Brihadratha Maurya

According to the Puranas, Brihadratha succeeded his father Shatadhanvan to the throne and ruled for three years.{{cite book|last1=Thapar|first1=Romila|title=Aśoka and the decline of the Mauryas : with new afterword, bibliography and index|date=1998|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Delhi|isbn=0-19-564445-X|page=183|edition=2nd}}

{{main|Pushyamitra Shunga}}

Brihadratha Maurya the last Mauryan Emperor was killed in 185 BCE and power usurped by his general, Pushyamitra Shunga who then took over the throne and established the Shunga Empire.{{sfn|Thapar|2013|p=296}} Bāṇabhaṭṭa's Harshacharita says that Pushyamitra, while parading the entire Mauryan Army before Brihadratha on the pretext of showing him the strength of the army, crushed his master.Lahiri, B. (1974). Indigenous States of Northern India (Circa 200 B.C. to 320 A.D.) , Calcutta: University of Calcutta, pp.24-5 Pushyamitra killed the former emperor in front of his military and established himself as the new ruler.

{{main|Demetrius I's invasion of India}}

In 185 BCE just after the assassination of Brihadratha by his army chief Pushyamitra, Greco-Bactrian king Demetrius (Dharmamita) invaded northwestern India (parts of modern-day Afghanistan and Pakistan) and occupied it. The Mauryans had diplomatic alliances with the Greeks, and they may have been considered as allies by the Greco-Bactrians. A key detail is mentioned by Sri Lankan Buddhist monks in the Paramparapustaka chronicle, pointing that Brihadratha married Demetrius' daughter, Berenice (Suvarnnaksi in Pali language).{{Cite book |last=Paranavithana |first=Senarath |title=The Greeks and the Mauryas |publisher=Lake House Investments |year=1971 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka |pages=84}} The Greco-Bactrians may also have invaded India in order to protect Greek populations in the subcontinent. He established his rule in the Kabul Valley and parts of the Punjab region. Soon, however, they had to leave for Bactria to fight a fierce battle (probably between Eucratides I and Demetrius).Lahiri, B. (1974). Indigenous States of Northern India (Circa 200 B.C. to 320 A.D.) , Calcutta: University of Calcutta, pp.22-4

The hypothesized Yavana invasion of Pataliputra is based in the Yuga Purana. The scripture describes the campaign of King Dharmamita:

{{quote|{{ordered list | start = 47

| Then, having approached Saketa, together with the Panchalas and Mathura, the Yavanas (Indo-Greeks), wicked and valiant, will reach Kusumadhvaja ("The city of the flower-standard", Pataliputra).

| Then, once Puspapura (Pataliputra) has been reached, [and] its celebrated mud[-walls] cast down, all the realms will be in disorder, there is no doubt.

| There will then finally be a great war, of wooden weapons, and there will be the vilest of men, dishonourable and unrighteous.}}|source=Yuga Purana{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/stream/TheYugaPurana/The%20Yuga%20Purana#page/n73 |title=The Yuga Purana |date=1986 |publisher=The Asiatic Society |location=Calcutta |page=91 |translator-last=Mitchiner |translator-first=John E.}}The Sungas, Kanvas, Republican Kingdoms and Monarchies, Mahameghavahanas, Dilip Kumar Chakrabarti, p.6 [https://www.academia.edu/7469349/I.1._The_Sungas_Kanvas_Republican_Kingdoms_and_Monarchies_Mahameghavahanas]}}

• Magadha
• Maurya Empire
• Shunga Empire

{{reflist}}

• {{citation |last=Thapar |first=Romila |author-link=Romila Thapar |title=The Past Before Us|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aei9AAAAQBAJ |year=2013 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-674-72651-2 }}

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{{s-hou|Maurya Empire||||}}

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{{s-ttl|rows=2|title=Maurya Emperor|years=187–185}}

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(Shunga Empire)}}

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Category:Emperors of Magadha

Category:Mauryan dynasty

Category:Murdered Indian monarchs

Category:2nd-century BC Indian monarchs

Category:Year of birth unknown

Category:2nd-century BC murdered monarchs

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