adhiraj.bose
Deity
Emperor Ajatshatru had left a legacy difficult to compare. All agreed that the new king Udayabhadra was not worthy of holding even a candle before his father and grandfather. His lavish tastes and penchant for extravagance would drive the coffers of Magadh near bankruptcy. Petitions from peasants and traders were turned down and the people mocked. There were stories of the king riding on his elephants through the streets of Pataliputra with his entourage, and capture any maiden that he would fancy and make her his thrall.
Most of his days were spent in his pet indulgence, with little interest in state craft. Perhaps it was for the best, for he had no understanding nor any skill that the task would require. This was a time, when the king only ruled in name, while his minister, Amatya Shishunaga held any real power. He would act to protect the people against the worst atrocities of the Emperor, while ensuring the realm stayed at peace and remained productive.
Projects initiated by the last emperor went on smoothly under his watch.
The Great temple of the holy trinity in Indraprasth :
The training of the new legion of spearmen at Kashi :
A new township in Vanga, where the river Ganga meets the ocean :
Research in Mathematics progressed as well. Bharata, seemed to be standing on the pinnacle of world civilization.
On the surface, things seemed at peace, but this outward peace was a deception. Every son and daughter of Bharata knew, of the rot that was seeping in. Amatya Shishunaga was much loved for his work, and many yearned to see him become king, but the honourable minister knew his place. After Udayabhadra would come his first born son, and his first born after that. Shishunaga was not even related to the royal family, it was only his talent that had won him the position of an amatya of Magadh. But fate had other plans for the honour bound amatya.
The King's Council met in secrecy after the death of Emperor Ajatshatru, to discuss the future. It was in that fateful meeting that the council found itself split. The King's Council had seen its power decline over the years, replaced instead by the spiritual guidance of Buddhist monks and the influence of the Sangh centered around the Mahabodhi shrine of Pataliputra. And so to stem the decline, the acharyas of the King's Council hatched a plan. The plan was to overthrow King Udayabhadra, destroy the Haryanka dynasty and replace them with a new dynasty.
When the agenda was placed before them, Acharya Mukteshwar II and Acharya Dhrittiman were shocked with disgust ! "This is treason!" exclaimed Acharya Mukteshwar II, "I will not forsake my honor for these nefarious schemes!" Acharya Dhrittiman said "The emperor is our liege, even if we do not like him". Acharya Nagabhatta II reminded them of their duty, that it was not merely to the king, but to the realm itself. "My father of the same name saw a wonderful and beautiful nation develop. His expulsion from the council was a fright to many that we shall be ruled by a despotic unjust ruler. This did not happen but we live in an age where these newcomers pose a threat. The only way to keep the success of India as it is now is by overthrowing this dynasty and place Amatya Shishunaga on the throne!" so said Acharya Nagabhatta II.
The arguments went on for hours, at the conclusion of which the acharyas Nagabhatta II and Nanaji, resolved to work for the overthrow of this corrupt and incompetent king from Magadh. Whilst, Acharyas Dhrittiman and Mukteshwar II, resolved to fight against all those who scheme against the rightful emperor of Bharata.
The next morning, the rebellious councillors asked the king for an audience. There would be no response. As was always the case, the King was somewhere else, tending to his pet indulgences, this time he was hunting in the woods. Amatya Shishunaga was present in his stead to greet these councillors. Acharya Nagabhatta realized the opportunity that had presented itself and spoke, "We come with an ultimatum noble Amatya. We the esteemed councillors of the King of Magadh, have done our duty to the betterment of the realm since generations. But today, our realm stands on the edge of abyss. The new king who seats the throne, is an incompetent, hedonistic king not worthy of his office. Noble amatya, our duty is not only to the king, but to the betterment of the whole realm. For this, we present to you our ultimatum. We will not serve King Udayabhadra, for us, you Amatya Shishunaga, are the one we recognize as the rightful king. A respect won not by blood, but by virtue of your deeds."
