STUDY NOTES SPECIALLY FOR SSC - CGL & CPO SIXTEEN MAHAJANAPADAS SIXTEEN MAHAJANAPADAS 12. Surasena - Mathura With the widespread use of iron and a IS. Assake - Patana or Potali or change in the method of production and Poudanva organisation of production from the 6th 14. Avanti - Mahismati, Ujjain century B.C. onwards, there emerged 15. Gandhara - Taxila large territorial states, mostly situated 16. Kambhoja - Rajapura or Rajaori north of the Vindhyas and extending During the lifetime of Buddha all the from the northwest frontier to Bihar. above-mentioned sixteen States were India was divided into sixteen States as reduced to only four. These four important 'Mahajanapadas' just before the rise of kingdoms were those of Vatsa, Avanti, Buddhism in India. A list of these States is Kosala and Magadha. Ultimately in the fourth century BC the Magadha State became all powerful and under the Mauryas all these four States were welded together into one thereby giving rise to the mighty Mauryan empire. VATSA KINGDOM The most famous ruler of this kingdom was Udayana, the contemporary of Buddha. He had strengthened his position by entering into matrimonial alliances with the powerful rulers of Avanti, Magadha and Anga. He is the hero of given in the Buddhist text (the Anguttara many romantic legends, Priyadarshika Nikaya). and Ratnavali - the two dramas of Harsha These sixteen States and their capitals throw a good deal of light on Udayana and were the following: his relation with the kingdom of Anga and 1. Anga - Champa Avanti. The Vatsa kingdom was annexed 2. Magadha - Rajgir, Pataliputra to Avanti during the reign of Palaka, the 3. Kasi - Varanasi son of Pradyota. 4. Kosala - Sravasti KINGDOM OF AVANTI 5. Vajji - Vaishali This kingdom, with its capital at Ujjaini 6. Malla - Kushinagar, Pawa (or modern Ujjain) in Buddha's time was 7. Chedi - Sothivatinagar or ruled by Chanda Pradyota Mahasena. He Suktimati had matrimonial alliance with Udayana, 8. Vamsa or - Kausambi Vatsa the ruler of Vatsa, to whom was married his daughter, Vasavdatta. The Buddhist 9. Kuru - Asandivant texts informed us that even Ajatasatru; the (Hastinapur) mighty ruler of Magadha had to fortify his 10. Panchala - Ahicchatra (Uttar), capital Rajagriha because of the fear of Kampilya (Dakshina) an invasion by Pradyota. The last ruler of 11. Matsya - Viratnagar (Bairat) this dynasty was defeated by Shishunaga Write us : content @mahendras.org www.mahendras.org www.mahendraguru.com myshop.mahendras.org [2] STUDY NOTES SPECIALLY FOR SSC - CGL & CPO and the whole kingdom was annexed to and Permanides in Greece brought the growing kingdom of Magadha in the about social and religious awakening. fourth century B.C. In India, numerous religious sects arose KOSALA MAHAJANAPADA in the middle Gangetic plains in the 6th century B.C. We hear of as many as 62 Another great kingdom that came into religious sects. Of these sects Jainism and prominence in the 6th century B.C. or Buddhism were the most important, and in the life-time of Buddha was Kosala. they emerged as the most potent religious Buddha's contemporary ruler of Kosala reform movements. was Prasenajit, who is counted as one of the Anga - Its capital was the bank of river Champa most important rulers of his time. Sakyas Which formed the boundary between a in of Kapilvastu (to which Buddha himself the east and Magadha. It was one of the belonged) accepted the suzerainty of most flourishing cities. 'Digha Nikaya' Prasenajit. Moreover, Prasenajit's position refers to it as one of six principal cities of had become more important because of India. Bimbisara conquered it and merged his sister's marriage with Bimbisara, the it in Magadha. King of Magadha. Later on this marriage, Kashi- It was wealthy and prosperous kingdom. however, led to a war between Kosala and Its capital was Varanasi which is one of Magadha. the foremost cities of India. The Jatakas MAGADHA EMPIRE aks of a long rivalry between Koshi and Of all the States Magadha forged ahead Kosala. It was an important State which as the most powerful and prominent was conquered by Kosala sometime State in North India from the 6th century before Buddha. to the 4th century B.C.. Three different Kosala - It comprised the State of Oudh. The dynasties ruled Magadha till it was finally kingdom was divided into North and incorporated by Mauryas. South, evidently by the river Reconstruct a new socio-religious order. Sarayu. Sravasti was the capital of Confucious in China, Zoroaster in Iran Northern Kosala and Kusavati, the capital Write us : content @mahendras.org www.mahendras.org www.mahendraguru.com myshop.mahendras.org [3] STUDY NOTES SPECIALLY FOR SSC - CGL & CPO of Southern Kosala. Its king Isukara was the king of Kuru kingdom. Presenajit, a contemporary of