Mahajanapadas and republican states of 6th century
The Mahajanapadas were a set of sixteen kingdoms that existed in
ancient India. It all began when the tribes (janas) of the late Vedic period
decided to form their own territorial communities, which eventually gave rise
to new and permanent areas of settlements called ‘states’ or ‘janapadas.’ In
the sixth century BC, present-day Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh became
centers of political activities as the region was not only fertile but also
closer to the iron production centers. Iron production played a crucial role in
expanding the territorial states of the region. These expansions helped some of
these ‘janapadas’ turn into large states or ‘mahajanapadas.’ Most of these
‘mahajanapadas’ were monarchical in nature, while some of them were democratic
states. Many prominent ancient Buddhist texts make frequent references to the
‘16 great kingdoms’ (mahajanapadas) that flourished between the sixth and the
fourth centuries BCE. These 16 kingdoms included kingdoms like Anga, Gandhara,
Kuru, and Panchala, which are mentioned in the great Indian epic ‘Mahabharata.’
History of the Mahajanapadas
In order to settle down permanently, simple land-grabbing
process was started by the tribes, which eventually turned into well-planned
communities. These communities gave rise to states or ‘janapadas’ and tribal
identity became a major factor in defining the territory of a particular state.
Gradually, some of these states began to expand and hence came to be known as
the ‘mahajanapadas.’ Since expansion involved annexing of neighboring states,
certain ‘mahajanapadas’ started conquering other ‘janapadas’ in order to extend
their kingdoms as per the kingdom’s prosperity and wealth.
Early stages of settlement of the tribes happened before the
time of the Buddha. Hence, historical references of these ‘mahajanapadas’ can
be found in ancient Buddhist texts. Many such texts talk about ‘16 great
kingdoms’ that flourished between the sixth and the fourth centuries BCE. The
period between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE is considered extremely
important in early Indian history as it witnessed the emergence of massive
Indian cities, which were built after the fall of the Indus Valley
Civilization. These massive Indian cities were home to the 16 great kingdoms
described in the ancient texts. In the modern era the term ‘mahajanapadas’ is
often used to refer the 16 great kingdoms, which are mentioned below.
List of Mahajanapadas
Magadha
Magadha was one of the most prosperous kingdoms of ancient India
and one of the most prominent ‘mahajanapadas.’ For many years, Pataliputra was
the capital of Magadha. The kingdom was bounded by Ganges in the north, river
Champa in the east, and river Son in the west. According to ancient texts, Brihadratha
was the earliest known ruler of Magadha. The kingdom was also ruled by King
Bimbisara, under whom Magadha flourished. Great Indian empires including the
famous Maurya Dynasty originated in Magadha. Gautama Buddha spent much of his
life in Magadha, hence the region is believed to hold great significance to
Buddhists.
Gandhara
According to Hecataeus of Miletus, Purushapura or present-day
Peshawar served as a grand Gandharic city. Other references pertaining to
Gandhara have been made in ancient texts like ‘Rigveda,’ ‘Ramayana,’ and
‘Mahabharata.’ This great kingdom was served graciously by river Indus and its
capital Taksashila (Taxila) housed the renowned center of learning, the
‘Taksashila University.’ Scholars came to the university from all over the
world in order to seek greater knowledge and wisdom. Though Gandhara was a huge
kingdom on its own, it is often considered to be a part of an empire by
modern-day scholars. Dr. T. L. Shah even argued that Gandhara and Kamboja,
which was one of the 16 ‘mahajanapadas,’ were two provinces of a single empire.
Kamboja
The state of Kamboja is referred to as republican in several
ancient scripts. These scripts also state that there were two Kamboja
settlements, a theory which is backed by modern-day historians. It is said that
ancient Kamboja was located on either sides of the Hindukush mountain range.
But clans of Kamboja are believed to have crossed the mountain range to plant
colonies in the southern side as well. These clans of people are associated
with the Gandharas and Daradas and find mention in many Indian texts, including
the edicts of Ashoka the Great.
Kuru
At the time of the Budhha, Kuru was ruled by Korayvya, a titular
chieftain. Its capital was Indraprastha (present-day Delhi), which was known
for people with sound health and deep wisdom. The Kurus were related to people
of other communities like the ‘Panchalas’ and the ‘Yadavas’ as they had
matrimonial relations with them. Though Kuru kingdom was a well-known
monarchical state in the ancient world, the 6th and 5th centuries BCE saw the
formation of republican form of government in the land of Kuru. Kautiliya’s
‘Arthashastra,’ which was written in Sanskrit in the 4th century BCE, also
states that the Kurus followed the king consul constitution.
Kosala
The kingdom of Kosala was located close to the kingdom of
Magadha. With Ayodhya as its capital, Kosala was bound by river Ganges in the
south, river Gandak in the east, and the Himalaya mountains in the north.
According to Vedic texts, Kosala was the biggest and most powerful kingdom ever
in history. At the time of the Buddha and Mahavira, Kosala kingdom was ruled by
King Prasenajit. After a series of tactical moves for supremacy by Kosala and
Magadha, the kingdom of Kosala was eventually merged with Magadha, when Kosala
was being ruled by Vidudabha.
Malla
The Mallas of the Malla kingdom are often described as powerful
people who dwelled in Northern South Asia. Many Buddhist texts refer to the
kingdom as a republican dominion made up of nine territories. Like Kuru, Malla
kingdom too had monarchical forms of government, but later moved towards the
republican form of government. Ancient cities like Kusinara and Pava, which
belonged to the Malla kingdom, are considered extremely important by Jains and
Buddhists. While Lord Mahavira had his last meal at Kusinara, Gauthama Buddha
had his last meal at Pava. Both Kusinara and Pava are believed to have hosted
Buddha for a long period of time.
