Mahapadmananda was the first Nanda ruler. He ruled for 28 years.
The Greek, Jain and Puranic writings give different
accounts regarding the origin of the Nandas. The Puranas mention that
Mahapadmananda was the son of a barber. The Jain works show that he was the son
of a courtesan by a barber. The Greek writer, Curtius, mentions that
Mahapadmananda was a barber by his good looks won the queens heart and murdered
Kalasoka by thrusting a dagger into his throat (as mentioned in Bana’s
Harshacharita) near his capital. Mahapadmananda himself became ruler and must
have killed the son of Kalasoka.
Achievements: Mahapadmananda further extended the Magadhan
Kingdom. He made himself the master of the whole of northern India excluding
the Punjab, Kashmir and North-West Frontier. He defeated most of the
contemporary rulers in the north such as Ikshavakus, Kurus, Panchalas, Kasis,
Surasenas, Maithilas, Kalingas, Asmakas and Haihayas. The Hathigumpha
Inscription refers to the Nanda ruler and says that he built an aqueduct in
Kalinga and carried away the statue of a Jain Tirthankara. Hence his power was
felt in the Deccan also. This proves that Nanda rulers had an inclination
towards Jainism and they had Jain ministers to advise them. The power of
Magadha was felt far and wide in Northern India and it became the center of the
future History of India
Mahapadmananda was endowed with a remarkable military
genius. He proved to be a great conqueror and vigorous ruler and the empire of
Magadha under his and his successor became a mighty Empire extending from the
Bay of Bengal in the East to the Sutlej in the West.
According to Indian as well as Greek accounts, the Nandas
possessed immense wealth and vast military resources.
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