{{Short description|Kingdoms in the Indian subcontinent (c. 600 BCE–c. 345 BCE)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox country
| native_name       = '''Mahajanapadas'''
| conventional_long_name = 
| era               = [[Iron Age in India|Iron Age]]
| status            = 
| event_start       = 
| life_span         = {{c.|600 BCE}} – {{c.|345 BCE}}
| date_start        = 
| event1            = 
| date_event1       = 
| event_end         = 
| year_end          = 
| date_end          = 
| p1                = Painted Grey Ware culture
| p2                = Vedic period
| p3                = Janapadas
| p4                = Kuru kingdom
| s1                = Nanda Empire
| s2                = Achaemenid Empire
| today             = 
| image_flag        = 
| flag_type         = 
| image_coat        = 
| image_map         = Mahajanapadas (c. 500 BCE).png
| image_map_caption = Map of the 16 Mahājanapadas.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lal |first1=Deepak |title=The Hindu Equilibrium: India C.1500 B.C. – 2000 A.D. |date=2005 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-927579-3 |page=xxxviii |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dps-A5gOmA8C&pg=PR38 |language=en}}</ref>
| capital           = 
| common_languages  = [[Prakrit]]s and [[Sanskrit]]
| religion          = [[Historical Vedic religion]]<br>[[Buddhism]]<br>[[Jainism]]
| government_type   = [[aristocratic republic]], [[monarchy]]
| leader1           = 
| year_leader1      = 
| leader2           = 
| year_leader2      = 
| title_leader      = 
| legislature       = 
}}
{{Part of History of India}}
{{HistoryOfSouthAsia}}

The '''Mahājanapadas'''{{efn|{{langx|sa|महाजनपद||Great [[Janapada]]s}}}} were sixteen [[Realm|kingdoms]] and [[aristocracy|aristocratic]] [[republic]]s that existed in [[ancient India]] from the sixth to fourth centuries BCE, during the [[History of India#Second urbanisation (c. 600 – 200 BCE)|second urbanisation]] period.<ref>Vikas Nain, "Second Urbanization in the Chronology of Indian History", ''International Journal of Academic Research and Development'' '''3''' (2) (March 2018), pp. 538–542 esp. 539.</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Upinder |title=A history of ancient and early medieval India: from the Stone Age to the 12th century |date=2015 |publisher=Pearson |location=Delhi |isbn=978-81-317-1120-0 |pages=260–261 |edition=7th}}</ref>

== History ==
The 6th–5th centuries BCE are often regarded as a major turning point in early [[History of India|Indian history]]. During this period, India's first large cities since the demise of the [[Indus Valley civilization]] arose. It was also the time of the rise of [[sramana]] movements (including [[Buddhism]] and [[Jainism]]), which challenged the religious orthodoxy of the [[Vedic period]].

Two of the Mahājanapadas were most probably [[Gaṇasaṅgha|{{transliteration|sa|gaṇasaṅgha}}]]s (aristocratic republics), and others had forms of monarchy. Ancient [[Buddhist texts]] like the ''[[Anguttara Nikaya]]''<ref>Anguttara Nikaya I. p 213; IV. pp 252, 256, 261.</ref> make frequent reference to sixteen great kingdoms and republics that had developed and flourished in a belt stretching from [[Gandhara]] in the northwest to [[Anga]] in the east to [[Asmaka]] in the southern part of the [[Indian subcontinent]]. They included parts of the trans-[[Vindhya Range|Vindhya]]n region,<ref name=singh>{{cite book|last=Singh|first=Upinder|title=A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H3lUIIYxWkEC&q=Great+States+Upinder+singh&pg=PA260|year=2008|publisher=Pearson Education|location=Delhi|isbn=978-81-317-1120-0|pages=260–4}}</ref> and all had developed prior to the rise of Buddhism in Ancient India.<ref>[http://www.iloveindia.com/history/ancient-india/16-mahajanapadas.html 16 Mahajanapadas - Sixteen Mahajanapadas, 16 Maha Janapadas India, Maha Janapada Ancient India] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170719222433/http://www.iloveindia.com/history/ancient-india/16-mahajanapadas.html |date=19 July 2017 }}. Iloveindia.com. Retrieved on 12 July 2013.</ref>

