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Mahajanapadas
 During the 6th century BCE north India witnessed the formation
of large territorial states, both monarchies and republics.
 historical period in Indian history and the political history of
India practically begins from this period.
 Northern India was spilt up into petty independent states
 No political cooperation and cohesiveness among the rulers and
they were fighting among themselves for political supremacy.
 No paramount power to bind them together in common rule.
 Most of them were engaged in internecine quarrel for political
supremacy and economic advantages
 Some were big in extent and power while others were small .
 A remarkable epoch not only in the history of India
but also a notable time in the history of the then
civilized world.
 “It is in the sixth century B.C. that Indian history
emerges from legend and dubious tradition. Now for the
first time we read of great kings whose historicity is
certain, and some of whose achievements are known,
and from now on the main lines of India’s development
are clear”.
. Extensive use of iron, expansion of agriculture and the
growth of unban centres and urbanization led to the
emergence and formation of such territorial states
Sixth century B.C- a turning point in the Indian history.
Tribal political organizations of the Vedic period gave rise to
the formation of big states.
 existed during the period from c. 600 B.C to c.550
B.C
 Kabul valley in the north-west to the borders of
Bengal in the east
 foot hill of the Himalayas in the north to the river
Godavari in the south.
 In most of the Mahajanapadas there were
monarchies while in others there were republican forms
of governments.
 The monarchies were concentrated on the Gangetic
plains while the Republican states were situated on the
foot of the Himalayas to the northwest of the
monarchical states.
Sources
Brahmanical, Buddhist and Jain literatures
.Brahmanical sources: Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas
Jain Bhagawati Sutra
Buddhist text Anguttara Nikaya . It refers to sixteen
Mahajanapadas as “Sodasha Mahajanapadas”.
According to it the Mahajanapadas are: Anga, Magadha,
Kashi, Koshala, Vriji (Vajji), Malla, Chedi, Vatsa (Vamsa), Kuru,
Panchala, Matsya (Machchha), Surasena, Asmaka or Asaaka,
Avanti, Gandhara and Kamboj.
Buddhist text Digha Nikaya refers to them in pairs such as
Kashi-Koshala, Vriji-Malla, Chedi-Vamsa, Kuru-Panchal and
Matsya-Surasen
Buddhist source (Chullaniddesa) adds Kalinga to the list
Astadhyayi of Panini refers to the existence of Republics. He
called the Republics as Gana or Sangha and the kingdoms as
Janapada.
Anga: Kingdom
Anga comprised modern Bhagalpur and Monghyar districts
of east Bihar.
located on the confluence of two rivers- Ganga and
Champa.
Capital-- Champa formerly known as Malini.
river Champa separated Anga from Magadha.
one of the six great cities of India- other five are Rajagriha,
Sravasti, Saketa, Kaushambi and Banaras.
 Champa was a great centre of trade and commerce.
Merchants sailed from Champa to Suvarnabhumi
for
trade.
Bhaddiya and Assapura were two other important towns.
constant rivalry between Anga and Magadha.
 By the middle of sixth century B.C. Bimbisara, of
Magadha is said to have killed Brahmadatta, the last
independent ruler of Anga and conquered Anga ceasing its
independence.
Anga formed an integral part of the expanding Magadha.
Magadha: Kingdom
Magadha corresponds to modern Patna and Gaya districts of
south Bihar.
Capital- Girivaraja, but subsequently transferred to Rajagriha.
Earliest dynasty of Magadha was founded by Brihadratha
In the sixth century B.C. the Haryanka dynasty was ruling over
Magadha.
Bimbisara of the Haryanka dynasty was the first powerful
historical king of Magadha.
Ajatasatru, the son and successor of Bimbisara was a mighty
ruler.
 use of diplomacy and force to defeat the enemy was an
interesting feature of the Magadhan monarchy.
at Rajagriha the first Buddhist council was held after the death
of Buddha
Magadha emerged to be a great power and extended its I
mperialism conquering almost all the Mahajanapadas.
