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107-601: Eastern South Asia is a subregion of South Asia . It includes the countries of Bangladesh , Bhutan , India (specifically East India and Northeast India ), and Nepal . Geographically, it lies between the Eastern Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal . Two of the world's largest rivers, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra , flow into the sea through Eastern South Asia. The region includes

214-508: A Torana . The wedge-shaped stone with indentation has Mauryan polish on two sides and was suspended vertically. According to K. P Jayaswal , Nanda era is mentioned in three sources. Kharavela's Hathigumpha inscription mentions Nandaraja constructing canal 103rd year of the Nanda period. According to Al-Biruni , the Sri-Harsha era was being used in areas of Kannauj and Mathura and there

321-502: A treaty with Bhutan in 1949, and, in 1950, a treaty with Nepal and a treaty with Sikkim. The Annexation of Tibet by the People's Republic of China , particularly after the 1959 Tibetan uprising , caused an exodus of Tibetan refugees into Northern and Eastern South Asia, including into Nepal and Bhutan. Refugees included the spiritual Tibetan head of state, the Dalai Lama , who established

428-472: A Nanda king. While describing Alexander the Great 's invasion of Punjab (327–325 BCE), Greco-Roman writers depict this kingdom as a great military power. The prospect of a war against this kingdom, coupled with the exhaustion resulting from almost a decade of campaigning, led to a mutiny among Alexander's homesick soldiers, putting an end to his Indian campaign. Both Indian and Greco-Roman traditions characterise

535-456: A UN tribunal. In 2015, India and Bangladesh signed a land boundary agreement to resolve border disputes. In 2014 Bangladesh and Bhutan signed a trade agreement in which Bhutan gained duty-free access for 90   products in the Bangladeshi market. Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Bhutan signed a regional motor vehicle agreement in 2015. The four countries have agreed to develop hydropower in

642-450: A challenge. Nepal is a federal republic . The President of Nepal is the head of state. The Prime Minister of Nepal 's role as head of government has been in place for over a century. Nepal has a bicameral parliament. The country continues to transition from a monarchy to a republic. Nepal's legal system is historically based on Hindu law but has incorporated influences from English law and other legal systems since modernization began in

749-591: A coastline on the Bay of Bengal. It includes the states of West Bengal , Bihar , Jharkhand , and Odisha . The region is bounded by Nepal , Sikkim , and Bhutan in the north, Bangladesh in the east, the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh on the west, and the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh in the south. It is connected to the Seven Sister States of Northeast India by the narrow Siliguri Corridor . West Bengal

856-530: A guardian for the then princes, and later killed the princes. The Jain tradition, as recorded in the Avashyaka Sutra and the 12th-century text Parishishta-parvan , corroborates the Greco-Roman accounts, stating that the first Nanda king was the son of a barber. According to the 12th century text Parishishta-parvan , the mother of the first Nanda king was a courtesan. However, the text also states that

963-612: A measuring standard introduced by the Nandas. This may be a reference to their introduction of a new currency system and punch-marked coins , which may have been responsible for much of their wealth. A hoard of coins found at the site of ancient Pataliputra probably belongs to the Nanda period. The Nandas and the Mauryas appear to have patronised the religions originating in the Greater Magadha region, namely Jainism and Ajivikism . However,

1070-500: A minister of the last Nanda king, died, his son Sthulabhadra refused to inherit his father's office, and instead became a Jain monk . Sthulabhadra's brother Shriyaka accepted the post. Pataliputra Voussoir Arch A granite stone fragment of an arch discovered by K. P. Jayaswal from Kumhrar , Pataliputra has been analysed as a pre Maurya-Nanda period keystone fragment of a trefoil arch of gateway with mason's marks of three archaic Brahmi letters inscribed on it which probably decorated

1177-451: A montane climate with cold, snowy winters and mild summers. Nepal is the world's 93rd largest country . Nepal is commonly divided into three physiographic areas: mountain, hill, and southern lowland plains (the Terai ). These ecological belts run east–west and are vertically intersected by Nepal's major, north to south-flowing river system. The southern lowland plains bordering India are part of

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1284-479: A multi-lingual and multi-ethnic Indo-Aryan population. Kolkata , Patna , Asansol , Durgapur , Bhubaneshwar , Siliguri and Darjeeling are among the area's largest cities. Northeast India has a population of 45   million. It has a multi-ethnic Tibeto-Burman and Austric population, except in Bengali-majority Tripura. Guwahati , Agartala , Shillong , Imphal , Aizawl , and Gangtok are

1391-587: A new currency and taxation system. Ancient texts also suggest that the Nandas were unpopular among their subjects because of their low-status birth, excessive taxation, and general misconduct. The last Nanda king Dhana Nanda was overthrown by Chandragupta Maurya , founder of the Maurya Empire . Modern historians generally identify the ruler of the Gangaridai and the Prasii mentioned in ancient Greco-Roman accounts as

1498-506: A pan-Indian political crisis. In 1912, East Bengal was reunited with West Bengal as Bengal Province while Assam was separated as Assam Province . The first partition left a strong legacy. Decades later in the 1940s, when Hindu–Muslim relations deteriorated, the British government again partitioned Bengal into East Bengal and West Bengal as part of the Partition of British India . East Bengal

