Ajatashatru

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Ajatashatru" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: death mentioned of Bimbisara(his father) instead of his. Please help improve this article if you can. (July 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This article possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (April 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Ajatashatru
Ajatashatru worships the Buddha, relief from the Bharhut Stupa at the Indian Museum, Kolkata
King of Magadha
Reign	c. 492 – c. 460 BCE[1] or c. 405 – c. 373 BCE[2][3]
Predecessor	Bimbisara
Successor	Udayabhadra
Governor of Champa
Reign	? – c.492 or c.405 BCE
Died	460 BCE[1] or c. 373 BCE[2][3]
Spouse	Vajira Padmavati Dharini Subadhra
Issue	Udayabhadra
Dynasty	Haryanka
Father	Bimbisara
Mother	Queen Chellana (Sanskrit: Cellaṇā), daughter of President Chetaka[4][5] (Jainism) Queen Kosala Devī (Buddhism)
Religion	Jainism, Buddhism

Ajatasattu (Pāli Ajātasattu^[1]) or Ajatashatru (Sanskrit Ajātaśatru^[1]) in Buddhist tradition, or Kunika (Kūṇika) and Kuniya (Kūṇiya) in the Jain histories,^[6] (reigned c. 492 to 460 BCE, or c. 405 to 373 BCE^[2][3]) was one of the most important kings of the Haryanka dynasty of Magadha in East India. He was the son of King Bimbisara and was a contemporary of both Mahavira and Gautama Buddha. He forcefully took over the kingdom of Magadha from his father and imprisoned him. He fought a war against the Vajjika League, led by the Licchavis, and conquered the republic of Vaishali. The city of Pataliputra was formed by fortification of a village by Ajatashatru.

Ajatashatru followed policies of conquest and expansion. He defeated his neighbouring rivals including the king of Kosala; his brothers, at odds with him, went to Kashi, which had been given to Bimbisara as dowry and led to a war between Magadha and Kosala.

Ajatashatru occupied Kashi and captured the smaller kingdoms. Magadha under Ajatashatru became the most powerful kingdom in North India.