Archaeologically, this period has been identified as corresponding in part to the [[Northern Black Polished Ware]] culture.<ref>J.M. Kenoyer (2006), "Cultures and Societies of the Indus Tradition. In Historical Roots", in ''the Making of 'the Aryan''', R. Thapar (ed.), pp. 21–49. New Delhi: National Book Trust.</ref>

== Overview ==
{{Main|Janapada}}
[[File:Fragment - Northern Black Polished Ware - 500-100 BCE - Sonkh - Showcase 6-15 - Prehistory and Terracotta Gallery - Government Museum - Mathura 2013-02-24 6458.JPG|thumb|Pottery of the [[Northern Black Polished Ware]] culture ({{Circa|500}}–200 BCE)]]
The term "[[Janapada]]" literally means the ''foothold of a people''. The fact that ''Janapada'' is derived from ''Jana'' points to an early stage of land-taking by the Jana people for a settled way of life. This process of settlement on land had completed its final stage prior to the times of the [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]] and [[Pāṇini]]. The Pre-Buddhist northern Indian sub-continent was divided into several Janapadas, demarcated from each other by boundaries. In Pāṇini's "Ashtadhyayi", ''Janapada'' stands for country and ''Janapadin'' for its citizenry. Each of these Janapadas was named after the [[Kshatriya]] people (or the Kshatriya Jana) who had settled therein.<ref>''India as Known to Panini: A Study of the Cultural Material in the Ashṭādhyāyī,'' 1963, p 427</ref><ref>Vasudeva Sharana Agrawala – ''India; India in the Time of Patañjali,'' 1968, p 68, Dr B. N. Puri – India;</ref><ref>''Socio-economic and Political History of Eastern India,'' 1977, p 9, Y. K Mishra – Bihar (India)</ref><ref>''Tribes of Ancient India,'' 1977, p 18 Mamata Choudhury – Ethnology</ref><ref>Tribal Coins of Ancient India, 2007, p xxiv Devendra Handa – ''Coins, Indic'' – 2007</ref><ref>''The Journal of the Numismatic Society of India,'' 1972, p 221 Numismatic Society of India – Numismatics</ref><ref>''A History of Pāli Literature,'' 2000 Edition, p 648 B. C. Law</ref><ref>''Some Ksatriya Tribes of Ancient India,'' 1924, pp 230–253, Dr B. C. Law.</ref> Buddhist and other texts only incidentally refer to sixteen great nations (''Solasa Mahajanapadas'') that existed prior to the time of the Buddha. They do not give any connected history except in the case of Magadha. The Buddhist [[Anguttara Nikaya]], at several places,<ref>Anguttara Nikaya: Vol I, p 213, Vol IV, pp 252, 256, 260 etc.</ref> gives a list of sixteen great states:<ref>{{Cite book |last=Raychaudhuri |first=Hemchandra |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.282598/page/n77/mode/2up |title=Political History of Ancient India |publisher=University of Calcutta |year=1972 |location=Calcutta |pages=59}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
# [[Anga]]
# [[Asmaka]]
# [[Avanti (India)|Avanti]]
# [[Cedī (tribe)|Chedi]]
# [[Gandhāra (kingdom)|Gandhara]]
# [[Kāśī (kingdom)|Kasi]]
# [[Kambojas|Kamboja]]
# [[Kosala]]
# [[Kuru (India)|Kuru]]
# [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]]
# [[Malla (tribe)|Malla]]
# [[Matsya (tribe)|Matsya]] (or Maccha)
# [[Panchala]]
# [[Surasena]]
# [[Vajjika League|Vajji]]
# [[Vatsa]] (or Vamsa)
{{div col end}}

Another Buddhist text, the ''[[Digha Nikaya]]'', mentions twelve Mahajanapadas from the above list and omits four of them (Assaka, Avanti, Gandhara, and Kamboja).<ref>Digha Nikaya, Vol II, p 200.</ref>

''[[Niddesa|Chulla-Niddesa]]'', another ancient text of the Buddhist canon, adds [[Kalinga (historical kingdom)|Kalinga]] to the list and substitutes [[Yona]] for Gandhara, thus listing the Kamboja and the Yona as the only Mahajanapadas from [[Uttarapatha]].<ref>Chulla-Niddesa (P.T.S.), p 37.</ref><ref>Lord Mahāvīra and his times, 1974, p 197, Dr Kailash Chand Jain; ''[[The History and Culture of the Indian People]],'' 1968, p lxv, Dr Ramesh Chandra Majumdar, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bhāratīya Itihāsa Samiti; ''Problems of Ancient India,'' 2000, p 7, K. D. Sethna.</ref>

