Agnimitra

Agnimitra (Sanskrit: अग्निमित्रः) (r. 149 – 141 BC) was the second king of the Shunga dynasty of northern India. He succeeded his father, Pushyamitra Shunga, in 149 BC. The Vayu Purana and the Brahmanda Purana have assigned 8 years as the length of his reign.[1]

Agnimitra
Shunga Emperor
Reign149–141 BC
PredecessorPushyamitra Shunga
SuccessorVasujyeshtha
Issue
FatherPushyamitra Shunga

Ancestry and early life

According to Kālidāsa in the Mālavikāgnimitram (Act IV, Verse 14), Agnimitra belonged to the Baimbika family (Baimbika-kula), while the Puranas mention him as a Shunga.[2] The Mālavikāgnimitra, (Act V, Verse 20) informs us that he was the Goptri (viceroy) at Vidisha during his father's reign.[3]

The Mālavikāgnimitra gives us the names of three of his queens: Dharini (the mother of the fourth Shunga King, Vasumitra), Iravati, and Malavika (a princess of Vidarbha).

War with Vidarbha

According to the Mālavikāgnimitra (Act I, Verse 6-8 and Act V, Verse 13-14), a war broke out between the Shungas and neighboring Vidarbha kingdom during Agnimitra's reign. Before the rise of the Shungas, Vidarbha had become independent from the Mauryan Empire when a former Mauryan sachiva (minister) put his brother-in-law Yajnasena on the throne. Madhavasena, a cousin of Yajnasena, sought help from Agnimitra in overthrowing his cousin, but was captured while crossing the border of Vidarbha and imprisoned.[1]

Agnimitra demanded the release of Madhavasena, and in return Yajnasena demanded the release of the former Mauryan minister, who had been captured earlier by Agnimitra. Instead, Agnimitra sent his army to invade Vidarbha. Yajnasena was defeated and forced to divide Vidarbha with Madhavasena, and both cousins recognized the suzerainty of the Shunga rulers.[1][4] This shows that he was probably an able military leader.

Agnimitra and Malavika

For Agnimitra and Malavika, see Mālavikāgnimitram

Succession

Agnimitra's reign ended in 141 BC and he was succeeded either by his son Vasujyeshtha (according to the Matsya Purana) or Sujyeshtha (according to the Vayu, Brahamānda, Vishnu, and Bhagavata Puranas).[1]

Preceded by
Pushyamitra		 King of Shunga Dynasty
149–141 BC		 Succeeded by
Vasujyeshtha

Further reading
  • Indigenous States of Northern India (Circa 200 BC to 320 AD) by Bela Lahiri, University of Calcutta,1974.

References
  1. Lahiri, Bela (1974). Indigenous States of Northern India (Circa 200 B.C. to 320 A.D.) Calcutta: University of Calcutta, pp.47-50
  2. Raychaudhuri, Hemchandra (1972). Political History of Ancient India: From the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty, Calcutta: University of Calcutta,1972, p.328
  3. Raychaudhuri, Hemchandra (1972). Political History of Ancient India: From the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty, Calcutta: University of Calcutta,1972, p.330
  4. Kalidas, Encyclopedia Americana


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.