1605-556: A process of caste mobility from among the lower castes". There is little unanimity among the ancient sources regarding the total duration of the Nanda reign or their regnal period. For example, the Matsya Purana assigns 88 years to the rule of the first Nanda king alone, while some manuscripts of the Vayu Purana state the total duration of the Nanda rule as 40 years. The 16th century Buddhist scholar Taranatha assigns 29 years to

1712-623: A security challenge for the Indian government. Since 1958, the Armed Forces Special Powers Act has been imposed in the region. The law has been described as perpetuating indirect military rule . There have been many allegations of human rights abuses in northeast India. In 2003, China acknowledged Sikkim as a part of India while India recognized Tibet as part of China. The Dalai Lama has often asserted that Tibet should be given meaningful autonomy within China, not independence. In 2005,

1819-403: A son of the Nanda king Sarvatha-siddhi and a hunter's daughter named Mura. The Buddhist text Milinda Panha mentions a war between the Nanda general Bhaddasala (Sanskrit:Bhadrashala) and Chandragupta. According to the text, this war led to the slaughter of 10,000 elephants; 100,000 horses; 5,000 charioteers; and a billion foot soldiers. While this is obviously an exaggeration, it suggests that

1926-557: Is Gangkhar Puensum at 7,570 metres (24,840 ft). The climate in Bhutan varies with elevation, from subtropical in the south to temperate in central areas and alpine in the north, with year-round snow in the north. Western Bhutan has the heavier monsoon rains; southern Bhutan has hot humid summers and cool winters. The bulk of the East India region lies on the Indo-Gangetic plain , with

2033-647: Is Bhutan's financial center. The Royal Securities Exchange of Bhutan is the main stock exchange. The Bank of Bhutan and the Bhutan National Bank are the largest financial institutions. The SAARC Development Fund is based in Thimphu . Bhutan ranks first in economic freedom and ease of doing business , is second in per capita income , and is the least corrupt country in South Asia. East India's Jharkhand and Odisha states have rich mineral deposits. East India

2140-472: Is a parliamentary democracy , with an elected bicameral legislature . The Prime Minister of Bhutan is the head of government. The legal system of Bhutan is a mixture of the semi-theocratic Tsa Yig code and English common law influences. Capital punishment was abolished in Bhutan in 2004. India is a federal parliamentary republic . While the Indian federal government is headed by the ceremonial President of India and executive Prime Minister of India ,

2247-467: Is a hub of heavy industry. The Guwahati Tea Auction Centre is important for the region's tea industry. Jute is a major crop, as in neighboring Bangladesh. A cross-border conveyor belt carries limestone from mines in Meghalaya , India, to Sylhet Division , Bangladesh, to supply a Lafarge cement plant. While Kathmandu is Nepal's main commercial center, most of the country's industries are located along

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2354-470: Is also notable for Darjeeling tea . Northeast India has one of the world's oldest petroleum and tea industries. Tourism is also important for the region's economy. Kolkata is the principal financial center of eastern and northeastern India, being home to the Calcutta Stock Exchange . The Port of Kolkata is the region's principal gateway and is also used by Nepal and Bhutan. The port of Haldia

2461-464: Is based on English common law and Muslim, Hindu, and Christian personal religious laws . The Supreme Court of Bangladesh has wide powers for judicial review . Fundamental rights are enshrined in the country's constitution, but the human rights situation faces challenges. Bangladesh ranks first in gender equality in South Asia. Bhutan is a constitutional monarchy headed by the King of Bhutan . Bhutan

2568-472: Is bordered on the west, north, and east by a 4,095-kilometre (2,545 mi) land frontier with India and, in the southeast, by a short land and water frontier (193 kilometres (120 mi) with Burma (Myanmar). On the south is a highly irregular deltaic coastline of about 580 kilometres (360 mi), containing many parallel rivers and streams flowing into the Bay of Bengal. The territorial waters of Bangladesh extend 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi), and

2675-466: Is on the eastern bottleneck of India, stretching from the Himalayas in the north, to the Bay of Bengal in the south. The region lies in the humid - subtropical zone. The landlocked region of Northeast India includes the states of Assam , Arunachal Pradesh , Mizoram , Manipur , Meghalaya , Nagaland , Sikkim , and Tripura . It has land borders with China, Myanmar, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. The region

2782-648: Is one of Bhutan's chief trading partners. The Indian economy has emerged as one of the world's fastest-growing economies although its eastern and northeastern states have had lower economic growth than northern, western, or southern India. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Bangladeshi economy was the world's second-fastest-growing major economy in 2016, but the country faces challenges of political instability and infrastructure shortages. The 2017 China India border standoff developed on

2889-536: Is ranked third in South Asia. Bhutan has the second-smallest population in South Asia after the Maldives . Bhutan's three main ethnic groups are the Ngalop , Sharchop , and Lhotshampa . The state religion is Buddhism . The official language is Dzongkha . Bhutan has a significant Nepali-speaking minority. Thimphu and Phuntsholing are the largest cities. With an estimated population of 226   million, East India has

2996-659: Is strictly overseen by the heavily bureaucratic federal government. The Indian legal system is a mixture of English common law, civil law, custom laws, and religious laws. The Supreme Court of India has a notable history of judicial activism . Fundamental rights are enshrined in India's constitution . Despite India's democratic framework, much of northeast India is under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act , which has been described as "draconian". Human rights abuses in Manipur have been