Kashi: kingdom
 Capital was Varanasi (modern Banaras)
Rivers Varuna and Asi which flew in the north and
south of the capital city respectively gave rise to
name of its capital city Varanasi.
 very famous for the manufacture of cotton clothes.
Prolonged rivalry between Kashi and Koshala.
Jatakas refers to the annexation of Koshala by king
Brahmadatta of Kashi.
Kashi was finally conquered by Koshala shortly before
the time of the Buddha.
Koshala: kingdom
Koshala corresponded to modern Oudh in Uttar Pradesh.
bounded on the east by the river Sadanira (Gandak), on the west
by Panchala, on the south by Sarpika or Syandika, and on the north
by the Nepal hills.
Its earliest capital was Ayodhya -relegated during Buddha’s time to
the position of an unimportant town.
 Saketa, Shravasti (also called Sahet-Mahet), Setavya, Ukkattha
and Kitagiri were other leading towns of Koshala.
During the sixth century B.C. it was ruled by the kings like
Mahakoshala and his powerful son Prasenjit.
Prasenjit was a contemporary of Buddha and was involved in a
protracted struggle with king Ajatasatru of Magadha.
Vidudabha, the son and successor of Prasenjit invaded the Sakya
kingdom.
Koshala was defeated by Magadha and became a part and parcel
of the Magadhan Empire.
Chedi: Kingdom
Chedis or Chetis were one of the most ancient tribes
of India.
They had two principal settlements, one in
Bundelkhanda and the other in the mountains of
Nepal.
According to tradition, the Chedi kingdom lay near
the Yamuna
Capital- Suktimati (near Banda in Uttar Pradesh)
Sahajati was another important town of the Chedi
kingdom.
 A branch of Chedis had established an empire over
Kalinga under a dynamic ruler named Kharavela
Vatsa:
Kingdom of Vatsa situated along the banks of the river
Yamuna.
capital at Kaushambi or modern Kosam, near Allahabad.
 Udayana was the most powerful king of Vatsa who had a
long rivalry with king Pradyota of Avanti.
Initially an oppressor of Buddhism, Udyana became its
warm advocate owing to the advice of the famous Buddhist
monk Pindola.
Udayana claimed himself to be a descendant of the race of
Bharata.
He had a son named Bodhi, but nothing is known about
Vatsa after Udayana.
Kuru:
Kuru kingdom represented the modern Meerut and Delhi.
Its capital was Indraprastha near modern Delhi.
Kurus were famous for wisdom and had matrimonial
relations with the Yadavas, the Bhojas and the Panchalas.
Hasthinapura was another important city of the Kuru
kingdom.
 In the Buddha’s time, the Kuru kingdom was ruled by a
titular chieftain named Koravya who had no political
importance.
Panchala: Kingdom
•Panchala roughly corresponds to modern Buduan, Bareilly
and Farrukhabad districts of modern Uttar Pradesh.
•divided into two parts namely uttara (north) Panchala and
dakshina (south) Panchala, the river Ganges forming the
dividing line.
•Ahichhatra (identified with modern Ramnagar in the
Bareilly district) was the capital of the northern Panchala
while Kampilya (or Kampil in the Farrukhabad district) was
the capital of the southern Panchala.
• protracted struggle between the kingdom of Panchala and
Kuru for the subjugation of the territories of northern
Panchala.
•Originally a monarchical kingdom Panchala turned
towards republican system during the sixth century B.C.
Matsya:
Matsya or Machchha kingdom corresponds to
modern Jaipur in Rajasthan including the whole of
Alwar and a part of Bharatpur area.
 Its capital was located at Viratanagara which is
identified with modern Bairat near Jaipur.
The Matsyas were usually associated with the
Surasenas.
The kingdom of Matsya subsequently was absorbed
within the Magadhan Empire.
