Post-Mauryan Period Notes for UPSC: Shungas, Kanvas, Satavahanas, Indo-Greeks, Shakas, Parthians and Kushanas with Art, Trade and Society (Complete Revision Guide)

The Post-Mauryan period (roughly 200 BCE to 300 CE) is the age between the fall of the Mauryas and the rise of the Guptas. It looks like a time of political division, but it was a period of great growth in trade, towns, religion and art. Rulers from Central Asia and Greece entered India, the Satavahanas ruled the Deccan, and the Kushanas built a large empire in the north-west. For the UPSC Prelims and Mains, this period is important for its dynasties, coins, inscriptions, art schools and the Indo-Roman trade. These notes cover all of them in simple language, with tables and memory tips.

Why Study the Post-Mauryan Period?

Many students skip this chapter because it has too many small dynasties. But UPSC regularly asks questions on Gandhara and Mathura art, Kanishka and the Fourth Buddhist Council, the Satavahanas and the trade with Rome. The period also links Ancient History with Art and Culture, and with the later Gupta age. If you understand the main idea (foreign invasions, rise of trade and the spread of Mahayana Buddhism), you can answer almost any question. You can revise the earlier period with our notes on the Mauryan Empire and the later period with the Gupta Empire.

Timeline at a Glance

The Shungas and the Kanvas

Pushyamitra Shunga, the commander of the last Mauryan king Brihadratha, killed him and founded the Shunga dynasty around 185 BCE. The capital was Pataliputra, and later Vidisha also became important. Pushyamitra performed Ashvamedha sacrifices and is considered a supporter of Brahmanism, though the Buddhist stupa at Bharhut and the expansion of Sanchi stupa took place in this period. The grammarian Patanjali, who wrote the Mahabhashya, lived in this age. Kalidasa's play Malavikagnimitram has Agnimitra, the son of Pushyamitra, as its hero. The last Shunga king Devabhuti was killed by his minister Vasudeva, who started the Kanva dynasty, which lasted for about 45 years.

The Satavahanas of the Deccan

• Founder: Simuka. The dynasty is also called the Andhras in the Puranas.
• Greatest ruler: Gautamiputra Satakarni (about 106 to 130 CE), who defeated the Shakas and the Pahlavas. His mother Gautami Balashri's Nasik inscription describes his victories.
• Capital: Pratishthana (Paithan) on the Godavari. Other centres were Amaravati and Junnar.
• Language and script: Prakrit in the Brahmi script. The coins and the inscriptions use Prakrit.
• Matronymics: The kings used the names of their mothers (Gautamiputra, Vasishthiputra), which shows the importance of women in the royal family.
• Religion and art: Support for both Brahmanism and Buddhism. The Karle chaitya hall, the Nasik and Ajanta caves and the Amaravati stupa belong to this age. The Amaravati art school used white marble.
• Trade: They issued lead coins and controlled the ports on the west and the east coasts, which gave them wealth from the Indo-Roman trade.

The Indo-Greeks, Shakas and Parthians

After the Mauryas, a series of foreign rulers came from the north-west. The Indo-Greeks (Bactrian Greeks) were the first to rule north-western India with a Greek identity. They issued coins with the portrait of the king and legends in Greek and Kharosthi, which made the coins a source of history. The most famous king was Menander (Milinda), who became a Buddhist after a debate with the monk Nagasena, as recorded in the Pali text Milindapanha. The Shakas (Scythians) ruled in western India and the Deccan. Their most famous ruler was Rudradaman I, whose Junagadh inscription (about 150 CE) is the first long inscription in classical Sanskrit and records the repair of the Sudarshana lake built in Mauryan times. The Parthians (Pahlavas) ruled for a short period, and Gondophernes is the best-known king, linked with the legend of St. Thomas visiting India.

The Kushanas

The Kushanas belonged to a Central Asian tribe called the Yuezhi. Kujula Kadphises united the tribes and founded the empire, and Vima Kadphises issued a large number of gold coins. The greatest ruler was Kanishka (about 78 to 101 CE), whose accession is traditionally linked with the start of the Shaka Era (78 CE), which is the national calendar of India today.

Gandhara, Mathura and Amaravati Schools of Art

The first images of the Buddha in human form were made in this period, as the earlier art showed the Buddha only through symbols such as the wheel, the footprints and the Bodhi tree. For related topics, read the notes on Buddhist Architecture and Indian Sculpture, Pottery and Coins.