3103-529: Is the world's second-largest textile exporter after China. It is largely self-sufficient in pharmaceuticals , shipbuilding, steel rods, ceramics, glass, food , and numerous other sectors. Bangladesh has significant natural gas , limestone, and coal reserves. The jute trade has been historically important. Bangladesh's financial sector is one of the largest in South Asia along with those of India and Pakistan. The Dhaka Stock Exchange and Chittagong Stock Exchange are its principal capital markets. Bangladesh has

3210-579: Is usually categorised into the Eastern Himalaya and the Brahmaputra and the Barak valley plains. Northeast India has a predominantly humid sub-tropical climate with hot, humid summers, severe monsoons, and mild winters. The region is covered by the mighty Brahmaputra–Barak river systems and their tributaries. Geographically, apart from the Brahmaputra, Barak, and Imphal valleys and some flat lands in between

3317-449: The Mahāvaṃsa , they appear to have ruled during c.  345 –322 BCE, although some theories date the start of their rule to the fifth century BCE. The Nandas built on the successes of their Haryanka and Shaishunaga predecessors and instituted a more centralised administration. Ancient sources credit them with amassing great wealth, which was probably a result of the introduction of

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3424-640: The Bengal Legislative Assembly , was the oldest and largest in British India. The Bengal Presidency had the highest gross domestic product in British India. Citing administrative improvement and affirmative action for Bengali Muslims and non-Bengali communities in colonial Assam , the British government enacted the first partition of Bengal in 1905. The new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam , with its own Legislative Council , saw more investments in education and infrastructure. The province

3531-463: The Brahmanical orthodoxy, which may have played a role in its political success; however, it is difficult to assess the veracity of this claim. D. D. Kosambi theorised that Magadha's monopoly over iron ore mines played a major role in its imperial expansion, but historian Upinder Singh has disputed this theory, pointing out that Magadha did not have a monopoly over these mines, and the iron mining in

3638-714: The Chalukyas ; then the Kalachuryya family ; and after them the ( Hoysala ) Ballalas. Alexander the Great invaded north-western India at the time of Agrammes or Xandrames, whom modern historians generally identify as the last Nanda king – Dhana Nanda . In the summer of 326 BCE, Alexander's army reached the Beas River (Greek: Hyphasis), beyond which the Nanda territory was located. According to Curtius, Alexander learned that Agrammes had 200,000 infantry; 20,000 cavalry; 3,000 elephants ; and 2,000 four-horse chariots. Diodorus gives

3745-582: The Doklam plateau, located on the tri-nation border between Bhutan, Indian Sikkim, and Chinese Tibet. The geography of Bangladesh is varied and has an area characterised by three distinct features: a broad deltaic plain subject to frequent flooding, elevated forested plateaus, and a small hilly region crossed by swiftly flowing rivers. The country has an area of 147,610 square kilometres (56,990 sq mi) and extends 820 kilometres (510 mi) north to south and 600 kilometres (370 mi) east to west. Bangladesh

3852-400: The Gangaridai and the Prasii separately, although suggesting that these two were ruled by a common sovereign. Historian H. C. Raychaudhuri theorises that the Nandas held centralised control over their core territories in present-day Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, but allowed considerable autonomy in the frontier parts of their empire. This is suggested by Buddhist legends, which state Chandragupta

3959-757: The Newa architecture of Nepal and the architecture of Bengal . Eastern South Asia is a cradle of South Asian civilization. Historical states in the region include those recorded in Indian epics such as the Mahabharata , including ancient Nepal, Vanga , and Pundra ; the Greek and Roman recorded kingdom of Gangaridai ; major Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms including Kikata , Videha , Vṛji , Magadha , Nanda , Mauryan , Anga , Kalinga , Kamarupa , Samatata , Kanva , Gupta , Pala , Gauda , Sena , Khadga , Candra , Deva , Tripura , and Cooch Behar State . Major Islamic empires in

4066-648: The Tea Horse Road . The Grand Trunk Road has its eastern terminus in Bengal. The seaports of Bengal were part of Indian Ocean trade networks with Africa and East Asia. In the 15th   century, the Sultan of Bengal shipped a giraffe from Somalia and sent it to China as a gift for the Ming emperor. In the 17th   century, Mughal Bengal generated 50% of India's GDP due to its worldwide muslin and silk exports. The Portuguese were

4173-702: The Tibetan government in exile in India. The CIA Tibetan program in Nepal trained Tibetan refugees for guerrilla war against the PRC. Following the Tibetan crisis, India and the PRC engaged in a brief border war in 1962 over the disputed McMahon Line and Aksai Chin areas. In 1975, the Indian annexation of Sikkim was strongly opposed by China. Nepal's first period of parliamentary democracy lasted from 1950 to 1960. The King of Nepal imposed

4280-713: The panchayat system in the 1960s and 1970s. A mass uprising pressured the King of Nepal to restore democracy in 1990. The Nepalese Civil War began in 1992. Bhutan joined the United Nations in 1971. Bhutan was the first country to recognize the independence of Bangladesh. Colonial Assam was reorganized by the Indian government into the Seven Sister States of northeast India, including Arunachal Pradesh , Assam , Manipur , Meghalaya , Mizoram , Nagaland , and Tripura . Insurgency in Northeast India has been

