Aṅga The first reference to the
Angas is found in the
Atharvaveda where they find mention along with the
Magadhas,
Gandharis and the Mujavats, apparently as a despised people. The
Jaina Prajnapana ranks Angas and Vangas in the first group of
Aryan people. It mentions the principal cities of
ancient India. It was also a great center of trade and commerce, and its merchants regularly sailed to distant
Suvarnabhumi. Anga was annexed by Magadha in the time of
Bimbisara. This was the one and only conquest of Bimbisara.
Aśmaka The country of Assaka or the Ashmaka tribe was located in
Dakshinapatha or southern India. It included areas in present-day
Andhra Pradesh,
Telangana, and
Maharashtra. In
Gautama Buddha's time, many of the Assakas were located on the banks of the
Godavari River (south of the
Vindhya mountains). The capital of the Assakas was Potana or Potali, which corresponds present-day
Bodhan in Telangana and Paudanya of
Mahabharata. In Maharashtra its capital is located in Potali which corresponds to present day Nandura, Buldhana district. The Ashmakas are also mentioned by Pāṇini. They are placed in the north-west in the
Markendeya Purana and the
Brhat Samhita. The river Godavari separated the country of the Assakas from that of the Mulakas (or Alakas). The country of Assaka lay outside the pale of
Madhyadesa. It was located on a southern high road, the
Dakshinapatha. At one time, Assaka included Mulaka and abutted Avanti.
Avanti mahajanapada (4th century BCE) The country of the Avantis was an important kingdom of western India and was one of the four great monarchies in India in the post era of Mahavira and Buddha, the other three being
Kosala,
Vatsa and
Magadha. Avanti was divided into north and south by the river
Narmada. Initially,
Mahishamati (Mahissati) was the capital of Southern Avanti, and
Ujjaini (Sanskrit: Ujjayini) was of northern Avanti, but at the times of
Mahavira and Buddha, Ujjaini was the capital of integrated Avanti. The country of Avanti roughly corresponded to modern
Malwa, Nimar and adjoining parts of today's
Madhya Pradesh. Both Mahishmati and Ujjaini stood on the southern high road called
Dakshinapatha which extended from
Rajagriha to Pratishthana (modern
Paithan). Avanti was an important centre of Buddhism and some of the leading
theras and
theris were born and resided there. King Nandivardhana of Avanti was defeated by king
Shishunaga of Magadha. Avanti later became part of the Magadhan empire.
Chedi The Chedis, Chetis or Chetyas had two distinct settlements of which one was in the mountains of Nepal and the other in
Bundelkhand near
Kausambi. According to old authorities, Chedis lay near
Yamuna midway between the kingdom of
Kurus and
Vatsas. In the mediaeval period, the southern frontiers of Chedi extended to the banks of the river
Narmada. Sotthivatnagara, the Sukti or Suktimati of
Mahabharata, was the capital of Chedi. The Chedis were an ancient people of India and are mentioned in the
Rigveda, with their king Kashu Chaidya. The location of the capital city,
Suktimati, has not been established with certainty. Historian
Hem Chandra Raychaudhuri and
F. E. Pargiter believed that it was in the vicinity of
Banda, Uttar Pradesh.
Gandhāra portraying a tree flanked by a hill surmounted by a crescent and a
Nandipada above a
swastika. The wool of the
Gandharis is referred to in the
Rigveda. The Gandharas and their king figure prominently as strong allies of the
Kurus against the
Pandavas in the
Mahabharata war. The Gandharas were furious people, well-trained in the art of war. According to
Puranic traditions, this Janapada was founded by
Gandhara, son of Aruddha, a descendant of Yayati. The princes of this country are said to have come from the line of Druhyu who was a famous king of the Rigvedic period and one of the five sons of king Yayati of lunar dynasty. The river Indus watered the lands of Gandhara.
