Mahajanapadas

Background of establishment of Mahajanapadas

● By the end of the later vedic age iron was discovered.
● Agriculture also increased with the help of development in tools.
● People started shifting and settling towards the Gangetic plains as it
provided both easy access to water and resources And settlements
increased.
● The areas where resources were abundant were also in high demand.
By this time people had already settled and the areas where they
settled were called ‘Janapada’.
● The Janapadas were the major kingdoms of Vedic India.
● Aryans were the most influential tribes and were called ‘janas’.
● This gave rise to the term Janapada where Jana means ‘people’ and
Pada means ‘foot’.
● Which means where the ‘people’ or ‘Jana’ set their foot and settled
down became their janapada.
● By the 6th century BC there were approximately 22 different
Janapadas. But as it was clear that the region with maximum resources
would be prosperous like the development of Iron in the UP and Bihar
region,There was more agriculture.
● The availability of iron led to the Manufacture of Weapons and
Equipment to Defend and expand the region.
● So every Janapada started its own way to capture and rule areas rich in
resources.
● Eventually the rulers ruling in these regions (Magadh, Kashi) managed
to increase their power and establish supremacy.
● So Janapadas became more powerful and turned into ‘Mahajanapads’.
Mahajanapadas
● In the sixth century BCE, there was a rise in the development of the
Mahajanapada or great country.
● There were sixteen such Mahajanapadas during 600 BC to 325 BC in
the Indian Subcontinent.
● The information about these Mahajanapadas is found in the famous
Buddhist text Anguttar Nikaya, Mahavastu and Jain text 'Bhagavati
Sutra'.
● During the lifetime of Gautam Buddha, 16 Mahajanapadas existed in
the 7th and early 6th century BC.
● There were two types of states: Monarchical and Republican.
● Malla and Vajji were Republican states while all 14 states were
Monarchical in nature.
● Magadha, Kosal, Vatsa and Avanti were powerful Mahajanapadas.
● Lichchavi Republic of Vaishali is considered to be the first republic of
the world.
Mahajanapada Capital Location (Modern districts)

Anga Champa Munger and Bhagalpur in Bihar.

Magadha Earlier Rajgriha, Patna, Gaya, and parts of Shahabad.
later Patliputra
Malla Capitals at Deoria, Basti, Gorakhpur and Siddarthnagar in
Kusinara eastern UP.
Vajji Vaishali North of the river Ganga in Bihar.
Kosala Sravasti Faizabad, Gonda, Bahraich of eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Kashi Varanasi Varanasi (modern Banaras)
Chedi Shuktimati Bundelkhand region.
Kuru Indraprastha Haryana and Delhi.
 Vatsa Kaushambi Allahabad, Mirzapur.
Panchala Ahichhatra western UP up to the east of river Yamuna up to
Kosala janapada.
Matsya Viratanagara Alwar, Bharatpur and Jaipur in Rajasthan.
Sursena Mathura Mathura.
Avanti Ujjaini and Western India (modern Malawa).
Mahishmati
Ashmaka Potana Southern part of India between the rivers Narmada
and Godavari.
Kamboja Capital at Hindukush (modern Hazara districts of Pakistan)
Rajapura
Gandhara Taxila Western part of Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan.

Anga
● Located in eastern Bihar (present Bhagalpur district) and parts of
Bengal.
● Champa is the capital of Anga.
● Its ancient name ‘Malini’ is found in Mahabharata and Puranas.
● It was known for its fertile land, skilled artisans, and close ties with
Magadha.

Magadha
● This was the most powerful Mahajanapada of North India.
● Rajagriha was the capital of Magadha before 425BC and Pataliputra
was the capital of magadha after 425 BC.
● The region to the South of the Ganges River in ancient times was
known as Magadha.
 ● The Magadha Mahajanapada was located in the eastern part of India,
and it was surrounded by the Ganga and Son rivers.
● The Ganga River flows along the Northern and Western borders of the
Magadha Mahajanapada, while the Son River flows along the southern
and eastern borders.

Vajji
● Vaishali was the capital of Vajji.
● The Lichchhavis of Vaishali had established the world's first republic.
● In the book named Suttanipata, Vaishali has been called 'Magadham
Puram'.
● Vaishali was the largest and most powerful republic at the time of
Gautam Buddha.
● Comprising several confederacies, Vajji was a republic located in
modern-day Bihar and is known for its decentralized political structure.

Kosala
● According to the Puranas and the Ramayana epic, Ayodhya was the
capital of Kosala during the reign of Ikshvaku and his descendants.
● Kosala is now part of modern-day Uttar Pradesh.
● Shravasti is recorded as the capital of Kosala during the Mahajanapada
period (6th–5th centuries BCE).

Chedi
● Shuktimati was the capital of Chedi.
● Situated in central India, Chedi was known for its rich culture, trade
networks, and patronage of the arts.

Shurasena
● Mathura was the capital of Shurasena.
 ● Situated in the region of present-day western Uttar Pradesh and
Haryana,
● Shurasena was known for its skilled artisans and flourishing trade
networks.

Matsya
● Viratanagara was the capital of Matsya
● Located in present-day Rajasthan, Matsya was known for its strategic
location along the trade routes and its thriving agriculture and animal
husbandry.

Kamboja
● There were two Mahajanapadas in the northern part of ancient India –
Kamboj and Gandhara.
● Rajapura was the capital of Kamboja.
● In ancient times, Kamboj was famous for its excellent horses.
● Kamboja had a strategic location on the trade routes that connected
Central Asia with the Indian subcontinent.
● It was also located at the crossroads of various civilizations, including
the Persian, Greek, and Indian.

Gandhara
● Gandhar was situated in Peshawar and Rawalpindi districts of
present-day Pakistan.
● The capital of Gandhara was Takshashila.
● Information is received from Ramayana that Takshashila city was
founded by Bharat's son Taksh.
● Apart from being a major trading city, Takshashila was also a major
center of education.
● The second major city of this Mahajanapada was Pushkalavati.
Avanti
● Avanti Mahajanapada was situated in the region of Western and
Central Malwa.
● This Mahajanapada had two parts - the capital of Northern Avanti was
Ujjaini and the capital of Southern Avanti was Mahishmati.

Ashmak
● This Mahajanapada was situated on the banks of river Godavari.
● This was the only Mahajanapada located in South India.
● Its capital was Potan.