Period of Mahajanapadas | Ancient History of India | Anand Kanitkar

For the first time in Indian history, several territorial political entities known as Mahajanapadas emerged from 600 BC to 300 BC. This period lies between the epoch known mainly from the Vedic literature and the foundation of the Maurya Empire. Cities and city life once again appeared in the subcontinent after the Harappan civilizations declined which had marked the first urbanization in the subcontinent. The period of Mahajanapadas was the period during which greater parts of North India experienced urban life. This period thus marks the second urbanization in Indian history. Let's see more about this period through their origin, sources, geographical distribution, governance, rise of urban centers, and rise of Magadha Empire. Term Janapada literally means an area where a group of people first set its foot. In the context of Mahajanapada, it stands for the populated territory of a state. It suggests a sedentary settlement of people over whom rules a political authority. The prefix Maha conveys the large or the greater size of the territory. Around the 6th century BC, political Janapadas came into existence. Some of these Janapadas soon grew into Mahajanapadas or the great states having Nagaras, Gramas, and Nigamas. During this period, agricultural improvements and availability of agrarian surplus seem to have been the primary factor for the emergence of urban centers while trade played a supportive role. We know about the Mahajanapadas from literary and archaeological sources. Early Buddhist text Anguttara Nikaya mentions the 16 Mahajanapadas. Another Buddhist text Digga Nikaya gives a list of 10 Mahajanapadas. Bhagavati Sutra Ajaina text also gives a list of 16 Mahajanapadas. But here most of the names somewhat differ from the list of Buddhist sources. Most historians prefer to examine the Mahajanapadas as per the Buddhist canonical text given the earlier date of the Buddhist text compared to the other sources. Ashtadhyayi, the grammatical treatise written by Panini also provides us with some data related to the Janapadas. Artifacts and remains found during excavations help us understand the urbanization process of this period. Of archaeological artifacts, the lustrous northern black polished ware NBPW is famous for its technological excellence. It is usually considered deluxe pottery associated with urban life. This was when uninscribed Panchmak coins were used as a medium of exchange in the subcontinent for the first time. The geographical distribution of the Mahajanapadas can be seen from the Malwa plateau to eastern Bihar and from the northwestern frontier of the subcontinent to the Godavari valley. Almost all these territorial polities except for Ashmak Mahajanapada in the Godavari valley were situated in northern India and partly in central India. One can notice the concentration of these Janapadas in the middle Ganga valley. Warfare, truce, matrimonial alliances mark the relationship between these Mahajanapadas. Anga Mahajanapada of Anga people was located to the east of Magadha. Its capital was Champa, identified with Nathasagar locality of Bhagalpur city. From here, the maritime trade with Suvarna that is towards southeast Asia used to take place. Magadha The Magadha Mahajanapada received its name from a tribe called Magadha. Initially Rajagriha was its capital which was later shifted to Pataliputra. Kashi The Mahajanapada of Kashi had its capital at Varanasi. Varanasi is mentioned in early Buddhist texts as a wealthy centre of trade and industry. Kosal Kosal was divided into Uttarkosal and Dakshinakosal by Sarayu river. Shravasti was capital city of Uttarkosal and Kushavati was the capital of Dakshinakosal. Vrijji Vrijji was a gana of several clans with its capital at Vaishali. Among these clans, the Malla Pava was the capital of Mallagana. The mallas of Pava and Kushinara erected stupas over their respective shares of the relics of the Buddha. Chedi Chedi lay in the neighbourhood of the Kuru Mahajanapada. Its capital was Suktimati. Vatsa Vatsa was situated south of Ganga with its capital at Kaushambi. King Udayanath Vatsa had been mentioned in Indian literature. Matsya Matsya is mentioned along with the Shura Senas. Its capital Viratnagar or modern Bairat was named after King Virat. Kuru Kuru is mentioned to have been ruled by the dynasty belonging to Yudhithra Gotra. Indraprastha is mentioned as its capital. Panchal Panchal was divided into Uttar and Dakshin Panchal by the Ganga river. Ahichhatra and Kampilya are mentioned as their capitals. Panchalas are many a time mentioned with Kurus. Shura Sen This Mahajanapada