Janapadas and Mahajanapadas
Janapadas
- The period from 1000 BCE to 600 BCE is called the post-Vedic period.
- Janapadas were small states in ancient India.
- These states stretched from Afghanistan in the northwest to Bengal and Odisha in the east and Maharashtra in the south.
- The janapada Ashmak was in present-day Maharashtra.
- Some janapadas were monarchies (ruled by kings), while others were republics (ruled by assemblies).
- The ruling assembly in republics was called gana-parishad, which met at a place called santhagar.
- Gautama Buddha was from the Shakya Republic.
- Each janapada had its own coins.
2. Mahajanapadas
- Over time, some janapadas became more powerful and bigger and were called mahajanapadas.
- By the 6th century BCE, there were 16 important mahajanapadas.
- The four most powerful mahajanapadas were:
- Kosala (Uttar Pradesh and Nepal)
- Capital: Shravasti
- Important king: Prasenjit (contemporary of Buddha and Mahavir)
- Later merged with Magadha.
- Vatsa (Prayag/Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh)
- Capital: Kaushambi
- A famous trade center.
- Important king: Udayana
- Conquered by Avanti.
- Avanti (Malwa, Madhya Pradesh)
- Capital: Ujjain
- A major trade center.
- Important king: Pradyot
- Later merged with Magadha.
- Magadha (Bihar and Bengal)
- Capital: Rajgriha (Rajgir)
- Important king: Bimbisara (built a great palace, followed Buddha).
- Later became the Magadha Empire.
3. Rise of the Magadha Empire
- Bimbisara’s son, Ajatshatru, continued expanding Magadha.
- He conquered many republics and followed Buddha.
- The first Buddhist Council was held in Rajgriha under him.
- He started a new capital, Pataligram, which later became Pataliputra (modern Patna).
- King Shishunag merged Avanti, Kosala, and Vatsa into Magadha.
- The Nanda Dynasty (364 BCE – 324 BCE):
- Created a strong administrative system.
- Had a four-column army (infantry, cavalry, chariots, elephants).
- Introduced standard weights and measures.
- Last king: Dhananand.
- Overthrown by Chandragupta Maurya, who started the Maurya Empire.
The 16 Mahajanapadas and their modern names:
1. Kashi – Varanasi
2. Kosala – Lucknow
3. Malla – Gorakhpur
4. Vatsa – Allahabad
5. Chedi – Kanpur
6. Kuru – Delhi
7. Panchal – Rohilkhand
8. Matsya – Jaipur
9. Shurasen – Mathura
10. Ashmak – Aurangabad (Maharashtra)
11. Avanti – Ujjain
12. Ang – East Bihar
13. Magadha – South Bihar
14. Vrijji – North Bihar
15. Gandhara – Peshawar
16. Kamboj – Near Gandhara
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