Some famous inscriptions of Ashoka are found from
Bairat.
Surasena:
The capital of this kingdom was located at Mathura
on the bank of the river Yamuna.
Greek writers refer to it as Sourasenoi and its capital
as Methora.
The rulers of Mathura belonged to the Yadu or the
Yadav family.
Krishna-Vasudev of the Mahabharata belongs to the
Yadu dynasty of Mathura. Avantiputra, a king of
Surasena was a disciple of Lord Buddha and during
his reign Buddhism became very popular in Surasena.
 Gradually, this kingdom became an integral part of
the Magadhan Empire.
Assaka:
The kingdom of Assaka or Asmaka was situated
on the bank of the river Godavari.
 Its capital was Potali, Potana or Podana identified
with Bodhan in modern Andhra Pradesh.
The rulers of Assaka belonged to the Ikshvaku
dynasty.
Avanti:
Kingdom of Avanti corresponds to modern Malwa region of
western India.
 Vindhya Mountains divided this kingdom into two parts, i.e.
the north and the south
 Ujjaini was the capital of northern Avanti while Mahismati
was the capital of south Avanti.
It lay on the road from the Gangetic valley to Bharukachha
(Broach) which contributed to the prosperity of Ujjain as a
great commercial centre.
 During Buddha’s time the king of Avanti was Pradyota.
 Pradyota known in the Buddhist texts as Chanda (cruel)
was a very powerful king and had rivalry with the
neighbouring kingdoms of Vatsa, Magadha and Koshala.
Pradyota was followed by four kings, the last being
Nandivardhan who was defeated by king Sisunaga of
Magadha as a result of which Avanti became a part of the
Magadhan Empire.
Gandhara:
The kingdom of Gandhara corresponds to modern
Peshawar and Rawalpindi regions.
Its capital was Takshasila or modern Taxila - a great
centre of both trade and learning.
 King Pukkusati, the ruler of Gandhara
contemporary of king Bimbisara of Magadha.
was
a
In the middle of the sixth century B.C he sent an
embassy to king Bimbisara of Magadha and waged a
war on Pradyota of Avanti.
In the later half of the sixth century B.C. Gandhara
was occupied by the Persians which is corroborated by
the Bahistan inscription of Persian emperor Darius.
Kamboj: The Kamboja kingdom was situated in the
extreme north-west part of India.
It roughly corresponds to Rajaori (ancient Rajapura)
and Hazara district of North-West Frontier Province and
Pamir regions).
Its capital was at Rajapura.
Hiuen Tsang, the Chinese pilgrim who visited India
during the first half of the seventh century A.D refers to
Rajapura which lay to the south or south-east of Punch.
Kamboja which earlier had a monarchical constitution
later on gave place to a republican or Ganasangha form
of government.
Vriji or Vajji:
 Vajji Mahajanapada lay to the north of the Ganges
and extended as far as the Nepal hills.
 It had a republican constitution.
 The confederacy of Vajji consisted of eight clans of
which the most prominent were the Videhans,
the Lichchhavis, the Jnatrikas and the Vajjis.
 Videhans had their capital at Mithila which has
been identified with Janakapura, a small town
in Nepal.
Lichchhavis had their capital at Vaishali which has
been identified with modern Basarh in the
Muzaffarpur district of north Bihar.
Vaishali also served as the headquarters of the
Vrijian confederacy.
Mahabhaga describes Vaishali as ‘an opulent, prosperous
and populous town.”
Ramayana refers to Vaishali as an excellent city.
 The Jnatrikas to whom belonged Vardhaman Mahavira,
the real founder of Jainism had their seats of
administration at Kundapura or Kundagram and
Kollaga, suburbs of Vaishali.
Panini mentions that the Vajjis like the Lichchhavis were
associated with the city of Vaishali.
 The other four clans of the confederacy were Ugras,
Bhogas, Kauravas and Aikshvakas who resided in the
neighbourhood of Vaishali.
