Mahajanapadas -

Study Notes

Mahajanapadas

Copyright © 2014-2023 TestBook Edu Solutions Pvt. Ltd.: All rights reserved
 Download Testbook App

The Period of Mahajanapadas

Mahajanapadas
The presence of the Gahapati, the merchants, as well as the interaction between the king
and the subjects, resulted in the formation of new politico-geographical divisions known
as Mahajanapadas.

The term Mahajanapada refers to a large Janapadas which were ruled by powerful kings
of oligarchies (ganasanghas).

A new type of political system emerged where the king broke the coherent lineage
groups of the tribe and recognised individuals such as Gahapati and the merchant who
would produce wealth.

The 16 Mahajanapadas
These Mahajanapadas stretched from Northwestern Pakistan to East Bihar, and from the
Himalayan submontane highlands to the Godavari River in the south.

Each mahajanapada comprised thousands of villages and a few cities.

The Mahajanapadas list differs from text to text. Mahavastu omits Gandhara and
Kamboja and includes Sibi and Dasarna.

The Jain text Bhagavati Sutra gives a different list including Vanga and Malaya. However,
all sources provide a list with 16 names.

The Anguttara Nikaya which is a part of the Sutta Pitaka has provided the following list of
16 mahajanapadas.

Mahajanapada Capital Modern-day Location

Anga Champa Bihar

SUBJECT | Mahajanapadas 1 of 8
 Download Testbook App

Magadha Rajgriha, later Pataliputra Bihar

Malla Kushinagara, Pava Uttar Pradesh

Kosala Ayodhya, Shravasti Uttar Pradesh

Kuru Indraprastha Delhi, Haryana

Panchala Ahichhatra, Kampilya Uttar Pradesh

Vatsa or Vamsa Kausambi Uttar Pradesh

Matsya Viratnagar Rajasthan

Surasena Mathura Uttar Pradesh

Assaka or Ashmaka Potana Telangana

Avanti Ujjaini, Mahismati Madhya Pradesh

Gandhara Taxila Pakistan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

Kamboja Rajapura Pakistan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

Chedi Shuktimati Madhya Pradesh

Present Locations of Mahajanapadas in Map

SUBJECT | Mahajanapadas 2 of 8
 Download Testbook App

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.

Magdha

Magadha, the foremost of all, became a pivot, a power centre whose ambitions grew to
such an extent

SUBJECT | Mahajanapadas 3 of 8
 Download Testbook App

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.

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.

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.

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

Kosala

The capital of Kosala was Sravasti and this Mahajanapada corresponds roughly with the
area with the re-

gion of Awadh in present day Uttar Pardesh.

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

Saurasena

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

SUBJECT | Mahajanapadas 4 of 8
 Download Testbook App

Avantiputra, the king of Suasena was the first among the chief disciples of Buddha,
through whose help

Buddhism gained ground in Mathura.

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 Dis-

trict), 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 repre-

sentative) constitution.

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 Ra-jashabdopajivin constitution.

Matsya

SUBJECT | Mahajanapadas 5 of 8
 Download Testbook App

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.

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.

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.

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 descend-ant of Yayati.

SUBJECT | Mahajanapadas 6 of 8
 Download Testbook App

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.

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.

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.

SUBJECT | Mahajanapadas 7 of 8
 Download Testbook App

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

SUBJECT | Mahajanapadas 8 of 8