Home Region: North India (South Asia)

Magadha - Sunga Empire

187 BCE 65 BCE

D G SC WF R

EQ 2020 in_sunga_emp / InSunga

Preceding Entity:

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Succeeding Entity: Add one more here.

75 BCE 30 BCE Magadha - Kanva Dynasty (in_kanva_dyn) [continuity]

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General Description

This period begins with the ascension of Puṣyamitra Shunga in 187 BCE.
The Shunga Empire territory was about 4 million km2, encompassing central and eastern India. The polity population is considered to be anywhere between 18 and 100 million at varying times, while the population of the largest settlement, likely the imperial capital of Pataliputra, may have up to 270 thousand inhabitants.
There were four main settlement types during this period: the imperial capital of Pataliputra, large secondary centres such as Taxila, Mathura, Brita, smaller town-like settlements, and villages.
The main religion practiced in this polity was Hinduism. Shunga rulers in particular are said to have practiced an ‘aggressive’ Vedic Hinduism, which according to Buddhist sources, led to their monks being persecuted.

General Variables

Identity and Location

2 Capital

Temporal Bounds

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

2 Language

Religion

1 Religion Genus

1 Religion Family

1 Alternate Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Population of the Largest Settlement

1 Polity Territory

1 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

Professions

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Food Storage Site

Transport Infrastructure

Special-purpose Sites

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

1 Non Phonetic Writing

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Indigenous Coin

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

2 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases Coding in Progress.

Power Transitions

20 Power Transition

Instability Events Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp) was in:
(187 BCE 65 BCE)	Middle Ganga

Home NGA: Middle Ganga

General Variables

Identity and Location Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Capital	Vidisha	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Capital	Pataliputra	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Temporal Bounds Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Duration	[187 BCE ➜ 65 BCE]
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Political and Cultural Relations Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Succeeding Entity 75 BCE 30 BCE	Magadha - Kanva Dynasty (in_kanva_dyn) [continuity] Suspected
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Degree of Centralization	uncoded	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Language Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Language	Sanskrit	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Language	Prakrit	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Religion Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Religion Genus	Hinduism	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Religion Family	Vedic Traditions	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Alternate Religion	Uncoded Undecided	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	[50,000 to 270,000] people	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Polity Territory	4,000,000 km²	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Polity Population	[18,000,000 to 100,000,000] people	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Hierarchical Complexity Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	4	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Professions Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Bureaucracy Characteristics Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Present Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Law Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Absent Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Food Storage Site	Present Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Transport Infrastructure Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Special-purpose Sites Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Information / Writing System Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Script	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Nonwritten Record	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Non Phonetic Writing	Absent	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Sacred Text	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Religious Literature	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Practical Literature	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Present Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Fiction	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Calendar	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Information / Money Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Indigenous Coin	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Information / Postal System Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Unknown Suspected	187 BCE 65 BCE
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General Postal Service	Unknown Suspected	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Courier	Unknown Suspected	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Information / Measurement System Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Present Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Present Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Unknown Suspected	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Modern Fortification	Absent	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Moat	Present Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Fortified Camp	Unknown Suspected	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Earth Rampart	Present Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Ditch	Present Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Complex Fortification	Absent Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Military use of Metals Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Iron	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Copper	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Bronze	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Projectiles Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Present Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Self Bow	Present Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Javelin	Present Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Composite Bow	Present Uncertain	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Composite Bow	Absent Uncertain	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Atlatl	Absent	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Handheld weapons Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Present Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Sword	Present Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Spear	Present Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Polearm	Present Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Dagger	Present Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Battle Axe	Present Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Animals used in warfare Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Elephant	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Armor Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Shield	Present Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Scaled Armor	Present Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Plate Armor	Present Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Limb Protection	Present Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Leather Cloth	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Laminar Armor	Present Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Helmet	Present Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Breastplate	Present Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Naval technology Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Absent Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Present	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Absent Inferred	187 BCE 65 BCE
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Human Sacrifice Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More