Vajji was very powerful during the reign of king Bimbisara
of Magadha.
It is known that the Vaishalians attacked Magadha during
the reign of Bimbisara.
But during the reign of Ajatasatru, intense hostility
developed between Magadha and Vajji.
Finally, Ajatasatru conquered and annexed Vajji
confederacy with the Magadhan Empire
Malla: The republican state of Malla situated to the north of
the Vrijian confederacy.
It was divided into two parts with their capitals at Kusinara
(Kushinagara) and Pava respectively.
 Kusinara has been identified with Kasia about 35 miles to the
east of Gorakhpur while Pava with the village called
Padaraona, 12 miles to the north-east of Kasia.
Gautama Buddha had got Mahaparinirvana at Kushinagar while
Vardhaman Mahavira had got salvation at Pava.
Though during the pre-Buddhist period there was monarchical
constitution in Malla during the time of Buddha it became
an oligarchical state like the Vajji confederation.
The Mallas retained their independence till the death of the
Buddha and soon after were absorbed within the
Magadhan Empire.
Some of the greatest personalities of Buddhism like Ananda,
Upali, Aniuruddha, Devadatta and Khand-Sumana were
belong to Mallas.
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Other Republican States
Besides Vajjis and Mallas other republican
clans in northern India are as follows:
Shakyas of Kapilavastu,
Koliyas of Ramagrama,
Bhaggas of Sumsumaragiri,
Bulis of Alakappa,
Kalamas of Kesaputta
Moriyas of Pipphalivana
The republican or oligarchical states were
called Ganas or Ganasamghas.
Sakyas of Kapilavastu:
Situated in the Nepalese Tarai region.
bounded on the north by the Great Himalayas, on the
south - west by the river Rapti and on the east by
the river Rohini.
 capital was located at Kapilavastu (modern
Tillorakot/Tilaura-kot) in Nepal).
 Sakya republic had its legislative assembly
(Santhagara)
Legislative assembly was consisted of 500 members
and met in a mote-hall.
Sakya republic served as a centre of education and
social progress.
Head of the Sakya republic was called the king who
was elected by the electoral system.
 Sudhodhan, the father of Gautam Buddha was the
king of the Sakya republic. They claimed to belong
to the solar race.
Koliyas of Ramagrama:
republic of the Koliyas of Ramagama was situated to
the east of Kapilavastu.
river Rohini separated
the territory of the
Koliyas from that of the Sakyas.
 The relations between the two clan i.e. the Sakyas
and the Koliyas was friendly.
Koliyas were better known for their police force and
notorious for their practice of violence and
extortion.
Bhaggas of Sumsumaragiri:
 Bhaggas were another republican clan
during the sixth century B.C.
According to the Aitareya Brahmana and
Panini they are believed to have lived in
the Vindhyan region between the
Yamuna and the Son rivers.
Sumsumargiri, their seat of power is
identified with Chunar hill in the
Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh.
In the later half of the sixth century B.C. the
Bhaggas state became an appendage of
Vatsa kingdom.
Bulis of Allakappa:
republic of the Bulis was situated between the
Shahabad and Muzaffarpur districts of modern Bihar.
 Bulis were the followers of the Buddha.
According to the Buddhist literature they got some
remains of Buddha after his death on which they had
built a stupa.
Kalamas of Kesaputta:
The republic of the Kalamas was situated in
the western side of Koshala.
 Kesaputta or Keshputra was its capital.
Alarkalam, the famous religious leader of
Sidhartha Gautama belongs to this republic.
In the later part of the sixth century B.C the
Kalamas of Kesaputta acknowledged the
suzerainty of Koshala.
Moriyas of Pipphalivana:
The republic of the Moriyas was situated in the
Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh.
Pipphalivana, their capital, generally identified with
Nyagroavana or Banyan Grove, lay about 54
miles to the west of Kusinara.
 The Moriyas destined to play a significant role in
ancient Indian history.
