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{{Short description|First dynasty that ruled Magadha}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{POV|date=April 2023}}
{{more citations needed|date=May 2023}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = Brihadratha dynasty
| common_name = Bṛhadratha
| year_start = 1700 BCE (legendary)<ref name="Chakrabarty" />
| year_end = 682 BCE
| event_end = Assassination of [[Ripunjaya]]
| p1 = Copper Hoard culture
| p2 = Kikata kingdom
| p3 =
| s1 = Pradyota dynasty
| s2 = Haryanka dynasty
| s3 =
| image_map = Late Vedic Culture (1100-500 BCE).png
| image_map_caption = Magadha in 1100 BCE ruled by the Brihadratha dynasty, in the north-eastern region
| capital = [[Girivraja]]
| common_languages = [[Vedic Sanskrit]]
| government_type = [[Monarchy]]
| title_leader = [[List of monarchs of Magadha|King]]
| year_leader1 = 1700–1680 BCE
| leader1 = [[Brihadratha]] (first ruler)
| year_leader2 = 1680–1665 BCE
| leader2 = [[Jarasandha]]
| year_leader3 = 732–682 BCE
| leader3 = [[Ripunjaya]] (last ruler)
| today = [[India]]
| religion = [[Vedic Hinduism]]
| demonym =
| area_km2 =
| area_rank =
| GDP_PPP =
| GDP_PPP_year =
| HDI =
| HDI_year =
}}
{{History of Bihar}}
{{History of India}}

The '''Brihadratha dynasty''' ({{Langx|sa|बृहद्रथ}}; [[IAST]]: Bṛhadratha) was the legendary<ref name="Chakrabarty">{{cite book | last=Chakrabarty | first=D.K. | title=The Geopolitical Orbits of Ancient India: The Geographical Frames of the Ancient Indian Dynasties | publisher=OUP India | year=2010 | isbn=978-0-19-908832-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EIAyDwAAQBAJ&dq=legendary&pg=PT24}}</ref> first dynasty of the [[Magadhan Empire|Magadha Empire]], according to the [[Puranas]], and was founded by [[Brihadratha]].<ref name=":1" />{{Rp|page=|pages=129–136}} The Capital Of Magadha Under [[Jarasandha]] is mentioned in Mahabharata as Girivraja. Scholarship Significantly Identified Girivraja With [[Rajgir]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cunningham |first=Alexander |doi=10.1017/cbo9781139519984 |title=The Ancient Geography of India |date=2013-03-28 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-139-51998-4}}</ref>

== History ==

=== Brihadratha ===
{{main|Brihadratha}}

According to the Puranas, Brihadratha (also Maharatha) was the king of Magadha<ref name=":2">{{cite book|title=India through the ages|url=https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada|last=Gopal|first=Madan|year= 1990| page= [https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada/page/80 80]|editor=K.S. Gautam|publisher=Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India}}</ref> and the founder of the Brihadratha dynasty. According to the ''[[Mahabharata]]'' and the Purana, he was the eldest of the five sons of [[Uparichara Vasu]], the Kuru king of [[Chedi Kingdom|Chedi]], and his queen was Girika.<ref>{{Cite book |last= |first= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZvxLEAAAQBAJ&dq=Uparichara+Vasu&pg=PT28 |title=Skanda Purana: Vaishnava Khanda: Vasudeva Mahatmya: English Translation only without Slokas |date=2021-10-24 |publisher=Kausiki Books |pages=28 |language=en}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=July 2024|reason=Correct source, but wrong page or misattributed. Linked web source is not complete.}} The name 'Brihadratha' is found twice in the ''[[Rigveda]]'' (I.36.18, X.49.6); however, it is not indicated whether this refers to the father of Jarasandha.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Raychaudhuri |first=Hemchandra |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.282598/page/n89/mode/2up |title=Political History of Ancient India |publisher=University of Calcutta |year=1972 |location=Calcutta |pages=71 |chapter=Sixteen Mahājanapadas}}</ref>

=== Jarasandha ===
{{main|Jarasandha}}

The Mahabharatha mention that [[Jarasandha]] was the son of Brihadratha and the greatest ruler of the dynasty.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Gokhale|first=Namita|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7DYnAgAAQBAJ&dq=jarasandha+birth&pg=PT62|title=The Puffin Mahabharata|date=2013-01-21|publisher=Penguin UK|isbn=978-93-5118-415-7|language=en}}</ref> According to Jai Samhita, 24 Brihadratha kings ruled for many years.
The name of Jarasandha appears in the Puranas many times. Jarasandha was inimical to the [[Yadava]] and is mentioned as a villain in the ''Mahabharata''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mahabharat Episode 28: Jarasandha – Born Divided |url=https://isha.sadhguru.org/in/en/wisdom/article/mahabharat-jarasandha-born-divided |website=sadhguru.org |access-date=2020-05-12}}</ref>

