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16 Mahajanpadas of Ancient India- Origin, Types and Facts

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Areas In government exams like SSC, Banking, Railways, etc we find many questions from the History general awareness section. this is a very broad section and sometimes questions are very factual. we will cover the General awareness section comprehensively so that students can learn and get most of the questions correct in this section. In this article, we will provide a complete list of Mahajanpadas of Ancient India in India.

Which were the 16 Mahajanapadas?

Before the rise of Buddhism in India, the following 16 Mahajanapadas arose:

  1. Kasi
  2. Kosala
  3. Anga
  4. Magadha
  5. Vajji
  6. Malla
  7. Chedi/Cheti
  8. Vatsa
  9. Kuru
  10. Panchala
  11. Matsya
  12. Surasena/Shurasena
  13. Assaka
  14. Avanti
  15. Gandhara
  16. Kamboja

16 Mahajanapadas Map

Mahajanpadas-india

List of 16 Mahajanpadas of Ancient India

By 6th century, only 4 powerful kingdoms came to exist, which included:

  1. Magadha (Important rulers: Bimbisara, Ajatashatru)
  2. Avanti (Important ruler: Pradyota)
  3. Kosala (Important ruler: Prasenjit)
  4. Vatsa (Important ruler: Udayana)

List of 16 Mahajanpadas- Facts For UPSC Exam

      Sr. No.

                          Mahajanpadas 

    
 Capital

   
 Modern Name

 
Significance

1 Anga Champa Munger and Bhagalpur 
  • It got references in the Mahabharata and Atharva Veda. 
     
  • During the reign of Bimbisara, it was won by the Magadha Empire. 
     
  • It was an important trading centre on trade routes and traders sailed from here to Suvarnabhumi (Southeast Asia).
     
2 Magadha   Rajagriha Gaya and Patna districts
  • It finds mention in the Atharva Veda.
     
  • Anguttara Nikaya mentioned the details about the kings and people of Magadha.
     
  • It became a centre of Jainism. 
     
  •  Rajagriha was the place where 1st Buddhist council was held.
3 Kashi  Kashi Banaras
  • Kashi was located in Varanasi.
     
  • It got its name from the rivers Varuna and Asi as cited in the Matsya Purana.
     
  • It got captured by Kosala.
4 Vatsa Kausambi Allahabad 
  • It is also known as Vamsa. 
     
  • It was located on the banks of the Yamuna. 
     
  • It was a monarchy.
     
  • This was an important centre for economic activities.
     
  • After the rise of the Buddha, King Udayana made Buddhism the state religion.
5 Kosala Shravasti (northern), 
Kushavati (southern)
Eastern Uttar Pradesh 
  • It was located in the modern Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh. 
     
  • It included Ayodhya, a city associated with the Ramayana.
     
  • Kosala included the Sakya tribal area of ​​Kapilavastu. 
     
  • Lumbini in Kapilavastu is the birthplace of Buddha. 
     
6 Surasena Mathura Western Uttar Pradesh 
  • This place was a centre for Krishna worship in the time of Megasthenes. 
     
  • It was also known for the followers of the Buddha. 
     
  • Its capital, Mathura, was on the banks of the Yamuna.
7 Panchala Ahichchhatra and Kampilya Western Uttar Pradesh 
  • Its capital for northern Panchala was Ahichchhatra (modern Bareilly) and Kampala (modern Farrukhabad) for the southern regions. 
     
  • The city of Kannauj was in the kingdom of Panchala. 
     
  • The type of government changed from a monarchy to a republic.
8 Kuru                             Indraprastha Meerut and Southeastern Haryana
  • The area around Kurukshetra was the site for Kuru Mahajanapada.
     
  • It was a republic form of governance.
     
  •  The Mahabharata, tells about the conflict between two branches of the reigning Kuru clan.
9 Matsya Viratanagara      Jaipur 
  • The region lies to the west of the Panchalas and to the south of the Kurus.
     
  • Areas covered are the Jaipur, Alwar and Bharatpur areas of Rajasthan.
10 Chedi Sothivati Bundelkhand region 
  • It was mentioned in the Rigveda.
     