The ''[[Vyākhyāprajñapti]]'' (or the ''[[Bhagavati Sutra]]''), a sutra of [[Jainism]], gives a different list of sixteen Mahajanapadas:

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
# Anga
# Banga (Vanga)
# Magadha
# Malaya
# Malavaka
# Accha
# Vaccha
# Kochcha
# Padha
# Ladha ([[Rarh region|Radh]] or [[Lata (region)|Lata]])
# Bajji (Vajji)
# Moli (Malla)
# Kasi
# [[Kosala]]
# Avaha
# Sambhuttara
{{div col end}}

The author of the ''[[Bhagavati Sutra]]'' (or the ''[[Vyākhyāprajñapti]]'') has a focus on the countries of Madhydesa and of the far east and south only. He omits the nations from Uttarapatha like the Kamboja and Gandhara. The more extended horizon of the ''Bhagvati'' and the omission of all countries from Uttarapatha "clearly shows that the Bhagvati list is of later origin and therefore less reliable."<ref>Political History of Ancient India, 1996, p. 86; History & Culture of Indian People, Age of Imperial Unity, pp. 15–16</ref>

== List of Mahajanapadas ==
=== Aṅga ===
{{main|Anga}}

The first reference to the [[Anga]]s is found in the [[Atharvaveda]] where they find mention along with the [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadhas]], [[Gandhara|Gandharis]] and the Mujavats, apparently as a despised people. The [[Jain]]a Prajnapana ranks Angas and Vangas in the first group of [[Aryan]] people. It mentions the principal cities of [[ancient India]].<ref>Digha Nikaya</ref> 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 ===
{{main|Assaka}}

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]].<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Tiwari|first1=Anshuman|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qQ5kDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT307|title=Laxminama: Monks, Merchants, Money and Mantra|last2=Sengupta|first2=Anindya|date=10 August 2018|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=9789387146808|pages=307|language=en}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Sen|first=Sailendra Nath|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wk4_ICH_g1EC&pg=PA109|title=Ancient Indian History and Civilization|date=1999|publisher=New Age International|isbn=9788122411980|pages=109|language=en}}</ref> 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.<ref>Dr Bhandarkaar</ref>

=== Avanti ===
{{main|Avanti (Ancient India)}}

[[File:I13 12karshapana Avanti 1ar (8481304617).jpg|thumb|Silver coin of [[Avanti (India)|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 (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]]. Avanti was divided into north and south by the river [[Narmada]]. Initially, [[Mahishamati]] (Mahissati) was the capital of Southern Avanti, and [[Ujjain]]i (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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shah |first=Bipin |date=February 2014 |title=Home of Jainism after the Fall of Magadhan Empire and history of Shrimal Nagar-"Vayam Shrimali" |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340953327 |access-date=25 March 2023 |website=Researchgate}}</ref>

=== Chedi ===
{{main|Cedī (tribe)}}

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 [[The Kurus|Kurus]] and [[Vatsa]]s. In the mediaeval period, the southern frontiers of Chedi extended to the banks of the river [[Narmada 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.<ref name="auto">{{Citation|url=https://archive.org/details/politicalhistory00raycuoft|last=Raychaudhuri|first=Hem Chandra|title=Political history of ancient India, from the accession of Parikshit to the extinction of the Gupta dynasty|year=1923|page=66|publisher=Calcutta, Univ. of Calcutta }}</ref>

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]].<ref name="auto"/> Archaeologist [[Dilip Kumar Chakrabarti]] has proposed that Suktimati can be identified as the ruins of a large [[Northern Black Polished Ware|early historical]] city, at a place with the modern-day name Itaha, on the outskirts of [[Rewa, Madhya Pradesh]].<ref>{{Citation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8qvY8pxVxcwC|last=Chakrabarti|first=Dilip Kumar|chapter=Mahajanapada States of Early Historic India|title=A Comparative Study of Thirty City-state Cultures: An Investigation|year=2000|editor-last=Hansen|editor-first=Mogens Herman|page=387|publisher=Kgl. Danske Videnskabernes Selskab|isbn=9788778761774|access-date=21 December 2017|archive-date=8 January 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260108161656/https://books.google.com/books?id=8qvY8pxVxcwC|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Gandhāra ===
{{main|Gandhāra (kingdom)}}