Trade, Towns and Economy

The period saw very active trade by land and sea. The Silk Route connected China with Rome through north-western India, and the Kushanas collected the profits. In the south, the Indo-Roman trade brought gold to India in exchange for spices, pearls, cotton cloth and precious stones. The Greek text Periplus of the Erythraean Sea describes the ports of this trade, such as Barygaza (Bharuch) in the west and Muziris and Arikamedu in the south. Roman coins have been found in large numbers in the Deccan and south India. Guilds (shrenis) of merchants and artisans were powerful and gave donations to the Buddhist monasteries. The use of coins increased greatly, and the Kushana gold coins were the finest of the time.

Society and Religion

The foreign rulers were slowly accepted in the Indian society as Kshatriyas, and many adopted Buddhism or Hinduism. The Mahayana Buddhism, with the worship of the Buddha and the Bodhisattvas, grew in this age, while the Bhakti element and the image worship also developed in the Vaishnava and the Shaiva traditions. The Manusmriti and other Dharmashastra texts took their form in this period, and they set out the social rules for the varna and the jati. Women's position was lower than earlier, but they could still make donations, as the inscriptions of the Satavahanas show.

Decline of the Post-Mauryan Powers

The Kushana empire weakened in the 3rd century CE because of the pressure from the Sassanians in the west and the rise of local powers such as the Yaudheyas, the Nagas and the Malavas in India. The Satavahana kingdom broke up into small states after the death of its last strong rulers, and the Shakas lost their western territory to the Guptas later. This political vacuum was filled by the Gupta dynasty in the 4th century CE, which united northern India again and started a new phase of the Indian culture.

Important Sources

• Coins: The Indo-Greek, Shaka and Kushana coins show the rulers, the gods and the trade.
• Inscriptions: The Junagadh inscription of Rudradaman, the Nasik inscription of Gautami Balashri and the Hathigumpha inscription of Kharavela of Kalinga.
• Literature: Milindapanha, Buddhacharita, Mahabhashya and the Dharmashastra texts.
• Foreign accounts: The Periplus and the writings of Pliny on the Indo-Roman trade.

Previous-Year Style Questions

• Which school of art used the grey schist and showed Greco-Roman influence? Answer: Gandhara.
• Where was the Fourth Buddhist Council held under Kanishka? Answer: Kundalvana, Kashmir.
• Which inscription is the earliest long inscription in pure Sanskrit? Answer: The Junagadh inscription of Rudradaman I.
• Who wrote the Buddhacharita? Answer: Ashvaghosha.

Quick Revision Tips

• Remember the sequence: Shungas, Kanvas, then foreign dynasties and the Satavahanas.
• Link each ruler with one famous thing: Menander with Milindapanha, Rudradaman with Junagadh, Kanishka with the Shaka Era.
• Learn the three art schools with their material and patron.
• Study the Indo-Roman trade with the ports.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which period is called the Post-Mauryan period?

It is the period between the fall of the Mauryas (about 185 BCE) and the rise of the Guptas (about 320 CE).

Who founded the Shunga dynasty?

Pushyamitra Shunga founded it after killing the last Mauryan king Brihadratha.

Who was the greatest Satavahana ruler?

Gautamiputra Satakarni was the greatest Satavahana ruler.

Which script did the Satavahanas use?

They used the Prakrit language in the Brahmi script.

Who was Menander?

Menander (Milinda) was a famous Indo-Greek king who became a Buddhist after a debate with the monk Nagasena.

Which inscription is linked with Rudradaman I?

The Junagadh inscription, the first long inscription in Sanskrit.

Who started the Shaka Era?

Kanishka is traditionally linked with the Shaka Era, which began in 78 CE.

Where was the Fourth Buddhist Council held?

At Kundalvana in Kashmir under Kanishka.

What is the difference between the Gandhara and Mathura schools?

Gandhara used grey schist with Greco-Roman influence, and Mathura used red sandstone with an indigenous style.

Which text describes the Indo-Roman trade?

The Greek text Periplus of the Erythraean Sea describes the ports and the goods of this trade.

Who wrote the Mahabhashya?

Patanjali, who lived in the Shunga period, wrote the Mahabhashya.

How many questions come from this period in the UPSC Prelims?

Usually 1 or 2 questions come directly or through the topics of art and culture.