kingdom · South Asia

Nanda Empire

345 BCE – 322 BCE (approx.) · capital Pataliputra

The first empire of the Ganges valley, whose wealth and great army were feared even by Alexander's troops.

Origins

Around 345 BCE Mahapadma Nanda, said by tradition to be of low birth, overthrew the last Shishunaga ruler of the Kingdom of Magadha. The Puranas call him a destroyer of the old Kshatriya dynasties, and he extended Magadhan rule over the Ganges plain and probably into Kalinga, ruling from Pataliputra.

Rule and society

The Nandas built a centralised state with a large standing army; Greek writers reported 200,000 infantry, 20,000 cavalry, thousands of chariots and war elephants. They were famous for their treasury, filled by heavy taxes, and for public works such as canals. Their fearsome reputation helped convince Alexander's soldiers to refuse to march beyond the Beas in 326 BCE. Brahmin and Buddhist sources alike remember the last king, Dhana Nanda, as greedy and unpopular.

Decline and legacy

Around 322 BCE Chandragupta Maurya, guided according to tradition by the Brahmin Chanakya, overthrew Dhana Nanda and founded the Maurya Empire, which inherited the Nanda administration and capital.

Lineage

Kingdom of Magadha 600 BCE – 345 BCENanda EmpireMaurya Empire 322 BCE – 185 BCE

Connections (7)

  • Kuru Kingdom was conquered by Nanda Empire350 BCE
  • Panchala was conquered by Nanda Empire350 BCE
  • Chedi was conquered by Nanda Empire350 BCE
  • Matsya was conquered by Nanda Empire350 BCE
  • Surasena was conquered by Nanda Empire350 BCE
  • Assaka was conquered by Nanda Empire350 BCE
  • Kingdom of Kalinga was conquered by Nanda Empire340 BCE – 322 BCE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Nanda Empire. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/nanda-empire
MLA
“Nanda Empire.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/nanda-empire. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Nanda Empire.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/nanda-empire.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Nanda Empire’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/nanda-empire (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