[[File:Gandhara1.JPG|thumb|Coin of Early Gandhara Janapada: AR Shatamana and one-eighth Shatamana (round), Taxila-Gandhara region, {{c.|600–300 BCE}}]]
[[File:Taxila (local coinage). Circa 220-185 BC.jpg|thumb|Coin of [[Taxila|Takshashila]] portraying a tree flanked by a hill surmounted by a crescent and a [[Nandipada]] above a [[swastika]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Post-Mauryan (Punjab). Taxila (local coinage). Circa 220–185 BC. Æ (17x18mm, 7.71 g)|url=https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=259870|website=www.cngcoins.com|publisher=Classical Numismatic Group Inc.|access-date=28 June 2017|archive-date=25 December 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241225095025/https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=259870|url-status=live}}</ref>]]
The wool of the [[Gandhara|Gandharis]] is referred to in the [[Rigveda]]. The Gandharas and their king figure prominently as strong allies of the [[The Kurus|Kurus]] against the [[Pandava]]s 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. [[Taxila|Taksashila]] and [[Pushkalavati]], the two cities of this Mahajanapada, are said to have been named after Taksa and Pushkara, the two sons of [[Bharata (Ramayana)|Bharata]], a prince of [[Ayodhya (Ramayana)|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]].<ref>Jataka No 406.</ref> Hecataeus of Miletus (549–468) refers to Kaspapyros (Kasyapura or Purushapura, i.e., modern day Peshawar) as a [[Gandhara|Gandharic]] city. According to Gandhara Jataka, at one time, Gandhara formed a part of the kingdom of [[Kasmira kingdom|Kashmira]]. The [[Jataka tales|Jataka]] also gives another name ''Chandahara'' for Gandhara.

Gandhara Mahajanapada of [[Buddhist]] traditions included territories of east [[History of Afghanistan|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 ([[Grand Trunk Road|Uttarapatha]]) and was a centre of international commercial activities. According to one group of scholars, the Gandharas and Kambojas were cognate people.<ref>Revue des etudes grecques 1973, p. 131, Ch-Em Ruelle, Association pour l'encouragement des etudes grecques en France.</ref><ref>Early Indian Economic History, 1973, pp. 237, 324, Rajaram Narayan Saletore.</ref><ref>Myths of the Dog-man, 199, p. 119, David Gordon White; Journal of the Oriental Institute, 1919, p 200; Journal of Indian Museums, 1973, p 2, Museums Association of India; The Pāradas: A Study in Their Coinage and History, 1972, p 52, Dr [[B. N. Mukherjee]] – Pāradas; Journal of the Department of Sanskrit, 1989, p 50, Rabindra Bharati University, Dept. of Sanskrit- Sanskrit literature; The Journal of Academy of Indian Numismatics & Sigillography, 1988, p 58, Academy of Indian Numismatics and Sigillography – Numismatics; Cf: Rivers of Life: Or Sources and Streams of the Faiths of Man in All Lands, 2002, p. 114, J. G. R. Forlong.</ref> It is also contended that the Kurus, Kambojas, Gandharas and Bahlikas were cognate people.<ref>Journal of the Oriental Institute, 1919, p 265, Oriental Institute (Vadodara, India) – Oriental studies; For Kuru-Kamboja connections, see Dr Chandra Chakraberty's views in: Literary history of ancient India in relation to its racial and linguistic affiliations, pp. 14,37, Vedas; The Racial History of India, 1944, p. 153, Chandra Chakraberty – Ethnology; Paradise of Gods, 1966, p 330, Qamarud Din Ahmed – Pakistan.</ref> 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.<ref>Ancient India, History of India for 1000 years, four Volumes, Vol I, 1938, pp. 38, 98 by Dr T. L. Shah.</ref> Naturally, they may have once been a cognate people.<ref>James Fergusson observes: ''"In a wider sense, name Gandhara implied all the countries west of Indus as far as Candhahar"'' (The Tree and Serpent Worship, 2004, p. 47, James Fergusson).</ref> Gandhara was often linked politically with the neighboring regions of [[Kasmira kingdom|Kashmira]] and [[Kambojas|Kamboja]].<ref>''Encyclopedia Americana'', 1994, p 277, Encyclopedias and Dictionaries.</ref>