Buddha, Initially a monarchy, it had become a figures as one of the most important rulers republic in the time of Lord Buddha but of the time. later on declined. Vajji- It was a confederacy which consisted Panchala- The kingdom roughly corresponds of eight or nine clans of which the to the modern Badaun, Farrukhabad and Lichchhavis, the Videhans, the Jnatrikas the adjoining districts of Uttar Pradesh. and the Vajjis were most prominent. The kingdom was divided into two parts. During the life time of lord Buddha it The Northern Panchala had its capital at was an independent state Ahichchhatra while Southern Panchala but later on it was conquered by Ajatshatru had its capital at Kampilya. King Chulani and merged it in Magadha. Brahmadatta was an important ruler of the Malla- The kingdom of Mallas consisted of Panchalas. nine territories, one of each of the nine Matsya- It roughly corresponds to the modern confederate clans. At the time of the rise territory of Jaipur. The capital of kingdom of Buddhism two of these confederate was Viratanagara which was named after clans were prominent, one with its his founder king Virata. The Matsyas headquarters at Kushinara and the other had no political importance of their own with Pava as its chief town. The river during the time of Buddha. According to Kakustha formed the boundaries between the Mahabharata it was conquered by the the two territories. The Mallas lost their king of chedi but later on merged in independence not long after Buddha's Magadha. death and their dominion were annexed Surasena - It was situated at the south-east of to the Magadhan empire. Matsya State with its capital at Mathura. Cheti or Chedi-It was situated in the Modern The capital was also known at the Bundelkhand and its near areas. Its time of Megasthenes as the centre of capital was Suktimati and Shishupal was once its king. The chedis were one of the most ancient tribes of India. Vatsa- The kingdom was very rich and prosperous and was noted for high quality of its cotton fabrics. Its capital was Kaushambi which is now represented by the village of Kosam on the right bank of the Yamuna. Its most important king was Udayana who was a contemporary of Lord Buddha. He is the hero of three dramas Krishna worship. Later on the kingdom viz 'Svapnavasavadattam' of Bhasa and became an integral part of the 'Priyadarshika' and 'Ratnavali' of Harsha. Magadhan empire. He conquered Kalinga. Avanti- It was an important kingdom of Kuril - It comprised of the neighbouring areas western India. The kingdom was divided of the present Delhi and Meerut regions. into two parts. The capital of Northern According to the Jatakas, Avanti was 'Ujjain' whereas 'Mahishmati' the capital of Kurus was Indraprastha near was the capital of Southern Avanti. Its modern Delhi. According to Jaina Sutras, king Pradyota or Chand Pradyota was a Write us : content @mahendras.org www.mahendras.org www.mahendraguru.com myshop.mahendras.org [4] STUDY NOTES SPECIALLY FOR SSC - CGL & CPO in the sixth century B.C., the kingdom of Magadha was the first to make a successful bid for supremacy and establish its suzerainty. With Raj Grihaas as its capital, this kingdom was situated in the Patna and Gaya district of Bihar. Its political power and prosperity reached its zenith in the reign of Bimbisara and Ajata- shatru who one-by-one conquered all the neighbouring states and extended/their empires. PERSIAN INVASION OF INDIA contemporary of Lord Buddha. He was In the sixth century B.C. Persian King followed by the four kings who ruled for Darius or Dara I (522 - 486 B.C.) tried 24, 50, 21 and 20 years respectively. The to conquer India. He greatly extended last ruler Nandi Vardhana was defeated by his empire all around and then in order Shishunaga and Avanti was incorporated to conquer India. He first sent his admiral with the growing kingdom of Magadha. Skylax to explore the Indus River. Gandhara- It included the modern district When the admiral achieved his aim he of Peshawar and Rawalpindi. It also invited his master, who at once responded comprised of Taxila, Kashmir and North- to his call and invaded the north-western Western areas. Taxila was the capital of India sometime after 518 B.C. and before Gandhara which was both a centre of 486 B.C. He conquered a large territory trade and an ancient seat of learning. King includ-ing the North-West Frontier Pushkar Sarin was a contemporary of king Bindusara of Magadha who waged the war against king Pradyota of Avanti. Kamboja- It roughly occupied the province around Rajouri including the Hazara District of North-West Frontier province and probably extending as far as Kafiristan. According to Rhys David concludes that Dvaraka was the name of the capital of the Kamboja kingdom during he early Buddhist period.