Ajatasattu

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Ajatasattu ( Pali : Ajatasattu, Sanskrit : Ajatashatru, अजातशत्रु) was king of the empire of Magadha in eastern India, whose core area was south of the Ganges in today's state of Bihar . He ruled in the 5th century BC. BC, possibly even in the early 4th century. He is known as the murderer of his father, King Bimbisara , and as a contemporary of Buddha Siddhartha Gautama . In Jain sources he is called Kunika.

chronology

The Ayatasattu reign lasted 32 years, according to the Mahavamsa Chronicle. It is traditionally dated around 494/493 - around 462. This assumption is related to the chronology of the life of the Buddha, who is said to have died in the eighth year of Ajatasattu's reign. Traditionally the Buddha's death ( Parinibbana ) occurred in the eighties of the 5th century BC. Occurred; usually 486 or 483 is mentioned. Recently, however, the late dating of Buddha's death has become increasingly popular in research; it is moved to the late 5th or even early 4th century. This shifts the time frame for Ajatasattu's government by several decades.

Origin and youth

Ajatasattu's father, King Bimbisara, had many wives (supposedly 500). The highest ranking among them was Kosaladevi, a sister of King Prasenajit (Pali: Pasenadi), who ruled the kingdom of Kosala (in the southeast of today's state of Uttar Pradesh ), which was the northwestern neighbor of Magadha. Prasenajit was on friendly terms with Bimbisara. Ajatasattu was a son of Kosaladevi, according to Buddhist sources. Less credible is the representation of Jain scriptures, according to which his mother was another wife of Bimbisara named Chellana.

Buddhist sources describe the young Ajatasattu as his father's spoiled darling. There seems to have been no doubt about his claim to the throne.

Seizure of power

All sources agree that Ajatasattu did not want to wait for his father's death, but overthrew him out of lust for power, or caused him to abdicate and imprisoned him, and that Bimbisara died in custody. According to the Buddhist sources, the monk Devadatta is said to have played an important role as advisor to Ajatasattu. In the Buddhist tradition, the tale of the overthrow forms part of the Devadatta legend.

If one follows the presentation of the Buddhist sources, which differ from one another in some details, the following sequence of events emerges. Devadatta impressed Ajatasattu with his magical abilities, became his counselor and encouraged him to overthrow the king. Ajatasattu went to the king's palace to kill him with a dagger, but was arrested either before his plan was carried out or after a failed assassination attempt. However, against the advice of some of his ministers, Bimbisara decided to forgive his son. He abdicated in favor of the heir to the throne or - according to other versions - elevated him to co-regent or initially left him part of the empire. Either way, Ajatasattu seized all power and threw Bimbisara in prison. He had his father tortured and murdered or starved to death while in custody.

The Jain sources also report that Ajatasattu overthrew and imprisoned his father out of lust for power. However, they depict the further course of events in such a way that the new ruler later regretted his act and went to prison to release the prisoner. When his son approached, Bimbisara was afraid to poison himself.

Modern research emphasizes that both representations are partial and only partially believable. Above all, the Buddhists wanted to incriminate Devadatta, who was regarded by them as the Buddha's sinister adversary. It is likely that Devadatta's supposed role in the overthrow is fictitious. The Jains wanted to exonerate Ajatasattu of responsibility for the parricide out of gratitude for his later benefits, which, however, must be regarded as a historical fact.

government

Foreign policy

When, after Bimbisara's death, his widow Kosaladevi - Ajatasattu's mother - also died, her brother, King Prasenajit of Kosala, demanded that his nephew Ajatasattu return the dowry. Since Ajatasattu refused to do so, a war broke out. Ajatasattu won three battles, but in the fourth he was ambushed, defeated, and captured. However, Prasenajit released him, made a lasting peace with him and gave him his daughter Vajira as his wife.

Ajatasattu's policy of expansion was directed north; he wanted to dominate both banks of the border river Ganges. He attacked the republican states north of the Ganges, which were allied in the Confederation of Vrijji (Vajji), and subdued them in long battles. The areas he conquered there included the Republic of the Licchavis with the capital Vaishali (Pali: Vesali).

Domestic politics

Ajatasattu built next to the previous seat of government Rajagriha (Pali: Rajagaha) and fortified the settlement of Pataligrama (Pali: Pataligama) located approx. 70 km to the northwest. This city developed into a center of the empire and later became the new capital Pataliputra (Pali: Pataliputta). Pataliputra is today's Patna on the south bank of the Ganges.

According to Buddhist sources, Ajatasattu took part in an attempt by Devadatta to murder the Buddha after his accession to the throne. He made murderers available for him, but they failed. According to today's research, this legendary story is incredible. There is only one narration of Ajatasattu's encounter with the Buddha. The king is said to have expressed remorse to the Buddha for his patricide. The first Buddhist council took place in Rajagriha during Ajatasattu's reign , but the king does not seem to have played an active role in it. Apparently, Ajatasattu was a little more distant from Buddhism than his father. Rather, he favored the Jains. Its leader Mahavira is said to have impressed him with frequent encounters. Therefore, Jain sources describe him far more positively than Buddhist ones.

death

According to the Mahavamsa Buddhist Chronicle, Ajatasattu was murdered by his son and successor Udayabhadra. As in the case of Bimbisara, the Jain sources present the change of power differently, namely as a peaceful process. They portray Udayabhadra as a loyal son.