=== Kamboja ===
{{main|Kambojas}}

Kambojas are also included in the Uttarapatha. In ancient literature, the Kamboja is variously associated with the [[Gandhara]], [[Darada]] and the [[Bahlikas|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 [[clan]]s 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.<ref>Ptolemy's Geography mentions Tambyzoi located in eastern Bactria (''Ancient India as Described by Ptolemy: Being a Translation of the Chapters ...'' 1885, p. 268, John Watson McCrindle – Geography, Ancient; ''Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World'', History – 2000, p. 99, (editors) Richard J. A. Talbert) and Ambautai people located to south of Hindukush Mountains (Geography 6.18.3; See map in McCrindle, p. 8). Dr S. Levi has identified Tambyzoi with Kamboja (''Indian Antiquary'', 1923, p. 54; ''Pre Aryan and Pre Dravidian in India'', 1993, p. 122, Dr Sylvain Lévi, Dr Jean Przyluski, Jules Bloch, Asian Educational Services) while land of Ambautai has also been identified by Dr [[Michael Witzel]] (Harvard University) with Sanskrit Kamboja ''Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies'', Vol. 5, 1999, issue 1 (September), Dr. M. Witzel; ''Indo-Aryan Controversy: Evidence and Inference in Indian History'', 2005, p 257, Laurie L. Patton, Edwin Bryant; ''The Indo-Aryans of Ancient South Asia: Language, Material Culture and Ethnicity'', 1995, p. 326, George Erdosy.</ref> The cis-Hindukush region from [[Nurestan]] up to [[Rajauri]] in southwest of [[Kasmira kingdom|Kashmir]] sharing borders with the [[Daradas]] and the [[Gandhara]]s constituted the ''Kamboja'' country.<ref>MBH VII.4.5; II.27.23.</ref> 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.<ref>See: ''Problems of Ancient India'', 2000, pp. 5–6; cf: ''Geographical Data in the Early Puranas'', p. 168.</ref>

The trans-Hindukush region including the [[Pamir Mountains|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.<ref>MBH II.27.27.</ref> The trans-Hindukush branch of the Kambojas remained pure [[Iranian peoples|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.<ref>''Vedic Index I'', p. 138, Macdonnel, Dr Keith.</ref><ref>''Ethnology of Ancient Bhārata'', 1970, p. 107, Dr Ram Chandra Jain.</ref><ref>''The Journal of Asian Studies''; 1956, p. 384, Association for Asian Studies, Far Eastern Association (U.S.).</ref><ref>''Balocistān: siyāsī kashmakash, muz̤mirāt va rujḥānāt''; 1989, p. 2, Munīr Aḥmad Marrī.</ref><ref>''India as Known to Panini: A Study of the Cultural Material in the Ashṭādhyāyī''; 1953, p. 49, Dr Vasudeva Sharana Agrawala.</ref><ref>''Afghanistan'', p. 58, W. K. Fraser, M. C. Gillet.</ref><ref>''Afghanistan, its People, its Society, its Culture'', Donal N. Wilber, 1962, pp. 80, 311 etc.</ref><ref>''Iran'', 1956, p. 53, Herbert Harold Vreeland, Clifford R. Barnett.</ref><ref>''Geogrammatical Dictionary of Sanskrit (Vedic): 700 Complete Revisions of the Best Books...'', 1953, p. 49, Dr Peggy Melcher, Dr A. A. McDonnel, Dr Surya Kanta, Dr Jacob Wackernagel, Dr V. S. Agarwala.</ref><ref>''Geographical and Economic Studies in the Mahābhārata: Upāyana Parva'', 1945, p. 33, Dr Moti Chandra – India.</ref><ref>''A Grammatical Dictionary of Sanskrit (Vedic): 700 Complete Reviews of the ...'', 1953, p. 49, Dr Vasudeva Sharana Agrawala, Surya Kanta, Jacob Wackernagel, [[Arthur Anthony Macdonell]], Peggy Melcher – India.</ref>