4387-483: The states of India are headed by a ceremonial governor and executive chief minister . Indian legislatures include the bicameral national parliament and numerous unicameral and bicameral state legislatures. The federal government can impose President's rule in the states. Indian states are not permitted to develop relations with foreign countries, including neighboring countries within Eastern South Asia unless it

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4494-566: The 19th   century, Nepal, Sikkim, and Bhutan became protectorates of British India . The Anglo-Nepal Treaty of 1923 recognized Nepal's sovereignty. The treaty was recorded in the League of Nations . Bhutan's relations with British India were managed under the Treaty of Punakha of 1910. Sikkim's relations with British India were managed under the Treaty of Titalia of 1817 and the Treaty of Tumlong of 1861. After India became independent, it signed

4601-573: The Himalayas. Bhutan and India have developed two hydropower projects, as of 2017. Nepal has been a key participant in the Chinese One Belt, One Road initiative, which seeks to revive the historical Silk Road between South Asia and Tibet. The rapid development of the Chinese economy has caused increased trade and economic activity between China and Eastern South Asia. China is the largest trading partner of India, Bangladesh, and Nepal while Hong Kong

4708-603: The Jain tradition, the Nanda minister subjugated the entire country up to the coastal areas. The Puranas state that the Nanda king Mahapadma destroyed the Kshatriyas , and attained undisputed sovereignty. The Kshatriyas said to have been exterminated by him include Maithalas , Kasheyas , Ikshvakus , Panchalas , Shurasenas , Kurus , Haihayas , Vitihotras , Kalingas , and Ashmakas . The Amaravathi hoard of Punch marked coins have revealed imperial standard coins dating back to

4815-606: The King of Nepal imposed direct rule, which led to the monarchy's overthrow, the end of the civil war, and the creation of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal in 2008. Bhutan held its first general election in 2008. In 2011, India granted duty-free access to most Bangladeshi products. In 2012, India affirmed in principle to allow Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal to transit its territory for trade movement. In 2014, Bangladesh and India resolved their maritime boundary dispute at

4922-603: The Nanda administration today. The Puranas describe the Nanda king as ekarat ("single ruler"), which suggests that the Nanda empire was an integrated monarchy rather than a group of virtually independent feudal states. However, the Greek accounts suggest the presence of a more federated system of governance. For example, Arrian mentions that the land beyond the Beas River was governed by "the aristocracy, who exercised their authority with justice and moderation." The Greek accounts mention

5029-646: The Nanda kings as Sarvatha-siddhi, and states that his son was Maurya, whose son was Chandragupta Maurya. However, the Puranas themselves do not talk of any relation between the Nanda and the Maurya dynasties. According to the Sri Lankan Buddhist text Mahavamsa , written in Pali language , there were 9 Nanda kings – they were brothers who ruled in succession, for a total of 22 years. These nine kings were: The Nanda capital

5136-408: The Nanda territory (Gangaridai and Prasii) because the Nanda king was hated and despised by his subjects, as he was wicked and of low origin. The Sri Lankan Buddhist tradition blames the Nandas for being greedy and for imposing oppressive taxation. The Puranas of India label the Nandas as adharmika , indicating that they did not follow the norms of dharma or righteous conduct. The Nanda dynasty

5243-554: The Nandas besides other dynasties of Magadha, including the Mauryas; but it is not certain when this region was annexed by the Magadhan rulers. Some Kuntala country (North Mysore) inscriptions suggest that the Nandas also ruled it, which included a part of present-day Karnataka in southern India. However, these inscriptions are relatively late ( c.  1200 CE ), and therefore, cannot be considered as reliable in this context. The Magadha empire included parts of southern India during

5350-452: The Nandas", which was "swept away and submerged later on by the floods of the Ganges". Another interpretation of this verse states this wealth was hidden in the waters of the Ganges. The 7th-century Chinese traveller Xuanzang mentions the "five treasures of king Nanda's seven precious substances". Greek writer Xenophon , in his Cyropaedia (4th century BCE), mentions that the king of India

5457-527: The Nandas, when they state that Mahapadma's mother belonged to the Shudra class, the lowest of the varnas . Since the claim of the barber ancestry of the dynasty's founder is attested by two different traditions—Greco-Roman and Jain, it appears to be more reliable than the Puranic claim of Shaishunaga ancestry. The Buddhist tradition calls the Nandas "of unknown lineage" ( annata-kula ). According to Mahavamsa ,

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5564-520: The Nandas. It is difficult to assign precise date for the Nanda and other early dynasties of Magadha. Historians Irfan Habib and Vivekanand Jha date the Nanda rule from c.  344 –322 BCE, relying on the Sri Lankan Buddhist tradition which states that the Nandas ruled for 22 years. Historian Upinder Singh dates the Nanda rule from 364/345 BCE to 324 BCE, based on the assumption that Gautama Buddha died in c.  486 BCE . According to another theory, based on astronomical calculations,

5671-451: The Prasii (probably a transcription of the Sanskrit word prachya s, literally "easterners"). According to the later writer Megasthenes ( c.  300 BCE ), Pataliputra (Greek: Palibothra) was located in the country of the Prasii, which further confirms that Pataliputra was the Nanda capital. The Nanda empire appears to have stretched from present-day Punjab in the west to Odisha in