[[File: Bhima Slays Jarasandha.jpg|thumb|[[Bhima]] slays Jarasandha in a wrestling fight.]]
[[Bhima]], with the help of [[Krishna]], killed Jarasandha, This Site was Girivraja in Mahabharata and scholars identified this with modern [[Rajgir]]. Girivraja([[Rajgir]])is also significantly noted in Mahabharata as the capital of Jarasandha.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa |date=1990 |orig-date=1970 |publisher=Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers |location=New Delhi |isbn=9788121500944 |edition=5th |url=https://www.mahabharataonline.com/translation/index.php}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Gopal |first=Madan |url=http://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada |title=India through the ages |date=1990 |publisher=Publications Division, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India |others=Public Resource |pages=101}}</ref>

=== Sahadeva ===
{{main|Sahadeva of Magadha}}

According to scripture, [[Sahadeva of Magadha|Sahadeva]] was the son of Jarasandha placed on the throne of Magadha by the [[Pandava]] after the assassination of Jarasandha. Sahadeva has fought the [[Kurukshetra War]] on the side of the Pandavas. According to the Puranas, he was killed in the Kurukshetra War by [[Shakuni]], along with his cousin Jayadeva. He was succeeded by Somadhi.<ref name=":1">{{cite book|last=Misra |first=V.S. |year=2007 |title=Ancient Indian Dynasties |location=Mumbai |publisher=Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan |jstor=41692138 |isbn=978-81-7276-413-5 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41692138}}</ref>{{Rp|page=290}}

=== Later rulers ===

Somadhi (or Somphi) was the son of Sahadeva and was placed on the throne of Magadha by the Pandavas after he agreed to be their [[subordinate]].<ref name=":1" />{{Rp|page=290}}

==End of dynasty==

The last of the Brihadratha dynasty was [[Ripunjaya]], who was killed by a minister named kulik (pulika) according to the Puaranas. After the death of Ripunjaya, kulik placed his son [[Pradyota]] on the throne and founded the [[Pradyota dynasty]] in 682 BCE.<ref name=":1" />{{Rp|page=300}}

==List of rulers==
{| class="wikitable"
|+List of Brihadratha dynasty rulers according to the Vayu Purana{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}
!Ruler
!Reign (BCE)
!Length of Reign (estd.)
|-
| [[Brihadratha]] ||1700–1680 BCE
|20
|-
| [[Jarasandha]] || 1680–1665 BCE
|15
|-
| [[Sahadeva of Magadha|Sahadeva]] || 1665–1661 BCE
|4
|-
| Somadhi || 1661–1603 BCE
|58
|-
| Srutasravas || 1603–1539 BCE
|64
|-
| Ayutayus || 1539–1503 BCE
|36
|-
| Niramitra || 1503–1463 BCE
|40
|-
| Sukshatra || 1463–1405 BCE
|58
|-
| Brihatkarman || 1405–1382 BCE
|23
|-
| Senajit || 1382–1332 BCE
|50
|-
| Srutanjaya || 1332–1292 BCE
|40
|-
| Vipra || 1292–1257 BCE
|35
|-
| Suchi || 1257–1199 BCE
|60
|-
| Kshemya || 1199–1171 BCE
|26
|-
| Subrata || 1171–1107 BCE
|64
|-
| Dharma || 1107–1043 BCE
|64
|-
| Susuma || 1043–970 BCE
|73
|-
| Dridhasena || 970–912 BCE
|58
|-
| Sumati || 912–879 BCE
|33
|-
| Subala || 879–857 BCE
|22
|-
| Sunita || 857–817 BCE
|40
|-
| Satyajit || 817–767 BCE
|50
|-
| Viswajit || 767–732 BCE
|35
|-
| [[Ripunjaya]] || 732–682 BCE
|50
|}

==See also==
* [[Pradyota dynasty]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{succession box
| title = Brihadratha dynasty
| years = 1700 BCE
{{Citation needed|date=December 2021|reason=no evidence of an urbanised civilisation in Bihar in that period, let alone a dynasty}} – 682 BCE
| before = [[Copper Hoard Culture]]
| after = [[Pradyota dynasty]]
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Dynasties of Magadha]]
[[Category:Rajgir]]

Brihadratha dynasty - Revision history

Mosphe at 15:31, 30 April 2026