Mahajanapadas

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According to Buddhist literature (Angutara Nikaya, Mahavastu) and Jain literature (Bhagavati Sutta),
there are 16 Mahajanapadas or great kingdoms at the beginning of the 6th century BC in India.
There were two types of states-Monarchical and Non-monarchical/Republican.
Monarchical States:
Anga, Magadha, Kashi, Kosala, Vatsa, Chedi, Shursena, Matsya, Avanti & Gandhara.

Republican States:
Vajji, Malla, Kuru, Panchal, Kamboja, Shakya(Kapilvastu), Koliyas(Ramgrama), Moriya (Pipplivana).
They emerged during the Vedic Age. Socio-economic developments chiefly due to the use of iron
tools in agriculture and military, along with religious and political developments led to the rise of the
Mahajanapadas from small kingdoms or Janapadas.

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The Sixteen Mahajanapadas:

1. Magadha:
Present Location: Patna, Gaya and Nalandadistricts, Bihar.

The first capital was Girivraj/Rajagriha/Rajgir at the time of Bimbisara,

Vaishali at the time of Shishunaga, and the later capital was Pataliputra at the time of Udayin &
Kalashok.

Important rulers: Bimbisara, Ajatashatru

2. Anga:
Present Location: Munger and Bhagalpur, Bihar.
The capital was Champa. It was a prosperous business center.

3. Malla:
Present Location: Deoria, Basti, Gorakhpur region, UP.
The capital was Kushinagar. It was the seat of many other smaller kingdoms.
Their main religion was Buddhism.
4. Vatsa:

Present Location: Allahabad and Mirzapur, UP.

The capital was Kaushambi.
The most important ruler of this kingdom was King Udayan.
5. Kashi:
Present Location: Varanasi, UP.

The capital was Varanasi. Though many battles were fought against the Kosala kingdom, eventually
Kashi was merged with the Kosala kingdom.

6. Kosala:
Present Location: Ayodhya, UP.
Though its capital was Shravasti which is identical with Sahet – Mahet but Ayodhya was an important
town in Kosala. Kosala also included the tribal Republican territory of Sakyas of Kapilvastu.

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Important rulers: Prasenjit

7. Vajji:
Present Location: Muzaffarpur and Vaishali, Bihar.

Vajji was the seat of a united republic of eight smaller kingdoms of which Lichchavis, Janatriks, and
Videhas were also members.

8. Kuru:
Present Location: Thaneswar, Haryana, and Delhi.
The capital city was Indraprastha (Modern Delhi).
9. Panchala:
Present Location: Ruhelkhand, Western Uttar Pradesh.

Its capital was at Kampilya. (North Panchal – Ahichhatra & South Panchal - Kampilya), Earlier a mon-
arch state, it later became an independent republic. Kannauj was an important town in this kingdom.
10. Matsya:
Present Location: Alwar, Bharatpur and Jaipur, Rajasthan
Its capital was Virat nagar.
11. Ashmaka:

Present Location: Between Narmada and Godavari, Maharashtra (South India).

Its capital was at Potana/Patana and Braham data was its most important ruler.
12. Gandhara:
Present Location: The western part of Pakistan & Afghanistan
Its capital Taxila was important as a trade and education center (Ancient Taxila university) during the
later Vedic age.
13. Kamboj:

Present Location: Hazara dist of Pakistan, North - East Kashmir

Its capital was Rajapur/Hataka. Hazara was an important trade and commerce center of this kingdom.
14. Avanti:
Present Location: Malwa, MP
Avanti was divided into two parts north and south. The northern part had its capital at Ujjayini and
the southern part had its capital at Mahishmati.

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Important ruler: Pradyota

15. Chedi:
Present Location: Bundelkhand, UP

Shakti Mati/Sotthivati was the capital of Chedi. Chedi kingdom was spread between Yamuna and
Narmada rivers. One of the families from this kingdom later merged into the Kalinga kingdom from
this royal family.

16. Shurasena:
Present Location: Brajmandal, UP
Its capital was at Mathura and its most famous ruler was Avantiputra.