It was one of the oldest major Indian states that emerged around the 6th century B.C. in the middle reaches of the Ganges River, in what is now southern Bihar.
At that time, there were sixteen kingdoms in India, but Magadha annexed the other kingdoms one after another. In the first half of the 6th century B.C., the Kingdom of Magadha developed its power during the reign of King Bimbisāra, and during the reign of his son Ajatashatru, Magadha took control of the powerful Kingdom of Kosala and became the largest Indian kingdom.
Both Bimbisāra and Ajatashatru lived in the same period as the Buddha, both took refuge in Buddhism, and both played a major role in the subsequent development of Buddhism. Later, Jainism, with its precepts of abstinence and penance, also emerged in Magadha.
The Kingdom of Magadha began with the Haryanka dynasty, followed by the Shishunaga dynasty, and reached its peak in the 4th century B.C. when the Maurya dynasty united all of India. The third king of the Maurya dynasty, King Ashoka, is said to have respected Buddhism and devoted his efforts to its development.
However, Magadha gradually lost its power and, after several dynasties, disappeared from history.
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