Remarks

  1. ↑ Radha Kumud Mookerji: The Rise of Magadhan Imperialism. In: Ramesh C. Majumdar , Achut D. Pusalker (eds.): The History and Culture of the Indian People. Volume 2: The Age of Imperial Unity. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay 1951, pp. 18-38, here pp. 37 f .; Henri GA van Zeyst: Ajatasattu. In: Gunapala P. Malalasekera, WG Weeraratne (ed.): Encyclopaedia of Buddhism. Volume 1, fascicle 2: Acala - Ākaṅ. Government of Sri Lanka, Colombo 1963, pp. 315–321, here pp. 315, 321.
  2. ↑ Hans Wolfgang Schumann : The historical Buddha. Life and teaching of Gotama. Updated new edition. Hugendubel, Kreuzlingen et al. 2004, ISBN 3-89631-439-4 , pp. 22-26.
  3. ↑ Heinz Bechert (Ed.): The Dating of the Historical Buddha. = The dating of the historical Buddha (= symposia on Buddhism research. 4). 3 parts. Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht, Göttingen 1991–1997, esp. Part 1, pp. 13–15, Part 3, pp. 1–13.
  4. ↑ Radha Kumud Mookerji: The Rise of Magadhan Imperialism. In: Ramesh C. Majumdar , Achut D. Pusalker (eds.): The History and Culture of the Indian People. Volume 2: The Age of Imperial Unity. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay 1951, pp. 18-38, here p. 19.
  5. ^ Meena V. Talim: Patrons of Buddhism: II. Ajataśatru. In: Indica. Vol. 7, 1970, ISSN  0019-686X , pp. 95-104, here pp. 95-98.
  6. ↑ Henri GA van Zeyst: Ajatasattu. In: Gunapala P. Malalasekera, WG Weeraratne (ed.): Encyclopaedia of Buddhism. Volume 1, fascicle 2: Acala - Ākaṅ. Government of Sri Lanka, Colombo 1963, pp. 315–321, here p. 315.
  7. ↑ Biswadeb Mukherjee: The tradition of Devadatta, the adversary of the Buddha in the canonical writings (= Munich Studies for Linguistics. Supplement. J, ISSN  0077-1910 ). Kitzinger, Munich 1966, pp. 55-63.
  8. ↑ Biswadeb Mukherjee: The tradition of Devadatta, the adversary of the Buddha in the canonical writings (= Munich Studies for Linguistics. Supplement. J, ISSN  0077-1910 ). Kitzinger, Munich 1966, pp. 27–31, 55, 61.
  9. ↑ Biswadeb Mukherjee: The tradition of Devadatta, the adversary of the Buddha in the canonical writings (= Munich Studies for Linguistics. Supplement. J, ISSN  0077-1910 ). Kitzinger, Munich 1966, p. 55 f.
  10. ↑ Biswadeb Mukherjee: The tradition of Devadatta, the adversary of the Buddha in the canonical writings (= Munich Studies for Linguistics. Supplement. J, ISSN  0077-1910 ). Kitzinger, Munich 1966, pp. 56-63; Hans Wolfgang Schumann: The historical Buddha. Life and teaching of Gotama. Updated new edition. Hugendubel, Kreuzlingen et al. 2004, ISBN 3-89631-439-4 , p. 267; Meena V. Talim: Patrons of Buddhism: II. Ajataśatru. In: Indica. Vol. 7, 1970, ISSN  0019-686X , pp. 95-104, here pp. 98 f.
  11. ↑ Biswadeb Mukherjee: The tradition of Devadatta, the adversary of the Buddha in the canonical writings (= Munich Studies for Linguistics. Supplement. J, ISSN  0077-1910 ). Kitzinger, Munich 1966, p. 102 and Note 4.
  12. ↑ Biswadeb Mukherjee: The tradition of Devadatta, the adversary of the Buddha in the canonical writings (= Munich Studies for Linguistics. Supplement. J, ISSN  0077-1910 ). Kitzinger, Munich 1966, pp. 101-103.
  13. ↑ a b Meena V. Talim: Patrons of Buddhism: II. Ajataśatru. In: Indica. Vol. 7, 1970, ISSN  0019-686X , pp. 95-104, here pp. 103 f .; Radha Kumud Mookerji: The Rise of Magadhan Imperialism. In: Ramesh C. Majumdar , Achut D. Pusalker (eds.): The History and Culture of the Indian People. Volume 2: The Age of Imperial Unity. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay 1951, pp. 18-38, here pp. 22, 26.
