Capital
Pataliputra (later Vidisha)
Founder
Pushyamitra Shunga
Duration
c. 112 years
Category
Empire
Timeline
185 BCE
Pushyamitra Overthrows the Mauryas
Pushyamitra Shunga assassinates the last Maurya ruler and establishes the Shunga dynasty.
180 BCE
Greco-Bactrian Invasions
Pushyamitra successfully repels invasions from the Indo-Greek kingdom.
150 BCE
Shunga Patronage
Enhancement of Buddhist monuments and promotion of Hindu revival.
73 BCE
Kanva Coup
The Shunga dynasty is overthrown by Vasudeva Kanva.
Geography
Map of Empire
Forts
Battlefields
Temples
Governance
Administration
Monarchical system with a council of ministers; feudal lords and provincial governors
Prosperity
Economy
Agriculture-based; trade along the Ganges; decline in long-distance trade compared to Mauryan period
Currency: Copper and silver coins with symbols and legends
Defense
Military
Cavalry, infantry, war elephants; notable for repelling Greco-Bactrian invasions
Design
Architecture
Stupa enhancements at Sanchi and Bharhut; development of early Hindu iconography; the Heliodorus Pillar (Garuda Pillar) at Vidisha
Heritage
Culture
Revival of Vedic Hinduism and Sanskrit studies; Patanjali's Mahabhashya; contributing to the earliest surviving Hindu art
Legacy
Achievements
Pushyamitra Shunga's defense against the Greco-Bactrian invasions of the northwest
Enhancement of the Sanchi Stupa complex
The Heliodorus Pillar — evidence of Greek conversion to Vaishnavism
Patronage of Sanskrit scholarship (Patanjali's Mahabhashya)
Resurgence of Vedic rituals and Hinduism
Sunset
Decline
Internal strife, small territory, and eventual overthrow by the Kanvas (73 BCE); the empire fragmented into smaller states
Connections
Related Kingdoms
Sources
Historical References
Mahabhashya
Sanskrit grammatical treatise composed during the Shunga period.
Heliodorus Pillar Inscription
Inscribed by the Greek ambassador Heliodorus, recording his conversion to Vaishnavism.
Bharhut Stupa Reliefs
Early Buddhist art and inscriptions from the Shunga period.
The Puranas
Puranic accounts of Shunga rulers.