Taksashila and
Pushkalavati, the two cities of this Mahajanapada, are said to have been named after Taksa and Pushkara, the two sons of
Bharata, a prince of
Ayodhya and younger brother of Lord
Rama. According to Vayu Purana (II.36.107), the Gandharas were destroyed by Pramiti (a.k.a. Kalika) at the end of
Kali Yuga. Pāṇini mentioned both the Vedic form Gandhari as well as the later form Gandhara in his
Ashtadhyayi. The Gandhara kingdom sometimes also included
Kashmira. Hecataeus of Miletus (549–468) refers to Kaspapyros (Kasyapura or Purushapura, i.e., modern day Peshawar) as a
Gandharic city. According to Gandhara Jataka, at one time, Gandhara formed a part of the kingdom of
Kashmira. The
Jataka also gives another name
Chandahara for Gandhara. Gandhara Mahajanapada of
Buddhist traditions included territories of east
Afghanistan, and north-west of the
Punjab (modern districts of
Peshawar (Purushapura) and
Rawalpindi). Its later capital was Taksashila (Prakrit for
Taxila). The Taksashila University was a renowned centre of learning in ancient times, where scholars from all over the world came to seek higher education. Pāṇini, the Indian genius of grammar and
Kautiliya are the world-renowned products of Taxila University. King Pukkusati or Pushkarasarin of Gandhara in the middle of the 6th century BCE was the contemporary of king
Bimbisara of Magadha. Gandhara was located on the northern high road (
Uttarapatha) and was a centre of international commercial activities. According to one group of scholars, the Gandharas and Kambojas were cognate people. It is also contended that the Kurus, Kambojas, Gandharas and Bahlikas were cognate people. According to Dr T. L. Shah, the Gandhara and Kamboja were nothing but two provinces of one empire and were located coterminously, hence influencing each other's language. Naturally, they may have once been a cognate people. Gandhara was often linked politically with the neighboring regions of
Kashmira and
Kamboja.
Kamboja Kambojas are also included in the Uttarapatha. In ancient literature, the Kamboja is variously associated with the
Gandhara,
Darada and the
Bahlika (
Bactria). Ancient Kamboja is known to have comprised regions on either side of the
Hindukush. The original Kamboja was located in eastern
Oxus country as neighbor to Bahlika, but with time, some
clans of the Kambojas appear to have crossed the Hindukush and planted colonies on its southern side also. These latter Kambojas are associated with the Daradas and Gandharas in Indian literature and also find mention in the
Edicts of
Ashoka. The evidence in the
Mahabharata and in
Ptolemy's Geography distinctly supports two Kamboja settlements. The cis-Hindukush region from
Nurestan up to
Rajauri in southwest of
Kashmir sharing borders with the
Daradas and the
Gandharas constituted the
Kamboja country. The capital of
Kamboja was probably
Rajapura (modern Rajori) in the south-west of Kashmir. The
Kamboja Mahajanapada of the
Buddhist traditions refers to this cis-Hindukush branch of ancient Kambojas. The trans-Hindukush region including the
Pamirs and
Badakhshan which shared borders with the
Bahlikas (Bactria) in the west and the Lohas and
Rishikas of
Sogdiana/
Fergana in the north, constituted the
Parama-Kamboja country. The trans-Hindukush branch of the Kambojas remained pure
Iranian but a large section of the Kambojas of cis-Hindukush appears to have come under Indian cultural influence. The Kambojas are known to have had both Iranian as well as Indian affinities. The Kambojas were also a well known republican people since
Epic times. The
Mahabharata refers to several (or Republics) of the Kambojas.
