Ajatshatru The Great King of Mgadha by Kapil Kapoor (Hardcover)

Ajatashatru (Ajâtasattu; Kunika; r. c.492 – c.460 BCE– or early 4th century BCE) was a king of the Haryanka dynasty of Magadha in North India. He was the son of King Bimbisara and was a contemporary of both Mahavira and Gautama Buddha. He forcefully took over the kingdom of Magadha from his father and imprisoned him. He fought a war against Vajji, ruled by the Lichchhavis, and conquered the republic of Vaishali. Ajatashatru followed policies of conquest and expansion. He defeated his neighbours including the king of Kosala; his brothers, when at odds with him, went to Kashi, which had been given to Bimbisara as dowry. This led to a war between Magadha and Kosala. Ajatashatru occupied Kashi and captured the smaller kingdoms. Magadha under Ajatashatru became the most powerful kingdom in North India. He is the inventor of two weapons used in war called rathamusala (blade chariot) and mahshilakantaka (engine for ejecting big stones). The account of Ajatashatru’s death recorded by historians is c.535 BCE. The account of his death differs widely between Jain and Buddhist traditions. Other accounts point towards c.460 BCE as the year of his death. The uniqueness of this book hence leis in the author’s way of reconstructing the period under review by delving deep into the geopolitical ground of that time of India.