Bhagabhadra

Bhagabhadra
Shunga Emperor
Shunga masculine figurine (moulded plate). 2nd–1st century BCE.
Reign	c. 110 BCE
Predecessor	Vasumitra
Successor	Devabhuti

Bhagabhadra was one of the kings of the Indian Shunga dynasty. He ruled in north, central, and eastern India around 110 BCE. Although the capital of the Shungas was at Pataliputra, he was also known to have held court at Vidisha. It is thought that name Bhagabhadra also appears in the regnal lists of the Shungas in the Puranic records, under the name Bhadraka, fifth Shunga ruler of the Shungas.

Heliodorus inscription

He is best known from an inscription at the site of Vidisha in central India, the Heliodorus pillar, in which contacts with an embassy from the Indo-Greek king Antialcidas is recorded, and where he is named "Kasiputra Bhagabhadra, the Saviour, son of the princess from Benares":

The Indo-Greek king Antialcidas was the one who sent an embassy to Bhagabhadra.

"Devadevasa Va [sude]vasa Garudadhvajo ayam

karito i[a] Heliodorena bhaga-

vatena Diyasa putrena Takhasilakena

Yonadatena agatena maharajasa

Amtalikitasa upa[m]ta samkasam-rano

Kasiput[r]asa [Bh]agabhadrasa tratarasa

vasena [chatu]dasena rajena vadhamanasa"

"This Garuda-standard of Vasudeva (Krishna or Vishnu), the God of Gods

was erected here by the devotee Heliodoros,

the son of Dion, a man of Taxila,

sent by the Great Greek (Yona) King

Antialkidas, as ambassador to

King Kasiputra Bhagabhadra, the Savior

son of the princess from Benares, in the fourteenth year of his reign."

(Archaeological Survey of India, Annual Report (1908-1909))

Some of the expansion work at the Great Stupa at Sanchi may have been sponsored by Bhagabhadra.

This inscription is important in that in tends to validate that the Shungas ruled in the area of Vidisa around 100 BCE. This is also corroborated by some artistic realization on the nearby Sanchi stupa thought to belong to the period of the Shungas. Altogether, three Shunga pillars have also been found in the area.

See also

• Greco-Buddhism
• History of Buddhism

External links

• Photo of the pillar with Brahmi inscription
• Heliodorus pillar at Vidisha
• Text of the inscriptions on Heliodorus pillar
• Vedic archeology

Preceded by Vasumitra

Shunga Ruler circa 110 BCE

Succeeded by Devabhuti