CHAPTER 3 - THE MAHAJANAPADA

MAHAJANAPADA

Roughly 600 - 325 BC Period is known as the time of Mahajanapadas. It was the time, when 16 powerful kingdoms basically known as Mahajanapadas came to exist.

Sources:

• Anguttara Nikaya of Suttapitaka (Theravada Bhuddhisim - 2nd division of Tripitaka)
• महावास्तु, 
• bhagabati-sutta (भगवती सूत्र) (Jainism)

16 Mahajanapadas & their Capitals

1. Gandhar (between Kabul & Rawalpindi): Taxila
2. Kamboja (Hazara district of Pakistan): Rajapur/Hataka
3. Anga (between Bhagalpur & Mugher in Bihar) - Champa
4. Magadha (Patna & Gaya) - Giveaj, Rajgriha, Pataliputra, Vaisali
5. Kasi (Varanasi): Varanasi
6. Vajji (Vaishali): Vaishali (Lichhavi was part of it)
7. Malla(South of Vaishali): Kushinagar, Pava
8. Chedi (near Ken river, Bundelkhand): Shuktimati
9. Vatsa (Allhabad, mirzapur): Kaushumbhi
10. Koshala (eastern U.P.): Saravasti
11. Kuru (Ganga-yamuna doab, delhi-merrut region) - Hastinapur, Indraprastha 
12. Panchala (Ganga-Yamuna doab): Kampilya
13. Matsya (Jaipur-Bharatpur-alawar district) - Viratnagar
14. Surasena (Mathura): Mathura
15. Asmaka (near Godavari, Maharashtra): Patna/Pataliputra
16. Avanti (Malwa): Mahismati, Ujjain

Names

Raja: King

Senapati: General of army

Bhandagarika: Treasurer