It was something that Amatya Shishunaga had heard every city he visited, be it Takshashila or Varanasi or Indraprasth. Kshatriya and Vaishya, Shudra and Brahmin alike, all wanted him as their liege. It was a burden that has haunted him for over five years, the burden of expectations. Whenever he faced such talk, he would reply with the same answer "It would be against my dharma to stand against the rightful King. He has the blood of King Haryanka and king Bimbisar in him, not me. It is on my honor as Amatya to the King Emperor of Magadh, that I must only serve the king, dutifully as I would serve the realm". Yet this time, the King sat silently on the throne clenching his fist tightly. "I... Amatya Shishunag... accept your resignations, in the name of King Udayabhadra, the first of his name, the rightful King of Magadh, and the overlord of Bharata". Acharya Nagabhatta II understood the internal conflict in the amatya's mind, with a bow he and Acharya Nanaji both left the court.
The acharyas Mukteshwar II and Dhrittiman, were not ignorant of what was happening before them. The resignation of the rebellious councillors and the Amatya Shishunag's silence seemed to indicate an ominous turn of events. They approached the King, and sought to warn him against the impending conspiracy. The King having been drunk in wine the night before, could barely stay awake and understand what the Acharyas were trying to tell them. Half asleep and half awake King Udayabhadra said "let Amatya Shishunag handle it" . From this time, the Acharyas realized the defense of the dynasty would have to be taken in their own hands.
The imperial scribe whose responsibility it was to lay his seal on every order of the King, was a loyal follower of Acharya Dhrittiman, to whom he owed his position in the palace. The Acharyas demanded of him, that an order be written and a seal be made in the name of the King. The order is to be delivered to the captain of the guards. The Acharyas dictated the scribe and he wrote.
"By the order of King Udayabhadra, first of his name, King Emperor of Magadh and overlord of Bharata. I command that Amatya Shishunaga be stripped of his post and imprisoned for the crime of treason against his majesty the Emperor Udayabhadra. It is also ordered, that the former Acharyas of the King's Council, the brahmin Nagabhatta II, and the lowborn shudra Nanaji be imprisoned for the offense of inciting rebellion against the King Emperor, and abusing the powers of the office of the King's Council
With this, the Acharyas had shot the first strike of a bloody rebellion.
Most of his days were spent in his pet indulgence, with little interest in state craft. Perhaps it was for the best, for he had no understanding nor any skill that the task would require. This was a time, when the king only ruled in name, while his minister, Amatya Shishunaga held any real power. He would act to protect the people against the worst atrocities of the Emperor, while ensuring the realm stayed at peace and remained productive.
Projects initiated by the last emperor went on smoothly under his watch.
The Great temple of the holy trinity in Indraprasth :
Spoiler :
The training of the new legion of spearmen at Kashi :
Spoiler :
A new township in Vanga, where the river Ganga meets the ocean :
Spoiler :
Research in Mathematics progressed as well. Bharata, seemed to be standing on the pinnacle of world civilization.
On the surface, things seemed at peace, but this outward peace was a deception. Every son and daughter of Bharata knew, of the rot that was seeping in. Amatya Shishunaga was much loved for his work, and many yearned to see him become king, but the honourable minister knew his place. After Udayabhadra would come his first born son, and his first born after that. Shishunaga was not even related to the royal family, it was only his talent that had won him the position of an amatya of Magadh. But fate had other plans for the honour bound amatya.
The King's Council met in secrecy after the death of Emperor Ajatshatru, to discuss the future. It was in that fateful meeting that the council found itself split. The King's Council had seen its power decline over the years, replaced instead by the spiritual guidance of Buddhist monks and the influence of the Sangh centered around the Mahabodhi shrine of Pataliputra. And so to stem the decline, the acharyas of the King's Council hatched a plan. The plan was to overthrow King Udayabhadra, destroy the Haryanka dynasty and replace them with a new dynasty.
