Ajātashatru (Sanskrit अजातशत्रु; ruled 491-461 BCE) was a king of the Magadha empire that ruled north India. Sanskrit ( संस्कृतम् ; pronunciation: ) is an Indo-European classical language of India and a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. ... Centuries: 6th century BC - 5th century BC - 4th century BC Decades: 540s BC 530s BC 520s BC 510s BC 500s BC - 490s BC - 480s BC 470s BC 460s BC 450s BC 440s BC Years: 496 BC 495 BC 494 BC 493 BC 492 BC - 491 BC - 490 BC 489 BC... Centuries: 6th century BC - 5th century BC - 4th century BC Decades: 510s BC 500s BC 490s BC 480s BC 470s BC - 460s BC - 450s BC 440s BC 430s BC 420s BC 410s BC Years: 466 BC 465 BC 464 BC 463 BC 462 BC - 461 BC - 460 BC 459 BC... Magadha was one of the four main kingdoms of India at the time of Buddha, having risen to power during the reigns of Bimbisara (c. ...

There is not a great deal known about Ajatashatru. What is known that he became a King of Magadha and the adjoining areas by murdering his father, Bimbisara. Also, he was a contemporary of Lord Buddha, was a patron of the then-new religion of Buddhism, and he let the Sangha function in his Kingdom. Look up monarch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Bimbisara (ruled 544-491 BCE) was a king of the Magadha empire. ... A stone image of the Buddha. ... Buddhism is a religion and philosophy focusing on the teachings of the Buddha Śākyamuni (Siddhārtha Gautama), who probably lived in the 5th century BCE. Buddhism spread throughout the ancient Indian sub-continent in the five centuries following the Buddhas death, and propagated into Central, Southeast, and East Asia... It has been suggested that bhikkhu be merged into this article or section. ...

Some details of him are given in the earliest Buddhist scriptures.

According to Romila Thapar, Ajatashatru was responsible for building Pataliputra and strengthening the defences of the Magadhan capital, Rajagriha. The same historian reports that Ajatashatru murdered his father and predecessor Bimbisara in order to accede to the throne, undertook the annexation of the kingdoms of Kosala and Kashi, and pursued a sixteen-year war against the Vriji confederacy of north Bihar and Nepal. Romila Thapar (born 1931) is a Marxist Indian historian whose principal area of study is Ancient India. ... Patna is the capital of the state of Bihar, in north-eastern India. ... Rajgir is an ancient town, and has reference in Mahabharata, Buddhist and Jain texts. ... Bimbisara (ruled 544-491 BCE) was a king of the Magadha empire. ... Kosala was an ancient Indian kingdom, corresponding roughly in area with the region of Oudh. ... Kashi redirects here. ... For other uses, see Bihar (disambiguation). ...

References

• Romila Thapar, 1996. A History of India (Volume One). Oxford University Press.

Romila Thapar (born 1931) is a Marxist Indian historian whose principal area of study is Ancient India. ...