covered the Mathura-Agra region of Uttar Pradesh. Mathura was the capital of the Shura Senas. Ashmak Ashmak was located in the Godavari region. Its capital is mentioned in the Buddhist texts as Potana, Potali or Potanagara. It is identified by some scholars with modern Bodhan. Avanti Avanti was one of the four most important Mahajanapadas at the time of the Buddha, the other three being Magad, Kosal and Vatsa. Ujjain and Mahishmati, identified with modern Maheshwar, are mentioned as the capitals in the Pali texts. Gandhar Gandhar included some parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Kashmir valley within its boundaries. Its capital was Takshashila, identified with modern Takshila. Kamboj Kamboj is mentioned along with Gandhar. It was well known for its horses. Its capital is not known from Buddhist sources. Most of these Mahajanapadas were Rajyas except for the Mallars and Vrijjis who were Ganas, the non-monarchical polities. The monarchical Mahajanapadas maintained a clear differentiation between the ruler and the subject. Raja or the monarch used to control the Mahajanapada along with its economy and military. Gana and Sangha have been defined by scholars as states with the republican or oligarchic constitution. Although there was no single hereditary monarch in the Gana, the power lay in the hands of the council of elites comprising leading Kshatriya families and its head called Ganapati or Ganadyaksha. The leading families of the Gana used to meet once a year and elect their leader for a fixed tenure. The Vinaya Pitaka tells us that the organization of the Buddhist Sangha was based on the rules and regulations from the Gana Sangha of the time of the Buddha. The fertile soil of the middle Ganga plain with its rainfall was the suitable base for settlement of the agrarian community. It also possesses rich mineral deposits and iron ore in the Chhota Nagpur area. The period of Mahajanapadas witnessed improvement in iron technology and an increase in the use of iron. Iron technology improved craft making tools resulting in higher and better craft production. It also contributed to the manufacturing of better weaponry. Using iron ploughshare was better than the wooden plough to turn over the heavy soil in the Ganga valley. This coupled with paddy transplantation must have increased agricultural production. A sizable agrarian surplus was created as demanded by the central political entity in the form of taxes. The concentration of this surplus was essential for the emergence of cities and their social wealth. This agricultural surplus supported the non-food producing people such as full-time craftsmen, merchants, priests, rulers and administrative officers living in the urban center. It also encouraged commercial transactions. Thus, the cities such as Varanasi, Kaushambi, Ahichhatra, Rajagriha, Champa became centers of political control, craft production and trade. Many sites from this period have yielded evidence of terracotta objects, beads, iron objects, NBPW and Panchmak coins marking crafts production, trade and urban life. This is how the scholars have tried to trace the role of agriculture, iron technology, trade and economy which paved the way for the emergence of urban centers during the second urbanization or the period of Mahajanapadas. This period also saw the birth and rise of the Buddha and Mahavira. Magad and the surrounding region was the area where Buddhism and Jainism flourished. We get to know about the kings of early Magadhan dynasties mainly from the Buddhist and Jain literary sources and Puranas. These sources tell us that the rise of Magadha took place under four successive dynasties, the Brahadrathas, Haryankas, Shaisunagas and Nandas. Before the 6th century BC, the Brahadratha dynasty ruled Magad. After the 6th century BC, the Haryanka dynasty started ruling Magad. Bimbisara and Ajatasatru of the Haryanka dynasty were father and son and contemporaries of the Buddha and Mahavira. Bimbisara annexed Kashi and Anga to the Magadhan dominion through matrimonial alliance and warfare. His son Ajatasatru defeated and annexed Kosal and Vrijjigana. King Shishunaga of the Shaisunaga dynasty defeated Avanti. Kings of the Nanda dynasty expanded their territory and created the first known great empire in North India. Political ambitions, availability of mineral sources, agriculture, strong military force and trade were the reasons behind the rise of Magadha from an insignificant Mahajanapada to a more extensive empire. Dhanananda was the last ruler of the Nanda dynasty who was defeated by Chandragupta Maurya. This marked the beginning of the era of the Maurya dynasty in Indian history.