Kautiliya's
Arthashastra attestes the Kambojas republican character and
Ashoka's Edict No. XIII also testifies the presence of the Kambojas along with the Yavanas. Pāṇini's Sutras, though tend to convey that the Kamboja of Pāṇini was a
Kshatriya monarchy, but "the special rule and the exceptional form of derivative" he gives to denote the ruler of the Kambojas implies that the king of Kamboja was a titular head (
king consul) only. According to Buddhist texts, the first fourteen of the above Mahajanapadas belong to Majjhimadesa (
Mid India) while the last two belong to Uttarapatha or the
north-west division of
Jambudvipa. In a struggle for supremacy that followed in the 6th/5th century BCE, the growing state of the Magadhas emerged as the predominant power in ancient India, annexing several of the Janapadas of the Majjhimadesa. A bitter line in the
Puranas laments that Magadhan emperor
Mahapadma Nanda exterminated all
Kshatriyas, none worthy of the name Kshatriya being left thereafter. This refers to the Kasis, Kosalas, Kurus, Panchalas, Vatsyas and other neo-Vedic tribes of the east Panjab of whom nothing was ever heard except in the legend and poetry. (The Nandas usurped the throne of
Shishunaga dynasty , thus founding the
Nanda Empire.) The Kambojans and Gandharans, however, never came into direct contact with the Magadhan state until
Chandragupta and
Kautilya arose on the scene. But these nations also fell prey to the
Achaemenids of
Persia during the reign of
Cyrus II (558–530 BCE) or in the first year of
Darius. Kamboja and Gandhara formed the twentieth and richest
satrapy of the Achaemenid Empire. Cyrus II is said to have destroyed the famous Kamboja city called Kapisi (modern
Begram) in
Paropamisade.
Kāśī The kingdom was located in the region around its capital
Varanasi, bounded by the Varuna and Assi rivers in the north and south which gave Varanasi its name. Before Buddha, Kasi was the most powerful of the sixteen Mahajanapadas. Several
jataka tales bear witness to the superiority of its capital over other cities in India and speak highly of its prosperity and opulence. These stories tell of the long struggle for supremacy between Kashi and the three kingdoms of
Kosala,
Anga and
Magadha. Although King
Brihadratha of Kashi conquered
Kosala, Kashi was later incorporated into
Kosala by
King Kansa during Buddha's time. The Kashis along with the Kosalas and Videhans find mention in Vedic texts and appear to have been a closely allied people. The
Matsya Purana and
Alberuni spell Kashi as
Kausika and
Kaushaka respectively. All other ancient texts read Kashi.
Kosala mahajanapada (–465 BCE) The country of Kosala was located to the north-west of Magadha, with its capital at
Ayodhya. Its territory corresponded to the modern
Awadh (or Oudh) in Central and Eastern
Uttar Pradesh. It had the river
Ganges for its southern, the river
Gandak (Narayani) for its eastern, and the
Himalaya mountains for its northern boundary. of Kosala leaving
Sravasti to meet the
Buddha,
Sanchi. Later, the kingdom was ruled by the famous king Prasenajit during the era of Mahavira and Buddha, followed by his son Vidudabha (
Virudhaka). King Prasenajit was highly educated. His position was further improved by a matrimonial alliance with Magadha: his sister was married to Bimbisara and part of Kasi was given as dowry. There was, however, a struggle for supremacy between king
Pasenadi (Prasenajit) and king
Ajatashatru of Magadha which was finally settled once the confederation of
Liccavis became conquered by Magadha. Kosala was ultimately merged into Magadha when Vidudabha was Kosala's ruler.
Ayodhya,
Saketa,
Banaras, and
Sravasti were the chief cities of Kosala.
