15 Facts About Shunga Empire

Shunga Empire was an ancient Indian dynasty from Magadha that controlled areas of the central and eastern Indian subcontinent from around 185 to 73 BCE.

Pushyamitra Shunga ruled for 36 years and was succeeded by his son Agnimitra.

Shunga Empire rulers helped to establish the tradition of royal sponsorship of learning and art.

Shunga Empire played an imperative role in patronising culture at a time when some of the most important developments in Hindu thought were taking place.

Shunga Empire was assassinated by his minister and is said to have been overfond of the company of women.

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The Shunga Empire dynasty was then replaced by the subsequent Kanvas.

Pushyamitra Shunga Empire became the ruler of Magadha and neighbouring territories.

The Shunga Empire definitely had control of the central city of Ayodhya in northern central India, as is proved by the Dhanadeva-Ayodhya inscription.

Later Shunga Empire emperors were seen as amenable to Buddhism and as having contributed to the building of the stupa at Bharhut.

Some Indian scholars are of the opinion that the orthodox Shunga Empire emperors were not intolerant towards Buddhism and that Buddhism prospered during the time of the Shunga Empire emperors.

An account of a direct battle between the Greeks and the Shunga Empire is found in the Malavikagnimitram, a play by Kalidasa which describes a battle between a squadron of Greek cavalrymen and Vasumitra, the grandson of Pushyamitra, accompanied by a hundred soldiers on the "Sindhu river", in which the Indians defeated a squadron of Greeks and Pushyamitra successfully completed the Ashvamedha Yagna.

Ultimately, Shunga Empire rule seems to have extended to the area of Ayodhya.

Shunga Empire inscriptions are known as far as Ayodhya in northern central India; in particular, the Dhanadeva-Ayodhya inscription refers to a local king Dhanadeva, who claimed to be the sixth descendant of Pushyamitra Shunga Empire.

The Shunga Empire style was thus seen as 'more Indian' and is often described as the more indigenous.

Script used by the Shunga Empire was a variant of Brahmi, and was used to write the Sanskrit language.