  14. ↑ Hans Wolfgang Schumann: The historical Buddha. Life and teaching of Gotama. Updated new edition. Hugendubel, Kreuzlingen et al. 2004, ISBN 3-89631-439-4 , p. 270 f .; Radha Kumud Mookerji: The Rise of Magadhan Imperialism. In: Ramesh C. Majumdar , Achut D. Pusalker (eds.): The History and Culture of the Indian People. Volume 2: The Age of Imperial Unity. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay 1951, pp. 18-38, here pp. 22 f .; Henri GA van Zeyst: Ajatasattu. In: Gunapala P. Malalasekera, WG Weeraratne (ed.): Encyclopaedia of Buddhism. Volume 1, fascicle 2: Acala - Ākaṅ. Government of Sri Lanka, Colombo 1963, pp. 315-321, here p. 317; Sudhakar Chattopadhyaya: Bimbisāra to Aśoka is skeptical about the truthfulness . Roy and Chowdhury, Calcutta 1977, p. 35 f.
  15. ↑ Radhakrishna Choudhary: Ajataśatru and the Licchavis of Vaiśali , in: Journal of the Oriental Institute Baroda 13 (1963) pp. 141-148; Radha Kumud Mookerji: The Rise of Magadhan Imperialism. In: Ramesh C. Majumdar , Achut D. Pusalker (eds.): The History and Culture of the Indian People. Volume 2: The Age of Imperial Unity. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay 1951, pp. 18-38, here pp. 23-26; Henri GA van Zeyst: Ajatasattu. In: Gunapala P. Malalasekera, WG Weeraratne (ed.): Encyclopaedia of Buddhism. Volume 1, fascicle 2: Acala - Ākaṅ. Government of Sri Lanka, Colombo 1963, pp. 315–321, here p. 319.
  16. ↑ Hans Wolfgang Schumann: The historical Buddha. Life and teaching of Gotama. Updated new edition. Hugendubel, Kreuzlingen et al. 2004, ISBN 3-89631-439-4 , p. 272 ​​f.
  17. ↑ Biswadeb Mukherjee: The tradition of Devadatta, the adversary of the Buddha in the canonical writings (= Munich Studies for Linguistics. Supplement. J, ISSN  0077-1910 ). Kitzinger, Munich 1966, pp. 63-66, 103 f .; see. Hans Wolfgang Schumann: The historical Buddha. Life and teaching of Gotama. Updated new edition. Hugendubel, Kreuzlingen et al. 2004, ISBN 3-89631-439-4 , p. 267 (hesitant).
  18. ↑ Hans Wolfgang Schumann: The historical Buddha. Life and teaching of Gotama. Updated new edition. Hugendubel, Kreuzlingen et al. 2004, ISBN 3-89631-439-4 , pp. 271 f .; Hermann Oldenberg : Buddha. His life, his teaching, his church. 13th edition. Cotta, Stuttgart et al. 1959, p. 154 f .; Radha Kumud Mookerji: The Rise of Magadhan Imperialism. In: Ramesh C. Majumdar , Achut D. Pusalker (eds.): The History and Culture of the Indian People. Volume 2: The Age of Imperial Unity. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay 1951, pp. 18-38, here p. 27; Henri GA van Zeyst: Ajatasattu. In: Gunapala P. Malalasekera, WG Weeraratne (ed.): Encyclopaedia of Buddhism. Volume 1, fascicle 2: Acala - Ākaṅ. Government of Sri Lanka, Colombo 1963, pp. 315–321, here pp. 318, 320.
  19. ↑ Henri GA van Zeyst: Ajatasattu. In: Gunapala P. Malalasekera, WG Weeraratne (ed.): Encyclopaedia of Buddhism. Volume 1, fascicle 2: Acala - Ākaṅ. Government of Sri Lanka, Colombo 1963, pp. 315–321, here p. 318.
  20. ↑ Henri GA van Zeyst: Ajatasattu. In: Gunapala P. Malalasekera, WG Weeraratne (ed.): Encyclopaedia of Buddhism. Volume 1, fascicle 2: Acala - Ākaṅ. Government of Sri Lanka, Colombo 1963, pp. 315–321, here p. 321.
  21. ↑ Pali: Udayabhadda; also called Udayin.
  22. ↑ Radha Kumud Mookerji: The Rise of Magadhan Imperialism. In: Ramesh C. Majumdar , Achut D. Pusalker (eds.): The History and Culture of the Indian People. Volume 2: The Age of Imperial Unity. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay 1951, pp. 18-38, here pp. 28 f .; Sudhakar Chattopadhyaya: Bimbisāra to Aśoka. Roy and Chowdhury, Calcutta 1977, p. 40 f.

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predecessor Office successor
Bimbisara King of Magadha
5th century BC Chr.
(Chronology) 		Udayin
personal data
SURNAME Ajatasattu
BRIEF DESCRIPTION King of Magadha and early Indian Buddhist
DATE OF BIRTH 5th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 4th century BC Chr.