Chandragupta Maurya, who founded the Imperial
Maurya dynasty of Magadha, belonged to the
Moriya clan.
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Administration of the Monarchical States
Monarchical forms or kingship.
king was the head of the administration of the monarchies.
Kingship was generally hereditary.
system of elective kingship was also there.
king was not autocratic:
He was not the state but a part of it.
There was a well developed political system with limitations to
the powers of the king.
The state was conceived as an organic whole like a human body
with seven limbs (saptanga theory)
 The seven limbs are Amatya (minister), Kosha (treasury),
Danda (army or punishment), Durga (fort), Jana (population
and territory) and Mitra (friend).
 Various sacrifices like Rajasuya, Vajapeya and
Aswamedh were held to signify special divine
sanction upon the king.
 There was no constitutional check on the king’s
power, yet the king was not a despot.
 The protection of the people was the dharma or the
greatest duty of the king.
 The main source of income of the king was land
revenue.
 The office of the kingship, however, was just like a
trust.
 As the Trustee, the king was expected to protect the
people and work for their welfare and upliftment.
 It is prescribed that the king must have sound
education, moral training, control over his senses
and must be free from vices.
The learned Brahmans, wise ministers and hermits
exercised sufficient control over the arbitrary power of
the king.
However, , towards the ending part of the sixth
century B.C when large kingdoms like Magadha were
emerged,
arbitrary powers of the kings were increased.
divine nature of kingship became an established idea.
It was reinforced from time to time by means of
elaborate ritual sacrifices.
The king became supreme heads of the legislative,
executive,
judicial
and
military
branches
of
administration.
They lived in very big palaces and began to enjoy
special honours and privileges.
 They started to assume high sounding titles like
samrat, ekrat etc. For the protection of his
kingdom the king kept a big army which
included infantry, cavalry, elephants and
chariots.
 The powers were centralized in the hands of the
rulers.
 The powers of the assemblies like sabha, samiti,
vidhata were declined and ministers had to act
according to the mercy of the kings.
 The people had to depend on the kings for
protection from foreign invaders.
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Administrative System of the Republics
The republics consisted of either a single tribe such
as the Shakyas and Koliyas, or a confederacy of
tribes such as the Vrijis.
The republican states believed in the theory of social
contract for the creation of state.
The non-monarchical states or republics were called
Gana or Sangha and on the basis of their
constitution were broadly divided into two
categories viz., oligarchic and republican.
The assembly of each state was presided over by an
elected representative who was commonly known
as the Raja
This office was not hereditary and he was regarded
as a chief rather than a king.
 The king ruled with the help of a central assembly
consisting of elected representatives which used to meet
frequently in the Moot Hall called Santhagara to discuss
important matters.
 All decisions relating to the state were taken in this
assembly.
 An officer called Sabhapala used to beat the drum to
summon the members to the assembly hall.
 An
officer
called
Asannapannapaka
made
arrangements for the seats of the members in order of
seniority.
 The speaker was called Vinayadhara and the whip
was called Gunapuraka of slips of wood distributed
among the members.
 Voting was done secretly.
 A polling officer called Salakagrahapaka was
appointed to collect voting tickets.
 There were Lipikas (clerks) to record the proceedings on deliberations
of the assembly.
 Besides the Raja there were other officials such as uparajas (deputy
leaders), senapatis (commander of the forces) and Bhandarganikar
(treasure) who took active part in the functioning of the republic’s
administration.
. Of the sixteen, four kingdoms i.e. Magadha, Koshala, Vatsa and Avanti and
the confederacy of Vijji became powerful and there was a continuous rivalry
between states for political hegemony.
The kingdom of Magadha gradually swallowed all the states- monarchies and
republics alike and established its mighty empire. It marks the beginning of the
historical period in ancient Indian history.
Large scale use of iron and growth of urban centres and urbanization in the
Gangetic region substantially contributed to the development of political life during
this period.