  • The famous King – Shishupala. He was killed by Vasudeva Krishna during the Rajasuya sacrifice of the Pandava king Yudhishthira.
11 Avanti Ujjayini Malwa and Madhya Pradesh 
  •  It was significant in the rise of Buddhism
12 Gandhara  Taxila Rawalpindi 
  • It got mentioned in the Atharva Veda.
     
  • The people were highly trained in the art of war.
     
  • It was significant for international trade.
13 Kamboja Poonch Rajouri and Hajra (Kashmir), NWFP (Pakistan) 
  • It is situated in present-day Kashmir and Hindukush.
     
  • It was a republic.
     
  • It had an excellent breed of horses.
14 Asmaka or Assaka  Potali  Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and banks of Godavari
  • This was the only Mahajanapada lying south of the Vindhya range. 
     
  • This also includes the areas of Pratisthan or Paithan in Maharashtra.
15 Vajji Vaishali Bihar
  • It included eight clans, the most powerful of which were the Lichchhavis (capital – Vaishali), Videhans (capital – Mithila) and Jnatrikas (based in Kundapura). 
     
  • It was non-monarchial state 
     
  • It got flourished during the time of Buddha and Mahavira.
16 Malla Kusinara Deoria and Uttar Pradesh 
  • It got references in the Buddhist and Jain texts and also in the Mahabharata. 
     
  • It was a republic state. 
     
  • The region touched the northern border of Vajji State. 
     
  • Capitals have a significant place in the history of Buddhism. The Buddha ate his last meal in Pava and went to Mahaparinirvana in Kusinara.

Political Structure of the Mahajanapadas

The Mahajanapadas were a group of ancient kingdoms in India during the Iron Age, which lasted from around 600 BCE to 300 BCE. This period was significant for the socio-political and cultural transformations that took place in the Indian subcontinent. The term “Mahajanapada” literally means “great realm” or “great country”.

There were sixteen Mahajanapadas, and each had its own distinct political structure and system of governance. However, there were some commonalities in their political structures:

  1. Monarchies and Republics: The Mahajanapadas were either monarchies or oligarchic republics. The monarchies were ruled by kings who often claimed divine right or lineage from a god. In contrast, the republics, such as the Vajji (or Vrijji) confederation, were governed by a group of elected officials and had a more democratic form of government.
  2. Centralized Administration: In the monarchies, the king was at the center of the administration. He was assisted by a council of ministers and officials who helped him in the governance of the state. The administrative structure often included various departments such as revenue, military, and justice.
  3. Military Organization: The Mahajanapadas had organized armies for defense and expansion purposes. The presence of a standing army was one of the significant features of these states. Chariots, cavalry, infantry, and elephants were common components of these armies.
  4. Legal System: There was a well-defined legal system with laws and a judiciary to enforce them. Justice was administered in the king’s name, and there were various levels of courts.
  5. Economic System: The economy of the Mahajanapadas was primarily agrarian, but trade and commerce were also important. Taxes and tributes were a major source of revenue for the states.
  6. Urbanization: This period saw significant urban development. Many of the Mahajanapadas had capital cities that were centers of political power, trade, and culture.

The sixteen Mahajanapadas were Kasi, Kosala, Anga, Magadha, Vajji, Malla, Chedi, Vatsa, Kuru, Panchala, Matsya, Surasena, Assaka, Avanti, Gandhara, and Kamboja. Among these, Magadha emerged as the most powerful and eventually formed the basis of the Maurya Empire under Chandragupta Maurya.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 16 Mahajanapadas and its capital?

Mahajanapada Capital
Kuru Indraprastha
Panchala Ahichhatra, Kampilya
Kosala Sravasti
Malla Kusinara, Pava
Vrijji Vaishali
Anga Champa
Magadha Rajagriha, later Pataliputra
Kashi Varanasi
Chetiya Suktimati
Avanti Ujjaini, Mahishmati
Assaka Potali
Matsya Viratanagari
Shurasena Mathura
Kamboja Rajapura
Gandhara Taxila, Pushkalavati
Vatsa Kaushambi

Which state emerged as the strongest among all the 16 Mahajanapadas?

Magadha emerged as the strongest and most powerful mahajanapada. It was a monarchical mahajanapada. The first important and powerful ruler of Magadha was Bimbisara, who ruled in the second half of 6th century BCE.

What is the origin of the Mahajanapadas?

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.



Last Updated : 30 Jan, 2024
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