The Nanda Dynasty came to power in the year 345 BCE with the reign of King Mahapadma Nanda, who laid its foundation on the blood of Kalasoka, the former ruler. With this, he became the first Nanda ruler of the Magadha empire. After his death, his son, Dhana Nanda, took over the throne.

He possessed enormous gold reserves and it is said that he created his treasure house by constructing a deep excavation in a rock in the river bed of the Ganges. A huge part of the money came from taxes. But, it is believed that he exploited his country’s people and was renowned for inflicting harsh and cruel punishments. He used extremely brutal methods to collect taxes from the populace. His reign was marked by great human suffering throughout his kingdom.

He managed an empire with a strong military and wealth, but he was unable to win the hearts of his people. Being a member of the Sudha clan and seeing his father's early disgrace because of his identity as a lower-caste man gave rise to his anti-Kshatriya sentiment. Moreover, people understood that the lavishness of the empire was built on the cost of their living, so Dhana Nanda could not rule the hearts of his people. However, the hatred of the people never stopped him from winning kingdom after kingdom. He gradually gathered a force that was so large and potent that great emperors feared it.

However, mythical folklore also suggests that this bustling empire had a tragic fall. Once, a Brahmin philosopher came to his court with a proposal for foreign invasion. Instead of listening to his plan, Dhana Nanda insulted him for his ugly looks. Embarrassed in front of the entire court, he decided to destroy him.

Later, the Brahmin found a boy and decided to train him. He knew he was the only one who could uproot the Nanda rule. The Brahmin was none other than Chanakya, and the boy was Chandragupta Maurya. With proper strategy and Chanakya’s guidance, he attacked Dhana Nanda.

Dhana Nanda was exiled from his kingdom and was never seen or heard from again. According to certain reports, Chanakya murdered Dhana Nanda to seek revenge. Other tales claim that he converted to Buddhism before going into exile by giving up everything.

The Nanda Empire was overthrown and replaced by the Maurya Empire. Even after being powerful rulers, the Nandas suffered a tragic fall and gave way to another powerful empire that penned its glory in history.