One of the earliest important rulers of Magadh was the king Bimbisara, who ruled for 52 years from 544 BC to 492 BC.
He established the Haryanka dynasty laid the foundations of Magadha by fortification of a village, which later became the city of Pataliputra.
Bimbisara’s made Girivraja (Rajgir) as the capital whereas his son Ajatashatru founded the city of Pataliputra in the 5th century BCE.
It was, Udaya (Udayin), the son of Ajatashatru, who made it the capital of Magadha, which it remained until the 1st century BCE.
He pursued a three-pronged policy, namely, matrimonial alliances, friendship with strong rulers, and conquest of weak neighbors to expand the empire.
Under the policy of matrimonial alliances, he married the sister of Prasenjit, the king of Kosala. She brought in dowry the territory of Kashi, which yielded a revenue of 1,00,000 coins.
The control over Kasi and friendship with Prasenajit allowed Magadh to concentrate on other areas.
His other wives were daughters of the chiefs of Lichchavi and Madra (middle Punjab) respectively.
He also conquered Anga by defeating its ruler Brahmadatta. Anga and especially its capital Champa were important for the inland and maritime trade. Thus, Kashi and the conquest of Anga became the launching pad for the expansion of Magadh.
Bimbisara was a contemporary of both Mahavira and Buddha. The Jain texts mention that he was a disciple of Lord Mahavira. The Buddhist texts mention that he met Buddha before enlightenment.
Buddha promised him to visit his capital after he gets enlightenment. He was a patron of Buddha.
Ishu
About Bimbisara: