Home Region:  North India (South Asia)

Magadha - Sunga Empire

187 BCE 65 BCE
D G SC WF RG 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]

Displayed: 170 BCE

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-170-159-147-136-124-113-101-90-78-67


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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
Temporal Bounds
Political and Cultural Relations
Language
Religion
Social Complexity Variables
Social Scale
Hierarchical Complexity
Professions
Bureaucracy Characteristics
Law
Specialized Buildings: polity owned
Transport Infrastructure
Special-purpose Sites
Information / Writing System
Information / Kinds of Written Documents
Information / Money
Information / Postal System
Information / Measurement System
Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Fortifications
Military use of Metals
Projectiles
Handheld weapons
Animals used in warfare
Armor
Naval technology
Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.
Religion Variables Coding in Progress.
Crisis Consequences Coding in Progress.
Power Transitions 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 Tags Year(s) See More
Capital Vidisha Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Capital Pataliputra Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Temporal Bounds Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Duration [187 BCE ➜ 65 BCE] Confident
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Political and Cultural Relations Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Succeeding Entity
75 BCE 30 BCE
Magadha - Kanva Dynasty (in_kanva_dyn)   [continuity]  Suspected
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Degree of Centralization uncoded Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Language Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Language Sanskrit Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Language Prakrit Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Religion Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Religion Genus Hinduism Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Religion Family Vedic Traditions Confident 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 Tags Year(s) See More
Population of the Largest Settlement [50,000 to 270,000] people Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Polity Territory 4,000,000 km2 Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Polity Population [18,000,000 to 100,000,000] people Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Hierarchical Complexity Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Settlement Hierarchy 4 Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Professions Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Bureaucracy Characteristics Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Specialized Government Building Present Inferred 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Law Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
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 Tags Year(s) See More
Food Storage Site Present Inferred 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Transport Infrastructure Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Special-purpose Sites Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Information / Writing System Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Written Record Present Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Script Present Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing Present Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Nonwritten Record Present Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Non Phonetic Writing Absent Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Scientific Literature Present Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Sacred Text Present Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Religious Literature Present Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Practical Literature Present Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Lists Tables and Classification Present Inferred 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Fiction Present Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Calendar Present Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Information / Money Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Indigenous Coin Present Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Information / Postal System Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
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 Tags Year(s) See More
Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Fortifications Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
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 Confident 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 Tags Year(s) See More
Steel Present Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Iron Present Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Copper Present Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Bronze Present Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Projectiles Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
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 Confident Uncertain 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Composite Bow Absent Confident Uncertain 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Atlatl Absent Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Handheld weapons Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
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 Tags Year(s) See More
Horse Present Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Elephant Present Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Armor Magadha - Sunga Empire (in_sunga_emp)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Wood Bark Etc Present Confident 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 Confident 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 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 Tags Year(s) See More
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad Present Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary Present Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic Present Confident 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 Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted Present Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife Present Confident 187 BCE  65 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers Present Confident 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 Tags Year(s) See More
Crisis Cases
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Instability Data
Power Transitions
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