The History of Antiquity, Vol. 4 (of 6)Duncker, Max
History
The History of Antiquity, Vol. 4 (of 6)
Duncker, Max
History, Ancient
[481] Burnouf, _loc. cit._ p. 351; Lassen, "Ind. Alterth." 2^2, 80.
CHAPTER III.
THE KINGDOM OF MAGADHA AND THE SETTLEMENTS IN THE SOUTH.
King Ajataçatru of Magadha, who is said to have dethroned his father
Bimbisara in the the year 551 B.C. and put him to death, to have
persecuted the "Enlightened," and then, from a persecutor to have
changed into a zealous follower, demanded, according to the legends of
the Buddhists, that the Mallas should give up to him the remains of
Buddha (the ashes and the bones of his corpse) for preservation. But the
Mallas refused to do this. The Çakyas also laid claim to them because
Buddha sprang from their family; the warrior families of the Vrijis of
Vaiçali because Buddha was a Kshatriya; and finally the Koçalas of
Ramagrama demanded them. Ajataçatru intended to possess himself of them
by force. Then a learned Brahman succeeded in preventing the decision by
an appeal to arms; the remains were divided into eight portions, and
distributed among the different claimants, of whom each erected a
memorial for his portion. Ajataçatru buried his portion under a stupa,
_i.e._ a tower with a cupola, near his metropolis Rajagriha.[482]
Of the further deeds of Ajataçatru we only learn that he subjugated to
his dominion the Vrijis, who were governed by a council formed of the
elders of their families.[483] Of the immediate successors of Ajataçatru
in Magadha, Udayabhadra (519-503 B.C.), Anuruddhaka (503-495 B.C.), and
Nagadasaka (495-471 B.C.), nothing further is known than that each
murdered his father.[484] Nagadasaka, the great-grandson of Ajataçatru,
is said to have been dethroned by the people, who set up in his place
Çiçunaga a son of Ajataçatru, who seems to have previously ruled as a
vassal king in the city of the Vrijis, the conquered Vaiçali.[485] This
Çiçunaga, who ruled over Magadha from the year 471 to 453 B.C., was
succeeded on the throne by his son, Kalaçoka.[486]
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