Mahajanapadas

HISTORY

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Mahajanapadas
According to Buddhist literature (Angutara Nikaya, Mahavastu) and Jain literature
(Bhagavati Sutta), there were 16 Mahajanapadas or the great kingdoms at the
beginning of the 6th century BC in India.
Monarchical and Non-Monarchical/Republican are the two type of states.

Monarchial States Non Monarchial States

Anga Vajji

Magadha Malla

Kashi Kuru

Kosala Panchal

Vatsa Kamboja

Chedi Shakya (Kapilvastu)

Shursena Koliyas ( Ramgrama)

Matsya

Avanti Moriya(Pipplivana)

Gandhara

They emerged during the Vedic Age. Socio- economic advancements mostly because
of the utilization of iron instruments in farming and military, alongside religious and
political improvements prompted the rise of the Mahajanapadas from little domains or
Janapadas.

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Present Locations of Mahajanapadas

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The Sixteen Mahajanapadas

The Present Important

Capital Facts
Mahajanapadas Location Rulers

 Was taken over

by Magadha
Empire
Bhagalpur
Anga Champa
and Munger  Anga is
mentioned in
Mahabharatha
and Atharvaveda
 Magadha is the
core centre of
Jaininsm
Bimbisara
Magadha
Girivraja/ Gaya and
and  The first Buddhist
Rajagriha Patna Council was held
Ajatashatru
in magdha
 Is mentioned in
Atharva Veda
 City has got its
Kashi Kashi Banaras name from
Varuna and Asi
 Also known as
Vamsa
 Central city for
King economic
Vatsa Kausambi Allahabad
Udayan activites
 A very
prosperous trade
centre
 Kosala also
included the tribal
Eastern Uttar Republican
Kosala Sravasti Prasenjit
Pradesh territory of
Sakyas of
Kapilvastu.

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The Present Important

Capital Facts
Mahajanapadas Location Rulers

Western  Center of Krishna

Saurasena Mathura Uttar Avantiputra Worship at the
Pradesh time of
Megasthenes
Ahichchatra
(northern
Western  Was earlier a
region) and monarchy, later
Panchala Uttar
Kampliya shifted to non
Pradesh
(southern monarchy
region)

Indraprasth
Meerut and  Moved to a
Kuru Southeastern republic form of
a
Haryana governance
 Situated to West
Matsya Viratnagar Jaipur of Panchalas and
south of Kurus

Chedi Sothivati Jaipur  Cited in the

Rigveda
Malwa and
Avanti
Ujjaini or
Madhya Pradyota  Significant to rise
Mahismati of Buddhism
Pradesh
 Cited in the
Atharva Veda
 People were
Gandhara Taxila Rawalpindi highly trained In
art of war
 Significant center
for commercial
activites

 Kamboja was a
Rajori and republic state
Kamboja Pooncha
Hajra according to
records

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The Present Important

Capital Facts
Mahajanapadas Location Rulers

Paithan/ Bank of Braham  Located between

Assaka/ Ashmaka Narmada and
Pratishthan Godavari Data
Godavari Rivers
 Licchavis,
Vajji Vaishali Bihar Vedehans, Vajjis
and Jnatrikas
were main races
Deoria and
Malla Kusinara Uttar  Malla was a
Pradesh republic

Anga
 Magadha’s greatest rival was the Anga Mahajanapada.

 Located on its east, Magadha and Anga together consisted of about eighty
thousand villages.

 The Ramayana narrates the origin of the name Anga.

 In Mahabharata, the territory of Anga was given to Karna by Duryodhana.

 Champa s the capital of Anga.

Artefacts of Champa

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Magdha

 Magadha, the foremost of all, became a pivot, a power centre whose ambitions
grew to such an extent that it eventually swallowed most of Mahajanapadas.

 Magdha was an important political and commerce centre and people from all parts
of northern India flocked here for trade and commerce.

 Magdha’s early capital was Rajgriha and later Pataliputra.

Ruins of the pillared hall at the Kumhrar site of Pataliputra

Kashi

 Kashi has been described as one of the oldest living cities in the world.

 Religion, trade, education all aligned here, giving rise to one of the most significant
Mahajanapadas.

 Cottage industries and textile manufacturing were thriving here.

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Vatsa
 Also known as Vamsas & Vachchas

 It had a monarchical form of legislature with Kausambi as capital.

 Large number of millionaire merchants resided.

 It was the most important entreport of goods and passengers from the northwest
an south.

 Udayana was the ruler of Vasta in the 6th century BCE, the time of Buddha.

Fortified wall made of baked bricks excavated from Kaushambi

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Kosala
 The capital of Kosala was Sravasti and this Mahajanapada corresponds roughly
with the area with the region of Awadh in present day Uttar Pardesh.

 Kosala joined the region of the shakyas of kapilavastu as well, to which the
Buddha connected.