The Kambojas were also a well known republican people since [[Epic India|Epic]] times. The [[Mahabharata]] refers to several {{transliteration|sa|gaṇaḥ}} (or Republics) of the Kambojas.<ref>MBH 7/91/39.</ref> [[Kautiliya]]'s [[Arthashastra]]<ref>Arthashastra 11/1/4.</ref> attestes the Kambojas republican character and [[Ashoka]]'s Edict No. XIII also testifies the presence of the Kambojas along with the Yavanas.<ref>13th Major Rock Edict. Translation by E. Hultzsch (1857–1927). Published in India in 1925. Inscriptions of Asoka p.43. Public Domain.</ref> Pāṇini's Sutras,<ref>Ashtadhyayi IV.1.168–175.</ref> 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.<ref>''Hindu Polity: A Constitutional History of India in Hindu Times'', Parts I and II., 1955, p. 52, Dr Kashi Prasad Jayaswal – Constitutional history; Prācīna Kamboja, jana aura janapada =: Ancient Kamboja, people and country, 1981, Dr Jiyālāla Kāmboja – Kamboja (Pakistan).</ref> 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 [[Purana]]s laments that Magadhan emperor [[Mahapadma Nanda]] exterminated all [[Kshatriya]]s, 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]] {{Circa|345 BCE}}, thus founding the [[Nanda Empire]].)<ref>{{citation |last=Panda |first=Harihar |title=Prof. H.C. Raychaudhuri, as a Historian |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f1XMtc2Q97IC |publisher=Northern Book Centre |date=2007 |isbn=978-81-7211-210-3 |page=28 }}</ref>

The Kambojans and Gandharans, however, never came into direct contact with the Magadhan state until [[Chandragupta Maurya|Chandragupta]] and [[Kautiliya|Kautilya]] arose on the scene. But these nations also fell prey to the [[Achaemenid]]s of [[Ancient Iran|Persia]] during the reign of [[Cyrus the Great|Cyrus II]] (558–530 BCE) or in the first year of [[Darius the Great|Darius]]. Kamboja and Gandhara formed the twentieth and richest [[satrap]]y of the Achaemenid Empire. Cyrus II is said to have destroyed the famous Kamboja city called Kapisi (modern [[Begram]]) in [[Paropamisade]].

=== Kāśī ===
{{main|Kāśī (kingdom)}}

[[File:Kashi Vimshatika.jpg|thumb|A silver vimshatika coin of Kāśī, circa 525–465 BCE.]]
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 (Mahajanapada)|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.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

=== Kosala ===
{{main|Kosala}}

[[File:Kosala Karshapana.jpg|thumb|Silver coins of [[Kosala]] mahajanapada ({{c.|525}}–465 BCE)]]
The country of Kosala was located to the north-west of Magadha, with its capital at [[Ayodhya (Ramayana)|Ayodhya]]. Its territory corresponded to the modern [[Awadh]] (or Oudh) in Central and Eastern [[Uttar Pradesh]]. It had the river [[Ganges River|Ganges]] for its southern, the river [[Gandaki River|Gandak]] (Narayani) for its eastern, and the [[Himalaya]] mountains for its northern boundary.

[[File:Procession of Prasenajit of Kosala leaving Sravasti to meet the Buddha.jpg|thumb|left|Procession of [[Prasenajit]] of Kosala leaving [[Sravasti]] to meet the [[Buddha]], [[Sanchi]].<ref>Marshall [https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.459148 p.59]</ref>]]
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 [[Licchavi (tribe)|Liccavis]] became conquered by Magadha. Kosala was ultimately merged into Magadha when Vidudabha was Kosala's ruler. [[Ayodhya (Ramayana)|Ayodhya]], [[Saketa]], [[Banaras]], and [[Shravasti|Sravasti]] were the chief cities of Kosala.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

=== Kuru ===
{{main|Kuru kingdom}}

[[File:Seal coin of the Ror Empire (Kuru).jpg|thumb|Silver coin of [[Kuru (India)|Kuru]] mahajanapada (4th century BCE)]]
The [[Purana]]s trace the origin of Kurus from the ''[[Puru (Vedic tribe)|Puru]]-[[Bhāratas|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,<ref>II. p 481</ref> 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 [[Jataka]]s, 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 [[Yadu|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 ===
{{main|Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Rajagriha|Pataliputra|Greater Magadha}}

[[File:Magadha kingdom coin Circa 350 BC AR Karshapana.jpg|thumb|Silver coin of [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]] mahajanapada ({{Circa|350 BCE}})]]
[[File:Bimbisara with his royal cortege issuing from the city of Rajagriha to visit the Buddha.jpg|thumb|left|King [[Bimbisara]] of [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]] with his royal cortege issuing from the city of Rajagriha to visit the Buddha.]]