5778-476: The Roman historian Curtius (1st century CE) suggests that the dynasty's founder was a barber-turned-king, and that his son was the dynasty's last king, who was overthrown by Chandragupta. The Greek accounts name only one Nanda king—Agrammes or Xandrames—who was a contemporary of Alexander. "Agrammes" may be a Greek transcription of the Sanskrit word "Augrasainya" (literally "son or descendant of Ugrasena", Ugrasena being

5885-507: The Tibet Autonomous Region to the north and the Indian states of Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh to the west and south. The land consists mostly of steep and high mountains crisscrossed by a network of swift rivers, which form deep valleys before draining into the Indian plains. Elevation rises from 200 metres (660 ft) in the southern foothills to more than 7,000 metres (23,000 ft). The highest peak in Bhutan

5992-503: The UN, the assignment of countries or areas to specific groupings is for statistical convenience and does not imply any assumption regarding political or other affiliation of countries or territories. The following is a non-exhaustive list of subregions, arranged alphabetically by region (i.e., by continent); in the UN geoscheme, higher-level, macro-geographical regions are arranged to the extent possible according to continents. Sequence used in

6099-453: The UN. In 1999, it developed a system of macro-geographical (continental) regions, subregions, and other selected economic groups to report advances towards achieving numerous millennial development goals worldwide. These statistical divisions were devised for statistical purposes and is used for carrying out statistical analysis. The division's first publication was the book World's Women 2000: Trends and Statistics in 2000. According to

6206-528: The center of their Indian empire, during which Bengal became synonymous with India. Until the mid-19th century, the Bengal Presidency's jurisdiction covered British-controlled territories in north India , northeast India, and Southeast Asia . The Governor of Bengal was concurrently the Governor General of India for many years. Fort William's surroundings grew into the port city of Calcutta , which

6313-441: The chronological details provided by Merutunga cannot be accepted without corroborative evidence, they cannot be dismissed as entirely unreliable unless contradicted by more reliable sources. The Buddhist, Jain, and Puranic traditions all state that there were 9 Nanda kings, but the sources differ considerably on the names of these kings. According to the Greco-Roman accounts, the Nanda rule spanned two generations. For example,

6420-731: The convines of Magadha. In response, Brahmins broadened their services, eventually resulting in the Hindu synthesis of Brahmanical orthodoxy with local religious traditions, which came to dominate India. Nevertheless, only with the Brahminical Shunga Empire (185 BCE–73 BCE) did the Brahmins gain some prominence in Maghadian society, though it was still not considered to be part of Aryavarta. The Jain tradition suggests that several Nanda ministers were inclined towards Jainism. When Shakatala,

6527-456: The country in the 1950s. Nepal has seen secularization since the republic was proclaimed in 2008. Capital punishment has been abolished. Nepal ranked 63rd on the 2016 Rule of Law Index compiled by the World Justice Project , which was higher than India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Subregion#Asia The Statistics Division of the United Nations (UN) is in charge of the collection, processing, and dissemination of statistical information for

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6634-415: The daughter of the last Nanda king married Chandragupta, because it was customary for Kshatriya girls to choose their husbands; thus, it implies that the Nanda king claimed to be a Kshatriya, that is, a member of the warrior class. The Puranas name the dynasty's founder as Mahapadma , and claim that he was the son of the Shaishunaga king Mahanandin . However, even these texts hint at the low birth of

6741-440: The dynasty's founder as of low birth. According to Greek historian Diodorus (1st century BCE), Porus told Alexander that the contemporary Nanda king was thought to be the son of a barber. Roman historian Curtius (1st century CE) adds that according to Porus, this barber became the former queen's paramour thanks to his attractive looks, treacherously assassinated the then king, usurped the supreme authority by pretending to act as

6848-439: The dynasty's founder was Ugrasena, who was originally "a man of the frontier": he fell into the hands of a gang of robbers, and later became their leader. He later ousted the sons of the Shaishunaga king Kalashoka (or Kakavarna). K. N. Panikkar suggested that the Nandas were the sole Kshatriyas in India "at the time of the Mauryas" and M. N. Srinivas suggested that the "other Kshatriya castes have come into existence through

6955-463: The east. An analysis of various historical sources – including the ancient Greek accounts, the Puranas , and the Hathigumpha inscription – suggests that the Nandas controlled eastern India, the Ganges valley, and at least a part of Kalinga . It is also highly probable that they controlled the Avanti region in Central India, which made it possible for their successor Chandragupta Maurya to conquer present-day Gujarat western India. According to

7062-422: The exclusive economic zone of the country is 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi). Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon climate . The Sundarbans in Bangladesh, which is shared with India, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Cox's Bazar Beach is one of the world's longest beaches. Bhutan is roughly the size of Switzerland . It is located on the southern slopes of the eastern Himalayas, landlocked between

7169-447: The first Europeans to establish trading posts in the region. By the 18th   century, Bengal attracted Dutch, French, Armenian, Danish, Greek, and British traders. Bangladesh is a unitary state and a parliamentary republic . The Jatiyo Sangshad is its unicameral legislature. The President of Bangladesh is the ceremonial head of state, and the Prime Minister of Bangladesh is the head of government. The legal system of Bangladesh