Kuru mahajanapada (4th century BCE) The
Puranas trace the origin of Kurus from the
Puru-Bharata family. Kuru was born after 25 generations of Puru's dynasty, and after 15 generations of Kuru, Kauravas and Pandavas were born. Aitareya Brahmana locates the Kurus in
Madhyadesha and also refers to the Uttarakurus as living beyond the Himalayas. According to the Buddhist text Sumangavilasini, the people of Kururashtra (the Kurus) came from the Uttarakuru. Vayu Purana attests that
Kuru, son of Samvarsana of the Puru lineage, was the eponymous ancestor of the Kurus and the founder of Kururashtra (Kuru Janapada) in Kurukshetra. The country of the Kurus roughly corresponded to the modern
Thanesar, state of
Delhi, and
Meerut district of
Uttar Pradesh. According to the
Jatakas, the capital of the Kurus was
Indraprastha (Indapatta) near modern Delhi which extended seven leagues. At Buddha's time, the Kuru country was ruled by a titular chieftain (king consul) named Korayvya. The Kurus of the Buddhist period did not occupy the same position as they did in the
Vedic period but they continued to enjoy their ancient reputation for deep wisdom and sound health. The Kurus had matrimonial relations with the
Yadavas, the Bhojas, Trigratas, and the Panchalas. There is a
Jataka reference to king Dhananjaya, introduced as a prince from the lineage of
Yudhishtra. Though a well known monarchical people in the earlier period, the Kurus are known to have switched to a republican form of government during the 6th to 5th centuries BCE. In the 4th century BCE,
Kautiliya's
Arthashastra also attests the Kurus following the
Rajashabdopajivin (Royal Consul) constitution.
Magadha mahajanapada () of
Magadha with his royal cortege issuing from the city of Rajagriha to visit the Buddha. The
Magadha was one of the most prominent and prosperous of Mahajanapadas. of Magadha visits the Bamboo Garden (Venuvana) in Rajagriha; artwork from
Sanchi. The kingdom of the
Magadhas roughly corresponded to the modern districts of
Patna and
Gaya in southern
Bihar and parts of
Bengal in the east. The capital city of Pataliputra was bound in the north by the river Ganges, in the east by the river Champa, in the south by the
Vindhya mountains and in the west by the river Sona. During Buddha's time its boundaries included Anga. Its earliest capital was Girivraja or Rajagaha (modern Rajgir in the Nalanda district of Bihar). The other names for the city were Magadhapura, Brihadrathapura, Vasumati, Kushagrapura and Bimbisarapuri. It was an active center of
Jainism in ancient times. The
First Buddhist Council was held in Rajagaha in the Vaibhara Hills. Later on,
Pataliputra became the capital of Magadha.
Malla The
Mallakas are frequently mentioned in Buddhist and
Jain works. They were a powerful people dwelling in Northern India. According to Mahabharata, Panduputra Bhimasena is said to have conquered the chief of the Mallakas in the course of his expedition in Eastern India. During the Buddhist period, the Mallakas Kshatriya were a republican people with their dominion consisting of nine territories corresponding to the nine confederated clans. These republican states were known as Gaṇasaṅgha|s. Two of these confederations – one with
Kushinagar (modern Kasia near
Gorakhpur) as its capital and the second with Pava (modern
Fazilnagar, southeast of Kushinagar) as the
capital – had become very important at the time of Buddha. Kuśināra is very important in the history of
Buddhism since
Lord Buddha took last meal at Pava. Buddha was taken ill at Pava and died at Kusinara. It is widely believed that Lord Gautam died at the courtyard of King Sastipal Mall of Kushinagar. Kushinagar is now the centre of the Buddhist pilgrimage circle which is being developed by the tourism development corporation of Uttar Pradesh. The Mallakas, like the
Licchavis, are mentioned by
Manusmriti as Vratya
Kshatriyas. They are called Vasishthas (Vasetthas) in the Mahapparnibbana Suttanta. The Mallakas originally had a monarchical form of government but later they switched to one of
Samgha (republican union), the members of which called themselves
rajas. The Mallakas appeared to have formed an alliance with the Licchhavis for self-defense but lost their independence not long after Buddha's death and their dominions were annexed to the Magadhan empire.
