Effects of Iranian Invasion

        It gave an impetus to Indo – Iranian trade and commerce.

       Through the Iranian ,the Greeks came to know about the great wealth of India and this eventually led to Alexander ‘s invasion of India.

       The Iranian scribes brought into India a form of writing which came to be known as the Kharosthi  script. It was written from right to left like the Arabic.

       Iranian influence on the Mauryan Sculpture is clearly perceptible,especial in the bell shaped capital. Iranian influence may also be traced  in the preamble of Ashoka’s  edicts as well as in certain words used in them.

Effects of Alexander’s Invasion

        By opening up both the land and sea routes between  India and Europ,it brought both of them to each other.   

       Indirectly this invasion made possible the establishment of Indo- Bacterian and Indo- Parthian states . which at a later stage considerably influenced Indian architecture (Gandhara school of sculpture ), astronomy, coinage etc.     

      The invasion  opened the eyes of Indian politicians to the necessity of creating a unified empire. 

      The date  of the Invasion of Alexander is the ‘first reliable date in early Indian history ‘ and considerably helps us in solving chronological difficulties.

Causes of Religious Movements

   The vedic philosophy had lost its original purity.

                                          The vedic religion had become very complex and had  become very complex and had-degenerated into superstitions, dogmas and rituals.

                                        Supremacy  of the Brahmans created unrest in the society and Kshatriyas reached against the Brahmanical domination. 

                                        Introduction of a new agricultural  economy in Eastern India..       The desire of Vaishyas to improve their social position with the increase in their economic   position due to the growth of trade.

Rise of Magadha

         The political history of India from 6^th century BC onwards is the history of struggle between four states   - Magadha ,Kosala, Vatsa and Avanti- for supremacy.

Ultimately the kingdom of Magadha emerged to be the most power one succeeded in founding an empire.

Cause of Magadha’s success

            Magadha enjoyed an advantageous geographical  position in the age of iron, because the richest iron deposits were situated not for away from  Rajgir, the earliest capital of Magadha and could be used for making weapons. 

            Magadha lay at the centre of the middle Gangetic plain.  The alluvium ,once  cleared of the jungles ,proved immense fertile and food surplus was thus available. 

          Magadha enjoyed a special advantage in military organization. Although the Indian states were well acquainted with the  used horses and chariots, it was Magadha which first used elephants on a large scale in its was against its neighbours.         

Ajatashatru (Kunika) : 492 BC – 460 BC

                   Bimbisara was succeeded by his son Ajatashatru.  Ajatashatru killed his father and seized the throne.

                    Ajatashatru followed a moper aggressive policy . He gained complete control over Kashi and Broke the earlier amicable relations by attacking his maternal uncle Prasenjit, the king of Kosala.

                     The Vajji confederation was Ajatashatru ‘s next target of attack .  The was  a lengthy one  and tradition tells us that after a long period of 16 years , he was able to defeat the Vajji only though deceit, by sowing the seeds of discord among the people of Vajji.

                     The three things who played important role to defeat the Vajji_ (i) Sunidha and Vatsakar _    Ajatashatru’s  diplomatic ministers . who sowed the seeds of discord among Vajjis, (ii)   Rathamusala_ a kind of engine which catapulted big stones.

                      In this way Kashi and Vaishall (the capital of Vajji) were added to Magadha, making it the most powerful territorial power in the Ganges Valley.

He built the fort of Rajagriha and a watch –fort (Jaladurga) at a village called  Patali, on the banks of the Ganges.

Udayin: 460 BC – 440 BC

                     Ajastshatru was succeeded  by his son Udayin.

                       His reign   is important because he laid the foundations of the city of Patliputra at the confluence of the Son and the Ganges and shifted the capital  from Rajagriha to Patliputra.

                       Udayin was succeed by Anuruddha, Munda and Naga –Dasak respectively who all were weak and parricides.