7276-407: The first Nanda king ascended the throne in 424 BCE. Proponents of this theory also interpret the Hathigumpha inscription to mean that "Nandaraja" (the Nanda king) flourished in year 103 of the Mahavira Era , that is, in 424 BCE. The 14th century Jain writer Merutunga , in his Vichara-shreni , states that king Chandra Pradyota of Avanti died on the same night as the Jain leader Mahavira . He

7383-407: The fiscal year 2018–2019, Bangladesh registered exports worth US$ 40.53 billion and imports worth US$ 55.44 billion. Its major trading partners include the European Union , the United States , China , India , Japan , Australia , Malaysia , and Singapore . The Port of Chittagong is Bangladesh's busiest port, as well as the busiest in Eastern South Asia. Bangladesh's chief export is textiles . It

7490-442: The goddess of material prosperity ( Lakshmi ), but also of the goddess of learning ( Sarasvati ). According to this tradition, notable grammarians such as Varsha, Upavarsha, Panini , Katyayana , Vararuchi , and Vyadi lived during the Nanda period. While much of this account is unreliable folklore, it is probable that some of the grammarians who preceded Patanjali lived during the Nanda period. Several historical sources refer to

7597-406: The great wealth of the Nandas. According to the Mahavamsa , the last Nanda king was a treasure- hoarder , and amassed wealth worth 80 kotis (800 million). He buried these treasures in the bed of the Ganges river. He acquired further wealth by levying taxes on all sorts of objects, including skins, gums, trees, and stones. A verse by the Tamil poet Mamulanar refers to "the untold wealth of

7704-434: The hills of Meghalaya and Tripura, the remaining two-thirds of the area is hilly terrain interspersed with valleys and plains; the altitude varies from almost sea level to over 7,000 metres (23,000 ft) above mean sea level . The region's high rainfall, averaging around 10,000 millimetres (390 in) and above, creates problems of ecosystem, high seismic activity, and floods. The states of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim have

7811-468: The historical Magadha region started much later. Singh, however, notes that the adjoining Chota Nagpur Plateau was rich in many minerals and other raw materials, and access to these would have been an asset for Magadha. According to the Jain tradition, Kalpaka was the minister of the first Nanda king. He became a minister reluctantly, but after assuming the office, he encouraged the king to adopt an aggressive expansionist policy. The Jain texts suggest that

7918-430: The largest ethnic group, with Bengali Muslim a majority, followed by Bengali Hindus , Bengali Buddhists , and Bengali Christians . The country has a significant Urdu -speaking minority and numerous minority indigenous ethnic groups . The Bengali language is the official language . Dhaka , Chittagong , Khulna , Sylhet , and Rajshahi are among the country's largest cities and towns. Bangladesh's life expectancy

8025-503: The last Nanda king was unpopular among his subjects. According to Diodorus, Porus told Alexander that the contemporary Nanda king was a man of "worthless character", and was not respected by his subjects as he was thought to be of low origin. Curtius also states that according to Porus, the Nanda king was despised by his subjects. According to Plutarch , who claims that Androkottos (identified as Chandragupta) met Alexander, Androkottos later declared that Alexander could have easily conquered

8132-548: The late 1970s and 1980s. Islam is the state religion of Bangladesh. In the Indian state of West Bengal, the Communist Party of India governed for three decades. The Eastern Himalayas has been home to three independent kingdoms since the 17th   century, including the Kingdom of Bhutan , the Kingdom of Sikkim , and the Kingdom of Nepal . The Himalayan kingdoms served as buffer states between Imperial China and India. In

8239-451: The length of his reign as only 28 years. The Puranas further state that Mahapadma's 8 sons ruled in succession after him for a total of 12 years, but name only one of these sons: Sukalpa. A Vayu Purana script names him as "Sahalya", which apparently corresponds to the "Sahalin" mentioned in the Buddhist text Divyavadana . Dhundhi-raja , an 18th-century Puranic commentator, names one of

8346-776: The list (not all criteria are applied to each continent): Afro-Eurasia is a continental landmass comprising the continents of Africa , Asia , and Europe . Eurasia is a continental mainland comprising the continents of Asia and Europe . The Americas is a continental landmass comprising the continents of North America and South America . [REDACTED] Africa [REDACTED] Antarctica [REDACTED] Asia [REDACTED] Australia [REDACTED] Europe [REDACTED] North America [REDACTED] South America [REDACTED] Afro-Eurasia [REDACTED] Americas [REDACTED] Eurasia [REDACTED] Oceania Nanda Empire The Nanda dynasty

8453-543: The major towns and cities. Hindi and English are the federal official languages of India while most states also have their own official language. Nepal has a population of 25 million, which is the world's 41st largest . Nepal is a multiethnic Himalayan nation with Nepali as the official language. Listed as one of the Next Eleven , the economy of Bangladesh ranks 39th in terms of nominal gross domestic product (GDP) and 29th in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP). In

8560-463: The ministerial offices of the Nanda Empire were hereditary. For example, after the death of Shakatala, a minister of the last Nanda king, his position was offered to his son Sthulabhadra; when Sthulabhadra refused the offer, Shakatala's second son Shriyaka was appointed as the minister. The Brihatkatha tradition claims that under the Nanda rule, the city of Pataliputra not only became the abode of

