Brihadratha dynasty

The Brihadratha dynasty was the legendary first dynasty of the Magadha Empire, according to the Puranas, and was founded by Brihadratha.

History

Brihadratha

According to the Puranas, Brihadratha was the king of Magadha and the founder of the Brihadratha dynasty. According to the Mahabharata and the Purana, he was the eldest of the five sons of Uparichara Vasu, the Kuru king of Chedi, and his queen was Girika. The name 'Brihadratha' is found twice in the Rigveda ; however, it is not indicated whether this refers to the father of Jarasandha.

Jarasandha

The Mahabharatha mention that Jarasandha was the son of Brihadratha and the greatest ruler of the dynasty. According to Jai Samhita, 24 Brihadratha kings ruled for many years.
The name of Jarasandha appears in the Puranas many times. Jarasandha was inimical to the Yadava and is mentioned as a villain in the Mahabharata.
Bhima, with the help of Krishna, killed Jarasandha.

Sahadeva

According to scripture, Sahadeva was the son of Jarasandha placed on the throne of Magadha by the Pandava after the assassination of Jarasandha. Sahadeva has fought the Kurukshetra War on the side of the Pandavas. According to the Puranas, he was killed in the Kurukshetra War by Shakuni, along with his cousin Jayadeva. He was succeeded by Somadhi.

Later rulers

Somadhi was the son of Sahadeva and was placed on the throne of Magadha by the Pandavas after he agreed to be their subordinate.

End of dynasty

The last of the Brihadratha dynasty was Ripunjaya, who was killed by a minister named Punika. After the death of Ripunjaya, Punika placed his son Pradyota on the throne and founded the Pradyota dynasty in 682 BCE.