20. King Bimbisara of Magadha was murdered by his son and successor Ajatashatru, who was later himself murdered by his son and successor Udayabhadra
Bimbisara (b. 558 BCE) was a member of the Haryanka dynasty that ruled the Magadha Kingdom of modern-day India, reigning as king from 543 to 492 BCE. During his reign the kingdom expanded considerably, including the successful annexation of the neighboring kingdom of Anga, and was celebrated for its cultural accomplishments; Bimbisara was also a close personal friend and protector of Siddhārtha Gautama, also known as the Buddha, and according to legend enjoyed as many as 500 wives.
In the year 492 BCE Bimbisara was overthrown and imprisoned by one of his sons, Ajatashatru, who greedily coveted his throne despite being allegedly saved from abandonment as an infant by the paternal generosity of the king. According to local tradition, in 491 BCE, soon after the birth of his own first child a year later, Ajatashatru was reminded of his father’s kindness by his wife and rushed with an ax to free his father from his chains. However fearing his son meant in fact to murder him with the weapon, Bimbisara ingested poison hidden in a ring and died; the more likely and historically accepted interpretation is that Bimbisara died of starvation in his own son’s captivity. Ajatashatr’s reign was prematurely ended itself, however, believed to have been himself brutally murdered by his son Udayabhadra for the bloodied throne in the year 460 BCE.