8667-408: The name of the dynasty's founder according to the Buddhist tradition). The Puranas , compiled in India in c.  4th century CE (but based on earlier sources), also state that the Nandas ruled for two generations. According to the Puranic tradition, the dynasty's founder was Mahapadma: the Matsya Purana assigns him an incredibly long reign of 88 years, while the Vayu Purana mentions

8774-559: The north of this range. The Mountain Region (Himal), situated in the Great Himalayan Range, makes up the northern part of Nepal. It contains the highest elevations in the world, including eight of the ten highest mountains . The climate of Nepal includes subtropical , temperate , subalpine and alpine zones. Bangladesh is the world's eighth most populous country , with a population of more than 160   million . Bengalis are

8881-536: The northern rim of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. The Hill Region (Pahad) abuts the mountains and varies from 800 to 4,000 metres (2,600 to 13,100 ft) in altitude with progression from subtropical climates below 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) to alpine climates above 3,600 metres (11,800 ft). The Lower Himalayan Range reaching 1,500 to 3,000 metres (4,900 to 9,800 ft) is the southern limit of this region, with subtropical river valleys and "hills" alternating to

8988-405: The number of elephants as 4,000. Plutarch inflates these numbers significantly, except the infantry: according to him, the Nanda force included 200,000 infantry; 80,000 cavalry; 6,000 elephants; and 8,000 chariots. It is possible that the numbers reported to Alexander had been exaggerated by the local Indian population, who had the incentive to mislead the invaders. The Nanda army did not have

9095-483: The opportunity to face Alexander, whose soldiers mutinied at the Beas River, refusing to go any further in the east. Alexander's soldiers had first started to agitate to return to their homeland at Hecatompylos in 330 BCE, and the stiff resistance that they had met in north-western India in the subsequent years had demoralised them. They mutinied, when faced with the prospect of facing the Nanda army, forcing Alexander to withdraw from India. Little information survives on

9202-464: The political success of these dynasties of Magadha. Pataliputra, the capital of Magadha, was naturally protected because of its location at the junction of the Ganges and the Son rivers. The Ganges and its tributaries connected the kingdom with important trade routes. It had fertile soil and access to lumber and elephants of the adjacent areas. Some historians have suggested that Magadha was relatively free from

9309-514: The region for centuries. One branch of the ancient Silk Road ran between Tibet, Sikkim, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bengal. The Lhasa Newar merchants were active on the trade route until the Chinese takeover of Tibet in the 1950s. The Kathmandu Valley 's early prosperity was due to these merchants. Another branch of the Silk Road connected Bengal with China through Burma and Yunnan . This route is also known as

9416-727: The region included the Delhi and Bengal Sultanates , and the Suri and Mughal Empires (including the important province of Mughal Bengal ). A confederation of Muslim and Hindu aristocrats called the Baro-Bhuyan existed in the late 16th and early 17th   centuries. The Bengal Presidency was established in the 18th   century by the British Empire , with its headquarters in Fort William , in coastal southwestern Bengal. The British made Bengal

9523-573: The region. Eastern South Asia's archaeological heritage includes Lumbini , the birthplace of the Buddha ; the ancient universities and monasteries of Nalanda , Vikramshila , Somapura Mahavihara , Jaggadala , Odantapuri and Mainamati ; the Ashokan pillars and the Mauryan Empire -era cities of Pataliputra , champa , Vaishali , Balirajpur , Rajgir , Sisupalgarh , Kalinga and Mahasthangarh ; and

9630-644: The region. The four countries are members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation . Yunnan Province and the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Myanmar are historically, economically, and culturally interdependent on Eastern South Asia. The Bangladesh–China–India–Myanmar Forum has established an economic corridor in

9737-585: The reign of the Mauryas – the successors of the Nandas – but there is no satisfactory account of how they came to control this area. For example, an inscription discovered at Bandanikke states: the Kuntala country (which included the north-western parts of Mysore and the southern parts of the Bombay Presidency) was ruled by the nava-Nanda, Gupta-kula , Mauryya kings ; then the Rattas ruled it : after whom were

9844-550: The ruined fort cities of Wari-Bateshwar , Bhitagarh , and Chandraketugarh . The region has an important Buddhist Tourist Circuit. Eastern South Asia hosts a large number of medieval and early modern mosques , including Adina Mosque , the subcontinent's largest medieval mosque, and the Sixty Dome Mosque , and large caravansaries such as Bara Katra and Katra Masjid . It is home to several outstanding examples of medieval and early modern Hindu temple architecture, particularly

9951-477: The rulers of the empire never engaged in conversion of their subjects to other religions and there is no evidence that these rulers discriminated against any contemporary religion. Greater Magadha , east of the confluence of the Ganges and the Yamuna, was the area where the second urbanisation took place, and where Jainism and Buddhism originated. It was outside Aryavarta , the heartland of Vedic Brahmanism west of

10058-486: The second-largest foreign exchange reserves in South Asia. Its credit rating is also the second-best in the region after India. The Nepal Bangladesh Bank was set up by Bangladesh's IFIC Bank in neighboring Nepal. The economy of Bhutan is notable for its hydropower , ferroalloys , apples , red rice , construction materials, and tourism sectors. Bhutan's main trading partners are India, Bangladesh, Thailand , Hong Kong , Japan and South Korea . Phuntsholing