Matsya The country of the
Matsya or Macchā tribe lay to the south of the Kurus and west of the
Yamuna, which separated them from the Panchalas. It roughly corresponded to the former
princely state of
Jaipur in
Rajputana, and included the whole of
Alwar with portions of
Bharatpur. The capital of Matsya was at
Viratanagara (modern
Bairat) which is said to have been named after its founder king Virata. In
Pali literature, the Matsyas are usually associated with the Surasenas. The western Matsya was the hill tract on the north bank of the
Chambal. A branch of Matsya is also found in later days in the
Visakhapatnam region. The Matsyas had not much political importance of their own during the time of Buddha.
Pañcāla seated facing on pedestal, holding bifurcated object.
Rev Idramitrasa in
Brahmi, Panchala symbols. The Panchalas occupied the country to the east of the Kurus between the mountains and river Ganges. It roughly corresponded to modern
Budaun,
Farrukhabad and the adjoining districts of
Uttar Pradesh. The country was divided into Uttara-Panchala and Dakshina-Panchala. The northern Panchala had its capital at Adhichhatra or Chhatravati (modern
Ramnagar in the
Bareilly district), while southern Panchala had its capital at
Kampilya or
Kampil in the Farrukhabad District. The famous city of Kanyakubja or
Kanauj was situated in the kingdom of Panchala. Originally a monarchical
clan, the Panchals appear to have switched to republican corporation in the 6th and 5th centuries BCE. In the 4th century BCE,
Kautiliya's
Arthashastra also attests the Panchalas as following the
Rajashabdopajivin (king consul) constitution.
Śūrasena The country of the Surasenas lay to the east of Matsya and west of
Yamuna. This corresponds roughly to the
Brij region of Uttar Pradesh,
Haryana and
Rajasthan. and
Gwalior district of
Madhya Pradesh. It had its capital at Madhura or
Mathura. Avantiputra, the king of Surasena, was the first among the chief disciples of Buddha, through whose help
Buddhism gained ground in Mathura country. The Andhakas and Vrishnis of Mathura/Surasena are referred to in the
Ashtadhyayi of Pāṇini. In
Kautiliya's
Arthashastra, the Vrishnis are described as
sangha or republic. The Vrishnis, Andhakas and other allied tribes of the
Shoorsaini formed a
sangha and
Vasudeva (
Krishna) is described as the
sangha-mukhya. Mathura, the capital of Surasena, was also known at the time of
Megasthenes as the centre of Krishna worship. The Surasena kingdom had lost its independence on annexation by the Magadhan empire.
Vajji '' at
Vaishali, which served as the
capital of the
Vajjika League, one of the world's earliest
republics (Gaṇasaṅgha|). or was a confederacy of neighbouring clans including the
Licchavis and one of the principal mahājanapadas of
Ancient India. The area they ruled constitutes the region of
Mithila in
Nepal and northern
Bihar and their capital was the city of
Vaishali. Both the Buddhist text
Anguttara Nikaya and the Jaina text
Bhagavati Sutra (
Saya xv
Uddesa I) included Vajji in their lists of
solasa (sixteen) mahājanapadas. The name of this mahājanapada was derived from one of its ruling clans, the Vṛjis. The Vajji state is indicated to have been a republic. This clan is mentioned by
Pāṇini,
Chanakya and
Xuanzang.
Vatsa (or Vaṃsa) The
Vatsas or Vamsas are called to be a branch of the
Kurus. The Vatsa or Vamsa country corresponded with the territory of modern
Prayagraj in
Uttar Pradesh. It had a monarchical form of government with its capital at
Kausambi (identified with the village Kosam, 38 miles from
Prayagraj). Kausambi was a very prosperous city where a large number of wealthy merchants resided. It was the most important
entrepôt of goods and passengers from the north-west and south. Udayana was the ruler of
Vatsa in the 6th–5th century BCE. He was very powerful, warlike and fond of hunting. Initially king Udayana was opposed to
Buddhism, but later became a follower of Buddha and made Buddhism the state religion. Udayana's mother,
Queen Mrigavati, is notable for being one of the earliest known female rulers in Indian history. == See also ==