SSC
The Magadha king Ajatashatru was the son of:
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Answer: Option D — Bimbisara
Detailed Solution
Ajatashatru (also called Kunika) was the son of Bimbisara, the king of Magadha.
About Ajatashatru:
- He ruled from about 492 to 460 BCE (dates vary).
- According to Buddhist sources, he killed his father Bimbisara (imprisoned him and starved him to death) to seize the throne, under the influence of the Buddha's jealous cousin Devadatta.
- According to Jain sources, his mother was Chellana, a Lichchhavi princess.
- He later repented and became a follower of the Buddha, according to Buddhist texts.
- He was a contemporary of both the Buddha and Mahavira.
His achievements:
- He followed an aggressive policy of expansion.
- He fought a long war against Kosala (King Prasenajit), and finally gained the Kashi region.
He defeated the powerful Vajji confederacy of Vaishali after a long war, using new war machines: the "mahashilakantaka" (a catapult that threw large stones) and the "rathamusala" (a chariot with a mace or blades attached).
He sent his minister Vassakara to the Buddha to ask about the strength of the Vajjis.
He built a fort at the village of Pataligrama, on the Ganga, to fight the Vajjis; this later became the city of Pataliputra.
He was the patron of the First Buddhist Council, held at Rajagriha soon after the Buddha's death.
About Bimbisara:
- He belonged to the Haryanka dynasty, and ruled Magadha in the 6th century BCE.
- He expanded Magadha through conquest (annexing Anga) and marriage alliances with Kosala, the Lichchhavis and the Madras.
- He was a follower of the Buddha, and gave the Venuvana to the Sangha.
After Ajatashatru:
His son Udayin succeeded him, and is said to have founded the city of Pataliputra as the new capital.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Udayin was Ajatashatru's son.
- ✗Shishunaga founded a later dynasty.
- ✗Prasenajit was the king of Kosala.
Quick tip
Remember: Ajatashatru = son of Bimbisara (Haryanka dynasty); conquered the Vajjis using mahashilakantaka and rathamusala; built a fort at Pataligrama; patron of the First Buddhist Council.
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Mahajanapadas & Mauryan Empire — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Mahajanapadas & Mauryan Empire, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the sixteen Mahajanapadas, the rise of Magadha under the Haryanka, Shishunaga and Nanda dynasties, Alexander's invasion, and the Mauryan Empire under Chandragupta Maurya, Bindusara and Ashoka, including Mauryan administration, Ashoka's dhamma and his edicts. Questions often ask about the capital of a Mahajanapada, the founder of a dynasty, or details of Ashoka's rule, such as the Kalinga war and his rock and pillar edicts. Key sources include Kautilya's Arthashastra and Megasthenes' Indica. James Prinsep first deciphered Ashoka's Brahmi inscriptions in 1837. Practise the Mahajanapadas and Mauryan Empire questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.