The [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]] was one of the most prominent and prosperous of Mahajanapadas.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sinha|first=Bindeshwari Prasad|title=Dynastic History of Magadha, Cir. 450–1200 A.D.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V3KDaZY85wYC&pg=PA128|year=1977|publisher=Abhinav Publications|page=128}}</ref>

[[File:Bamboo garden (Venuvana) at Rajagriha, the visit of Bimbisara.jpg|thumb|left|King [[Bimbisara]] of Magadha visits the Bamboo Garden (Venuvana) in Rajagriha; artwork from [[Sanchi]].]]

The kingdom of the [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]]s roughly corresponded to the modern districts of [[Patna district|Patna]] and [[Gaya district|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|First Buddhist Council]] was held in Rajagaha in the Vaibhara Hills. Later on, [[Pataliputra]] became the capital of Magadha.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sinha|first=Bindeshwari Prasad|title=Dynastic History of Magadha, Cir. 450–1200 A.D.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V3KDaZY85wYC&pg=PA128|year=1977|publisher=Abhinav Publications|page=128}}</ref>

=== Malla ===
{{main|Malla (tribe)}}

{{multiple image
| align = right
| caption_align = center
| image1 = Conjectural reconstruction of the main gate of Kusinagara circa 500 BCE adapted from a relief at Sanchi.jpg
| width1 = 200
| caption1 = Conjectural reconstruction of the main gate of [[Kushinagar]], city of the Mallakas, circa 500 BCE adapted from a relief at Sanchi.
| image2 = City of Kushinagar in the 5th century BCE according to a 1st century BCE frieze in Sanchi Stupa 1 Southern Gate.jpg
| width2 = 210
| caption2 = City of Kushinagar in the 5th century BCE according to a 1st-century BCE frieze in Sanchi Stupa 1 Southern Gate.
}}
The [[Malla (tribe)|Mallaka]]s 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<ref>Kalpa Sutra; Nirayavali Sutra</ref> corresponding to the nine confederated clans. These republican states were known as [[Gaṇasaṅgha|{{transliteration|sa|gaṇasaṅgha}}]]s. Two of these confederations – one with [[Kushinagar]] (modern Kasia near [[Gorakhpur]]) as its capital and the second with Pava (modern [[Fazilnagar]], {{convert|20|km}} 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 [[Gautama Buddha|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 [[Licchavi (tribe)|Licchavis]], are mentioned by [[Manusmriti]] as Vratya [[Kshatriya]]s. 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 [[Sangha (Buddhism)|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.{{citation needed|date=March 2016}}

[[File:War over the Buddha's Relics, South Gate, Stupa no. 1, Sanchi.jpg|thumb|800px|center|{{center|[[Malla (tribe)|Mallaka]] defending the city of Kushinagar, as depicted at [[Sanchi]]. Malla was an [[Republic#Indian subcontinent|ancient Indian republic]] ([[Gaṇasaṅgha|{{transliteration|sa|gaṇasaṅgha}}]]s) mentioned in the ''[[Anguttara Nikaya]]''.<ref>Asiatic Mythology by J. Hackin [https://books.google.com/books?id=HAZrFhvqnTkC&pg=PA83 p.83ff]</ref>}}]]

=== Matsya ===
{{main|Matsya (tribe)}}

The country of the [[Matsya (tribe)|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 state|Jaipur]] in [[Rajputana]], and included the whole of [[Alwar]] with portions of [[Bharatpur, India|Bharatpur]]. The capital of Matsya was at ''Viratanagara'' (modern [[Bairat]]) which is said to have been named after its founder king Virata. In [[Pāli|Pali]] literature, the Matsyas are usually associated with the Surasenas. The western Matsya was the hill tract on the north bank of the [[Chambal River|Chambal]]. A branch of Matsya is also found in later days in the [[Vizagapatam|Visakhapatnam]] region. The Matsyas had not much political importance of their own during the time of Buddha.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

=== Pañcāla ===
{{main|Pañcāla}}

[[File:Panchalas of Adhichhatra.jpg|thumb|Coin of the Panchalas of Adhichhatra (75–50 BCE).<br />'''Obv''' [[Indra]] seated facing on pedestal, holding bifurcated object.<br />'''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 district|Budaun]], [[Farrukhabad district|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, Bareilly|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.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

=== Śūrasena ===
{{main|Surasena}}

[[File:First coin of India.jpg|thumb|Silver coin of Surasena mahajanapada (5th century BCE).]]