10165-520: The southern border with India. The economy of Nepal relies heavily on tourism , agriculture , food processing, metal production, remittances , carpet making, and textile manufacturing. Nepal's principal trading partners are India, the United States, and China. Binod Chaudhary is Nepal's sole Forbes -listed billionaire . The taka introduced by Muslims is the historical currency of Bengal , Nepal, and Tibet. Arab and Persian traders frequented

10272-610: The this confuence, associated with one single state, the Kuru kingdom . The Nanda emperors, and later the Mauryan emperors, had little interest in Brahmanism, and the conquest of the Vedic heartland by the Nanda and Maurya rule deprived the Brahmins of their patrons, threatening the survival of the Vedic ritual tradition, and creating opportunities for Buddhists and Jains to spread their religion outside

10379-540: The world's highest mountainous terrain and the world's largest delta , and has a climate ranging from alpine and subalpine to subtropical and tropical . Since Nepal, Bhutan, and northeast India are landlocked , the coastlines of Bangladesh and East India serve as the principal gateways to the region. With more than 441 million inhabitants, Eastern South Asia is home to 6%   of the world's population and 25% of South Asia's population. The Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal Initiative promotes economic integration in

10486-489: Was overthrown by Chandragupta Maurya , who was supported by his mentor (and later minister) Chanakya . Some accounts mention Chandragupta as a member of the Nanda family. For example, the 11th century writers Kshemendra and Somadeva describe Chandragupta as a "son of the genuine Nanda" ( purva-Nanda-suta ). Dhundiraja, in his commentary on the Vishnu Purana , names Chandragupta's father as Maurya; he describes Maurya as

10593-558: Was a center of the petroleum, tea, and jute industries. Its capital was Dacca , with a summer capital at Shillong . The summer capital enjoyed the highest per capita income in British India. The All India Muslim League was formed in Dacca to safeguard the interests of British Indian Muslims . But the first partition sparked strong protests from elites in Calcutta and sections of the landed gentry , particularly Bengali Hindus . The protests caused

10700-487: Was a difference of 400 years between Sri-Harsha era and Vikrama era which would make it fall in 458 BCE, the attributes of which matched with the Nanda kings. According to 12th century Yedarava inscription of Chalukya king Vikramaditya VI , Nanda era along with Vikram era and Shaka era were extant which were abolished in favour of a new Chalukyan era, but other scholars have opined that evidences are too meager to make anything conclusive. All historical accounts agree that

10807-467: Was a ruling dynasty of Magadha that ruled a large empire in ancient India during the fourth century BCE and possibly also during the fifth. The Nandas overthrew the Shaishunaga dynasty and expanded the empire to include a larger part of northern India. Ancient sources differ considerably regarding the names of the Nanda kings and the duration of their rule, but based on the Buddhist tradition recorded in

10914-528: Was located at Pataliputra (near present-day Patna ) in the Magadha region of eastern India. This is confirmed by the Buddhist and Jain traditions, as well as the Sanskrit play Mudrarakshasa . The Puranas also connect the Nandas to the Shaishunaga dynasty , which ruled in the Magadha region. The Greek accounts state that Agrammes (identified as a Nanda king) was the ruler of the Gangaridai (the Ganges valley) and

11021-645: Was made part of the Muslim-majority Dominion of Pakistan and West Bengal a part of the Hindu-majority Dominion of India . East Bengal was later renamed East Pakistan in 1955. In 1971, East Pakistan seceded in the Bangladesh Liberation War , which established the People's Republic of Bangladesh . The constitution of Bangladesh established a multiparty parliamentary democracy in 1972. The country endured several military coups in

11128-541: Was succeeded by his son Palaka, who ruled for 60 years. After that, the Nandas rose to power at Pataliputra and captured the Avanti capital Ujjayini . The Nanda rule, spanning the reigns of nine kings, lasted for 155 years, after which the Mauryas came to power. According to the Śvetāmbara Jain tradition, Mahavira died in 527 BCE, which would mean that the Nanda rule—according to Merutunga's writings—lasted from 467 BCE to 312 BCE. According to historian R. C. Majumdar , while all

11235-677: Was the capital of India until 1911. After the British Indian Empire was established in 1858 following the Indian Rebellion of 1857 , the Bengal Renaissance flourished in Calcutta and other Bengali urban centers. The Indian independence movement , including parts of the movement which created Pakistan, had its origins in the Bengal Presidency. The Parliament of Bengal, including the Bengal Legislative Council and

11342-403: Was unable to defeat the Nandas when he attacked their capital but was successful against them when he gradually conquered the frontier regions of their empire. The Nanda kings appear to have strengthened the Magadha kingdom ruled by their Haryanka and Shaishunaga predecessors, creating the first great empire of northern India in the process. Historians have put forward various theories to explain

11449-414: Was very wealthy, and aspired to arbitrate in the disputes between the kingdoms of West Asia. Although Xenophon's book describes the events of the 6th century BCE (the period of Cyrus the Great ), historian H. C. Raychaudhuri speculates that the writer's image of the Indian king may be based on the contemporary Nanda king. The Kashika , a commentary on Panini's grammar, mentions Nandopakramani manani –

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