general, Pushyamitra Sunga. Pushyamitra Sunga, a Brahmin, established the Sunga Dynasty that ruled Magadha till 73 BC. He was hostile to Buddhism and ordered the destruction of several Buddhist monasteries. There was a revival in Hinduism during this brief period and attempts were made to revive the caste system. The Sunga rulers believed in Vedic sacrifices such as Asvamedha, Rajsuya and Vajpeiya. This period is known for developments in literature and language as Patanjali, a renowned scholar, published a treatise on the rules of Sanskrit grammar. The Sunga Empire collapsed in 73 BC, when its last ruler, Devabhuti was deposed by his minister, Vasudeva, who founded the Kanva Dynasty. The Kanva dynasty ruled Magadha from 73 BC to 30 BC. There was high political instability in India during this period. …show more content…

At its peak, the Kushan Empire included Afghanistan, Pakistan, northern India and parts of central Asia. The Kushanas had diplomatic contacts with Han China, Persia and the Roman Empire. They controlled Silk Road that traversed through central Asia, linking Roman Empire in the west to China in the east. Kanishka was the greatest emperor of the Kushan Dynasty. He was a great supporter of Buddhism and convened the Buddhist Council meeting in Kashmir during his rule. The Saka calendar was introduced by Kanishka in 78 AD on his accession to the throne. The empire collapsed and broke up into several independent kingdoms in 3rd century AD after the death of Vasudeva I, the last great Kushan

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