Panchala
The Panchala kingdom was located east of the Kuru kingdom,
between river Ganges and the mountain ranges of the Himalayas. Panchala was
divided into two parts, namely Dakshina-Panchala and Uttara-Panchala. While
Adhichhatra (present-day Bareilly) served as the capital city of
Uttara-Panchala, Kampilya (present-day Farrukhabad) was made the capital of
Dakshina-Panchala. Originally a monarchical kingdom, Panchala is believed to
have turned into a republican dominion during the 6th and 5th centuries BCE.
Kautiliya’s ‘Arthashastra’ also states that Panchala followed the king consul
constitution. The kingdom was later annexed by Mauryan Empire and then by the
Gupta Empire.
Matsya
Located south to the Kuru kingdom and west to river Yamuna, the
Matsya kingdom was founded by an Indo-Aryan tribe of Vedic age. Apart from
serving as the main water source, Yamuna also separated Matsya kingdom from the
Panchalas. Viratanagara (present-day Bairat), which was named after the
kingdom’s founder Virata, was Matsya’s capital. According to ancient texts, a
king named Sujata ruled over Matsya as well as Chedi, which later became a
separate kingdom. Though Matsya is mentioned as one of the ‘mahajanapadas’ in
various Buddhist texts, its political power had greatly dwindled by the time of
the Buddha.
Chedi
The kingdom of Chedi finds great prominence in the Hindu epic
Mahabharata. According to the ancient text, Chedi was ruled by a king named
Shishupala, who was an ally of the kings from Magadha and Kuru. A city named
Suktimati has been described as the kingdom’s capital. Though the exact
location of modern-day Suktimati has not been figured out yet, prominent
historians like F. E. Pargiter and Hem Chandra Raychaudhuri say that the
ancient city might have been established near present-day Banda in Uttar
Pradesh. An Indian archaeologist named Dilip Kumar Chakrabarti has claimed that
the ruins of a historical city near the outskirts of Rewa in Madhya Pradesh may
unlock further details pertaining to the kingdom and its capital city.
Anga
The earliest references to the people of Anga are made in the
‘Atharva Veda,’ which describes the Angas as despised people. The ‘Jaina
Prajnapana’ claims that Angas were among the earliest groups of Aryan people.
Over a period of time, the kingdom of Anga became a great center of trade,
attracting merchants from the neighboring kingdoms. Anga and its rival Magadha
were separated by river Champa, which served as the main water source for both
the kingdoms. Anga was eventually annexed by Magadha in King Bimbisara’s one
and only conquest.
Avanti
Post Mahavira and Buddha, the kingdom of Avanti was considered
as one of the four great monarchies along with Kosala, Magadha, and Vatsa.
Apart from serving as the kingdom’s principal source of water, river Narmada
also separated Avanti into two parts – North Avanti and South Avanti. However,
North and South Avanti were integrated at the time of Buddha and Mahavira,
during which Ujjaini served as the common capital of the integrated kingdom.
Avanti was a great center of Buddhism. When King Shishunaga defeated
Nandivardhana, Avanti became a part of Magadha.
Vatsa
Vatsa or Vamsa, which was located near the present-day Allahabad
in Uttar Pradesh, thrived under a monarchical form of government. King Udayana
of the 7th century BCE ruled Vatsa with Kausambi as its capital. Though Udayana
initially opposed the teachings of the Buddha, he became a follower of Buddha
later in his life and even made Buddhism as the state religion of Kausambi.
Vatsa’s capital city attracted a number of wealthy merchants, who made Kausambi
their home. Kausambi was also a prominent entreport of passengers and goods,
coming in from the south and north-west.
Assaka
The Kingdom of Assaka was located in southern India. Apart from
serving as the kingdom’s principal source of water, river Godavari separated
Assaka from Mulaka, which was also known as Alaka. It is said that Mulaka was
once a part of Assaka. According to Buddhist texts, King Brahmadatta ruled over
Assaka with its capital at Potali (present-day Maharashtra). Assaka is
described as one of the 16 ‘mahajanapadas’ in an ancient Buddhist text known as
‘Anguttara Nikaya.’
Surasena
The kingdom of Surasena was located to the west of river Yamuna
and to the east of Matsya kingdom. Surasena played an important role in
propagating Buddhism as the king of Surasena, Avantiputra, was among the
earliest known chief disciples of Buddha. During the time of Megasthenes,
Mathura, the capital of Surasena, was known as a city where worshipping Krishna
was considered prominent. The kingdom of Surasena, which once flourished, was
later annexed by the Magadhan Empire.
Vajji
Vajji was one of the most prominent ‘mahajanapadas’ of ancient
India. Vajji finds mention in the Jaina text ‘Bhagavati Sutra’ and in Buddhist
texts like ‘Anguttara Nikaya.’ Vajji was located towards the north of the river
Ganges and was bound by river Gandaki in the west. Apart from serving as
Vajji’s chief source of water, river Gandaki is believed to have played a key
role in separating Vajji from Malla and Kosala as well. Apart from Vaishali,
which was its capital city, Vajji also housed popular ancient cities like
Hatthigama, Bhoganagara, and Kundapura.
Kashi
Ancient Kashi was bound by river Varuna in the north and river
Assi in the south. The Kingdom of Kashi, which had its capital at Varanasi, was
the most powerful among ‘mahajanapadas’ before the time of the Buddha. Several
ancient texts speak highly of Kashi, which was one of the most prosperous
kingdoms during its heyday. Hence, Kashi was in constant conflict with kingdoms
of Kosala, Magadha, and Anga, which were trying to annex Kashi. Though Kosala
was once defeated by Kashi, it was later annexed by Kosala under the rule of
King Kansa, who ruled at the time of Buddha.
