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Bimbisara

Type Figure Region Magadha Time c. -558–-491 Also known as King Bimbisara of Magadha

Bimbisara (c. 558–491 BCE), famous king of Magadha with its capital at Rajagriha, expanded through marriage and conquest, making Magadha one of the s…

Timeline

  1. c. -544–-520Rajagriha · RajagrihaAfter accession Bimbisara moved the capital to Rajagriha, consolidating Magadha's hegemony in North India through marriage alliances with Kosala, Vaisali, and other states and the conquest of neighboring city-states, laying the foundation for the later rise of the Mauryan Empire.
  2. c. -528–-495Rajagriha · RajagrihaBimbisara converted to Buddhism, granting the Bamboo Grove to the Buddha and the sangha, and repeatedly listened to the Dharma; according to Jain literature he also had dealings with Mahavira, making his court a center of religious and intellectual exchange in North India.
  3. c. -495–-491Rajagriha · RajagrihaHis son Ajatashatru launched a coup and imprisoned Bimbisara in the palace; according to Buddhist accounts he died in captivity by starvation or murder, a tragic outcome of the power struggles at the Magadhan court.

Sources