When the agenda was placed before them, Acharya Mukteshwar II and Acharya Dhrittiman were shocked with disgust ! "This is treason!" exclaimed Acharya Mukteshwar II, "I will not forsake my honor for these nefarious schemes!" Acharya Dhrittiman said "The emperor is our liege, even if we do not like him". Acharya Nagabhatta II reminded them of their duty, that it was not merely to the king, but to the realm itself. "My father of the same name saw a wonderful and beautiful nation develop. His expulsion from the council was a fright to many that we shall be ruled by a despotic unjust ruler. This did not happen but we live in an age where these newcomers pose a threat. The only way to keep the success of India as it is now is by overthrowing this dynasty and place Amatya Shishunaga on the throne!" so said Acharya Nagabhatta II.
The arguments went on for hours, at the conclusion of which the acharyas Nagabhatta II and Nanaji, resolved to work for the overthrow of this corrupt and incompetent king from Magadh. Whilst, Acharyas Dhrittiman and Mukteshwar II, resolved to fight against all those who scheme against the rightful emperor of Bharata.
The next morning, the rebellious councillors asked the king for an audience. There would be no response. As was always the case, the King was somewhere else, tending to his pet indulgences, this time he was hunting in the woods. Amatya Shishunaga was present in his stead to greet these councillors. Acharya Nagabhatta realized the opportunity that had presented itself and spoke, "We come with an ultimatum noble Amatya. We the esteemed councillors of the King of Magadh, have done our duty to the betterment of the realm since generations. But today, our realm stands on the edge of abyss. The new king who seats the throne, is an incompetent, hedonistic king not worthy of his office. Noble amatya, our duty is not only to the king, but to the betterment of the whole realm. For this, we present to you our ultimatum. We will not serve King Udayabhadra, for us, you Amatya Shishunaga, are the one we recognize as the rightful king. A respect won not by blood, but by virtue of your deeds."
It was something that Amatya Shishunaga had heard every city he visited, be it Takshashila or Varanasi or Indraprasth. Kshatriya and Vaishya, Shudra and Brahmin alike, all wanted him as their liege. It was a burden that has haunted him for over five years, the burden of expectations. Whenever he faced such talk, he would reply with the same answer "It would be against my dharma to stand against the rightful King. He has the blood of King Haryanka and king Bimbisar in him, not me. It is on my honor as Amatya to the King Emperor of Magadh, that I must only serve the king, dutifully as I would serve the realm". Yet this time, the King sat silently on the throne clenching his fist tightly. "I... Amatya Shishunag... accept your resignations, in the name of King Udayabhadra, the first of his name, the rightful King of Magadh, and the overlord of Bharata". Acharya Nagabhatta II understood the internal conflict in the amatya's mind, with a bow he and Acharya Nanaji both left the court.
The acharyas Mukteshwar II and Dhrittiman, were not ignorant of what was happening before them. The resignation of the rebellious councillors and the Amatya Shishunag's silence seemed to indicate an ominous turn of events. They approached the King, and sought to warn him against the impending conspiracy. The King having been drunk in wine the night before, could barely stay awake and understand what the Acharyas were trying to tell them. Half asleep and half awake King Udayabhadra said "let Amatya Shishunag handle it" . From this time, the Acharyas realized the defense of the dynasty would have to be taken in their own hands.
The imperial scribe whose responsibility it was to lay his seal on every order of the King, was a loyal follower of Acharya Dhrittiman, to whom he owed his position in the palace. The Acharyas demanded of him, that an order be written and a seal be made in the name of the King. The order is to be delivered to the captain of the guards. The Acharyas dictated the scribe and he wrote.
"By the order of King Udayabhadra, first of his name, King Emperor of Magadh and overlord of Bharata. I command that Amatya Shishunaga be stripped of his post and imprisoned for the crime of treason against his majesty the Emperor Udayabhadra. It is also ordered, that the former Acharyas of the King's Council, the brahmin Nagabhatta II, and the lowborn shudra Nanaji be imprisoned for the offense of inciting rebellion against the King Emperor, and abusing the powers of the office of the King's Council
With this, the Acharyas had shot the first strike of a bloody rebellion.
Also I think you have him the wrong name in the last chapter. But very good! 
