Shaishunaga dynasty

Shaishunaga dynasty, ancient ruling family in the Indian kingdom of Magadha. The Shaishunaga line of kings followed the reigns of Bimbasara and Ajatashatru (both contemporaries of the Buddha). The line is generally placed immediately before the Nandas and is dated roughly from the mid-5th to the mid-4th century bce.

Shisunaga, or Susunaga, the founder, was of obscure origin and may have initially served as Magadhan viceroy at Kashi (Varanasi). Gradually he came to be associated with the early Magadhan capital Girivraja, or Rajgir, and reestablished the city of Vaishali in north Bihar. Shishunaga’s reign, like that of his Magadhan predecessors, represents a stage in the history of the fast expansion of the Magadhan empire. He successfully fought against Avantivardhana and annexed the Avanti kingdom to his empire.

The reign of Shishunaga’s son Kalashoka is known chiefly for two important events: the meeting of the second Buddhist council at Vaishali and the shifting of the Magadhan capital to Pataliputra. The end of Shishunaga’s line is obscure, as is much of the pre-Mauryan dynastic history of Magadha. Kalashoka’s sons, according to traditional lists, were 10 in number, but no details about them are known. Kalashoka was brutally murdered, presumably by the founder of the Nanda line, and the Shaishunaga dynasty ceased to rule.