Kalashoka

Shaishunaga ruler

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 30, 2026

Quick Summary

Kalashoka was a ruler of the Shaishunaga dynasty in ancient Magadha, India. His reign, which occurred roughly between the mid-5th and mid-4th centuries BCE, is primarily noted for two significant events. Firstly, the second Buddhist council was held in Vaishali during his rule. Secondly, the capital of Magadha was relocated to Pataliputra under his reign. The Shaishunaga dynasty ended with Kalashoka's murder, which is believed to have been carried out by the founder of the subsequent Nanda dynasty.

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Shaishunaga dynasty
The reign of Shishunaga’s son Kalashoka is known chiefly for two important events: the meeting of the second Buddhist council at Vaishali and the shifting of the Magadhan capital to Pataliputra. The end of Shishunaga’s line is obscure, as is much of the pre-Mauryan dynastic history of Magadha. Kalashoka’s sons,…
Read More
The reign of Shishunaga’s son Kalashoka is known chiefly for two important events: the meeting of the second Buddhist council at Vaishali and the shifting of the Magadhan capital to Pataliputra. The end of Shishunaga’s line is obscure, as is much of the pre-Mauryan dynastic history of Magadha. Kalashoka’s sons,…
Read More