The country of the Surasenas lay to the east of Matsya and west of [[Yamuna]]. This corresponds roughly to the [[Braj Region|Brij region]] of Uttar Pradesh, [[Haryana]] and [[Rajasthan]]. and [[Gwalior district]] of [[Madhya Pradesh]]. It had its capital at Madhura or [[Mathura, Uttar Pradesh|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.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

=== Vajji ===
{{main|Vajjika League}}

[[File:Anandastupa.jpg|thumb|Ananda Stupa, built by the ''[[Licchavi (tribe)|Licchavis]]'' at [[Vaishali (ancient city)|Vaishali]], which served as the [[Capital (political)|capital]] of the [[Vajjika League]], one of the world's earliest [[republic]]s ([[Gaṇasaṅgha|{{transliteration|sa|gaṇasaṅgha}}]]).]]

{{lang|pi|Vajji}} or {{lang|sa|Vṛji}} was a confederacy of neighbouring clans including the [[Licchavi (tribe)|Licchavi]]s and one of the principal mahājanapadas of [[Ancient India]]. The area they ruled constitutes the region of [[Mithila (ancient)|Mithila]] in [[Nepal]] and northern [[Bihar]] and their capital was the city of [[Vaishali (ancient city)|Vaishali]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=efaOR_-YsIcC&q=vajji+mithila&pg=PA15|title=Between the Empires: Society in India 300 BCE to 400 CE|first=Patrick|last=Olivelle|date=13 July 2006|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780199775071|via=Google Books}}</ref>

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.<ref>Raychaudhuri Hemchandra (1972), ''Political History of Ancient India'', Calcutta: University of Calcutta, pp. 85–6</ref> 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]].<ref>Raychaudhuri Hemchandra (1972), ''Political History of Ancient India'', Calcutta: University of Calcutta, p.107</ref>

=== Vatsa (or Vaṃsa) ===
{{main|Vatsa}}

[[File:Vatsya coin (400-300 BCE).jpg|thumb|Vatsya coin (400-300 BCE)]]
The [[Vatsa]]s or Vamsas are called to be a branch of the [[The Kurus|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 [[Allahabad|Prayagraj]]).<ref>{{cite news
 |url = http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/12/05/fea06.asp
 |title = The Ghositarama of Kaushambi
 |author = Rohan L. Jayetilleke
 |work = [[Daily News (Sri Lanka)|Daily News]]
 |date = 5 December 2007
 |access-date = 29 October 2008
 |url-status = dead
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110604160714/http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/12/05/fea06.asp
 |archive-date = 4 June 2011
 |df = dmy-all
}}</ref> 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, [[Vatsa#Mrigavati|Queen Mrigavati]], is notable for being one of the earliest known female rulers in Indian history.

== See also ==
{{Indo-European topics|283}}
* [[Achaemenid conquest of the Indus Valley]]
* [[Indo-Aryan peoples]]
* [[Iron Age in India]]
* [[Magadha-Vajji war]]
* [[Rigvedic tribes]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
*R. C. Majumdar and A. D. Pusalker, eds. ''The History and Culture of the Indian People''. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay 1951.
* [[K. D. Sethna|Sethna, K. D.]] (1989). ''Ancient India in a new light''. New Delhi: Aditya Prakashan.
* Sethna, K. D. (2000). ''Problems of ancient India''. New Delhi: Aditya Prakashan.

== Notes ==

{{notelist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category-inline}}

{{Mahajanapada |state=collapsed}}
{{India topics}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Mahajanapadas| ]]
[[Category:Ancient Indian geography|*]]
[[Category:Indo-Aryan peoples]]
[[Category:States and territories established in the 6th century BC]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in the 4th century BC]]