16 Mahajanapadas

1.

Mahajanapada:- Anga

• Capilatal:- Champa
• Modern location:-Munger and Bhagalpur
• Significance:- Anga mahajanapada finds reference in the Mahabharata and Atharvaveda. During the rule of bimbisara, it was taken over by Magadha empire,it is situated in present day bihar and West Bengal.

2.

Mahajanapada:-Magadha.

• Capital:- Girivraja/Rajgriha.
• Modern location:- Gaya and Patna.

• Significance:- Magadha finds mention in the Atharvaveda which conveys that Magadha was semi Brahmanical habitation. It was located in present day Bihar close to Anga, divided by river champa. Later Magadha became a center of Jainism and the first Buddhist council was held in rajagriha.

3.

Mahajanapada:- kasi.

• Capital:- varanasi.
• Modern location:- varanasi.
• Significance:- it was located in varanasi, this city got its name from river Varuna and Asi ad cited in the matsya Purana.

4.

Mahajanapada:- Vatsa.

• Capital:- Kaushambi.
• Modern location:- Allahabad.
• Significance:- vatsa is also known as vamsa, this mahajanapada followed the monarchical form of governance.
• This was a central city for economic activities. There were a prosperous trade and business scenario in 6th century BC.
• After the rise of Buddha, the ruler udayana made Buddhism a state religion.
• Vatsa was located around the present day Allahabad.

5.

Mahajanapada:- Kosala.

• Capital:- Shravasti.
• Modern location:- Eastern Uttar Pradesh. Awadh region.

6.

Mahajanapada:- Shurasena

• Capital:- Mathura.
• Modern location:- western Uttar Pradesh.
• Significance:- this place was a center of Krishna worship at the time of meghasthenes. Also, there was a dominant followership of Buddha here.

7.

Mahajanapada:- panchala.

• Capital:- Ahichchatra and kampilya.
• Modern location:- western Uttar Pradesh.
• Significance:- It's capital for northern Panchala was Ahichchatra and kampilya for its southern region.
• Later the nature of governance shifted from monarchy to republic.

8.

Mahajanapada:- Kuru

• Capital:- Indraprastha.
• Modern location:- meerut and southeast Haryana.
• Significance:- The area around kurukshetra was apparently the site for Kuru mahajanapada. It moved to a republic from of governance.

9.

Mahajanapada:- matsya

• Capital:- viratnagar.
• Modern location:- Jaipur.
• Significance:- it was situated to the west of the panchalas and South of the Kurus, it was situated around present day Jaipur.

10.

Mahajanapada:- chedi.

• Capital:- sothivati.
• Modern location:- Bundelkhand.
• This was cited in the Rigveda.

11.

Mahajanapada:- Avanti.

• Capital:- Ujjaini or mahismati.
• Modern location:- Malwa and Madhya Pradesh.
• Avanti was significant in relation to the rise of Buddhism.

12.

Mahajanapada:- Gandhara.

• Capital:- Taxila.
• Modern location:- Rawalpindi.
• Gandhara is cited in the Atharvaveda
• The people were highly trained in the art of war.
• It was significant for international commercial activities.

13.

Mahajanapada:- kamboja.

• Capital:- rajpura
• Modern location:- rajori (Jammu and Kashmir) and Hajra (pakistan).
• It was situated in present day Kashmir and hindukush.
• Several literary sources mention that kamboja was a republic.

14.

Mahajanapada:- Ashmaka or Assaka.

• Capital:- potsna/paithan
• Modern location:- Bank of godavari.

15.

Mahajanapada:- vajji.

• Capital:- vaishali.
• Modern location:- Bihar.
• The main races residing in this Mahajanapadas were licchuvis, vedehans, jnatrikas, and vajjis.

16.

Mahajanapada:- Malla

• Capital:- kusinagar/pava.
• Modern location:- Deoria and Uttar Pradesh.
• It finds a reference in Buddhist and Jain texts and Mahabharata.
• Malla was a republic region.