Punch Marked Coins (430–320 BCE)

Saurasena
 Along with this Mahajanapada, usually mentioned is Surasena with Mathura as its
capital.

 Avantiputra, the king of Suasena was the first aamong the chief disciples of
Buddha, through whose help Buddhism gained ground in Mathura.

Quadruple Jain image and Jain goddess Chakreshvari excavated from Kankani Tila

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Panchala
 East of the Kurus between the mountains and river Ganges.

 Country was divided into UttaraPanchala and DakshinaPanchala.

 Northern Panchala had its capital at Adhichhatra or Chhatravati (current

Ramnagar in the Bareilly District), while southern Panchala had its capital at
Kampilya or Kampil in Farrukhabad District.

 The well known city of Kanyakubja or Kanauj was located in the domain of
Panchala.

 Kautiliya's Arthashastra also authenticates the Panchalas as following the

Rajashabdopajivin (ruler representative) constitution.

Ahichchhatra ruins

Kuru
 Aitareya Brahmana locates the Kurus in Madhyadesha.

 Vayu Purana bears witness to that Kuru, child of Samvarsana of the Puru
heredity, was the eponymous predecessor of the Kurus and the originator of
Kururashtra (Kuru Janapada) in Kurukshetra.

 As per the Jatakas, the capital of the Kurus was Indraprastha (Indapatta) close to
present day Delhi.

 During the Buddha's time, the Kuru nation was managed by a nominal chieftain
named Korayvya.

 In the fourth century BCE, Kautiliya's Arthashastra also bears witness to the
Kurus following the Rajashabdopajivin constitution.

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Hastinapur excavation

Matsya
 The country of the Matsya or Machcha tribe lay toward the south of the Kurus and
west of the Yamuna.

 Viratanagara (current Bairat) which is said to have been named after its originator
ruler Virata.

 Ruler Sujata controlled over both the Chedis and Matsyas, therefore indicating
that Matsya once the part of the Chedi domain.

Hastinapur excavation

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Chedi

 The Chedi family and domain was established by Chidi, the child of Vidarbha and
having a belong with the Yadava dynasty.
 Also called Chetis or ChetyasChedis lay near Yamuna midway between the
kingdom of Kurus and Vatsas.
 The Chedis were an antiquated people of India and are referenced in the
Rigveda.
 The Chedi Kingdom was managed by Shishupala, a partner of Jarasandha of
Magadha and Duryodhana of Kuru.

The archaeological site situated near the Rajghat Fort in Varanasi

Avanti
 One of the four incredible domain in India in the post period of Mahavira and
Buddha.

 Avanti was separated into north and south by the river Vetravati or Betwa.

 At first, Mahishamati was the capital of Southern Avanti, and Ujjaini was of
northern Avanti, yet at the times of Mahavira and Buddha, Ujjaini was the capital
of coordinated Avanti.

 some of the main theras and theris were born and lived there.

 Ruler Nandivardhana of Avanti was conquer by ruler Shishunaga of Magadha.

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The archaeological site situated near the Rajghat Fort in Varanasi

Gandhara
 Wool of the Gandharis is alluded to in the Rigveda.

 According to Puranic customs, this Janapada was established by Gandhara, child

of Aruddha, a descendant of Yayati.

 Taksashila and Pushkalavati, the two cities of this Mahajanapada, are said to
have been named after Taksa and Pushkara, the two children of Bharata.

 The Gandhara domain once in a while likewise included Kashmira.

 The Jataka also gives another name Chandahara for Gandhara.

 Ruler Pukkusati or Pushkarasarin of Gandhara in the sixth century BCE was the
contemporary of ruler Bimbisara of Magadha.

Long silver bent bar coin 600- 300 BCE

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Kamboja

 Old Kamboja is known to have contained areas on either side of the Hindukush.

 Kambojas were also a popular republican. Kautiliya's Arthashastra and Ashoka's

Edict No. XIII also verify that the Kambojas followed republican constitution.

Assaka or Asmaka

 Situated in Dakshinapatha or southern India.

 The capital Potana or Potali, which relates to Paudanya of Mahabharata.

 They are placed in the northwest in the Markendeya Purana and the Brhat
Samhita.

 Godavari divided the nation of the Assakas from that of the Mulakas or Alakas.

 Arthashastra distinguishes Ashmaka with Maharashtra.

City of Kushinagar in the 5th century BCE according to a 1st-century BCE frieze in Sanchi Stupa

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Vajji

 Vajji's capital was Vaishali( Bihar ).

 Vajji had an different government known as gana or sangha.

 They performed religious ceremonies together.

 The vajji domain ruled 1500 years ago.

Malla
 It was one of the sixteen mahajanapadas.

 It finds mention in ‘Mahabharata’ and Buddhist and Jain texts.

 They were a republic (Samgha).

 Their capital was Kusinara located around present day Deoria and Uttar Pradesh.

The Malla Dynasty

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