16 Mahajanapadas: Name, Origin, Types, List of 16 Mahajanapadas-UPSC Notes

What are the 16 Mahajanapadas?

The Mahajanapadas were sixteen great kingdoms that existed in ancient India during the early historical period around the 6th century BCE. The names of the kingdoms were mentioned in Buddhist and Jain texts. These constituted an essential part of the political and cultural development in ancient India. Sixteen Mahajanapadas are listed here:

• Anga: It fell in present-day Bihar and partly in Bengal.
• Magadha: It lay in present-day Bihar.
• Vajji (or Vriji): It lay in the region of Vaishali in modern Bihar.
• Malla: Lying over parts of Uttar Pradesh.
• Chedi or Chetiya: In the hilly area of Bundelkhand in Madhya Pradesh.
• Vatsa or Vamsa: Lying around modern Allahabad (Prayagraj) in Uttar Pradesh.
• Kashi: Lying around Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
• Kosala: Its territory included a part of modern Uttar Pradesh and portions of Nepal; its capital was Ayodhya.
• Kuru: In present-day Haryana and Delhi, Indraprastha and Hastinapura are the major ones.
• Panchala: Lying between the Ganges and Yamuna in modern Uttar Pradesh.
• Matsya: Lying around modern Jaipur in Rajasthan.
• Shurasena: Lying around modern-day Mathura in Uttar Pradesh.
• Assaka or Ashmaka: Lying in modern Maharashtra and part of Telangana.
• Avanti: Lying along the present-day Malwa region in Madhya Pradesh with capital cities at Ujjain and Mahishmati, respectively.
• Gandhara: Falls along the modern-day areas of Pakistan, including the Peshawar and Swat valleys, extending into Afghanistan.
• Kamboja: In the north of Gandhara, extending over present-day Afghanistan and parts of Tajikistan.

The Mahajanapadas were 16 large and powerful kingdoms that emerged in ancient India during the 6th century BCE.

Before the emergence of the Mahajanapadas, India was divided into several small states and tribes. The origin of the Mahajanapadas is linked to the rise of urban centers, agriculture, and the use of iron technology in ancient India. The Mahajanapadas were primarily located in the northern and eastern parts of India. This included the modern-day Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh. The 16 Mahajanapadas were Magadha, Anga, Kashi, Kosala, Avanti, Vatsa, Gandhara, Kamboja, Chedi, Vajji, Malla, Kuru, Panchala, Matsya, Surasena, and Assaka. The Mahajanapadas were known for their rich cultural heritage, military prowess, and economic prosperity.

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Types of Mahajanapadas

Mahajanapadas were of two main types: monarchies and republics (ganatantras). Monarchies ruled by kings included Anga, Avanti, Chedi, Kashi, Kosala, Gandhara, Magadha, Matsya, Surasena, and Vatsa. Republican states, where the government was independent, included Kamboj, Kuru, Koliyas, Malla, Moriya, Shakya, Vajji, Panchal, Licchavi, Bhaggas, Kalamas, Videhas, and Jnatrikas. 

Mahanjanapadas can be classified into two forms of government. They are as follows:

Monarchical Mahajanapadas

In Monarchical Mahajanapadas, the state was ruled by the hereditary King or chieftain. Here, the rulers gave importance to Brahmanas and Vedic sacrifices. In Mahajanapadas such as Kosala and Magadha, a monarchical type of government was followed.

Republican Mahajanapadas

In Republican or oligarchic Mahajanapadas, the King was elected from the group of Rajas who were known for their fighting ability, and he ran the administration with the help of an assembly called Sabha. Here, the Brahmanas and Vedic sacrifices were not given much importance. It is evident from a few Buddhist texts that the Brahmanas were placed below the Kshatriyas in the social hierarchy. In Vajji, the oligarchy form of government was followed. Such Mahajanapadas were known as gana sangha.

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List of 16 Mahajanapadas

There are 16 Mahajanapadas that are mentioned in the Buddist text, Anguttara Nikaya, a part of Sutta Pitaka. The table below discusses each of the 16 Mahajanapadas, including capital cities and modern locations, in detail.

List of 16 Mahajanapadas and their Capitals
Mahajanapadas	Capital of 16 Mahajanapadas	Modern Location	Description
Kosala	Sravasti	Eastern Uttar Pradesh	River Gomathi bounded in the west, river Sadanira in the east, Nepal hills in the north, and River Syandika in the south. Hiranyanabha, Mahakasala Prasenajita, and Suddhodana were some of the rulers of Kosala. During the reign of king Vidudabha, Kosala was merged into Magadha. Ayodhya, Saketa, and Sravasti were important towns.
Magadha	Rajagirha or Girivraja	Gaya and Patna	It was one of the most powerful and prosperous Mahajanapadas. Its capital, Rajagirha, was protected by five hills. It started the policy of imperialism by conquering most of the areas. Magadha was separated from Anga by the river Champa.
Chedi	Sothivati or Banda	Munger and Bhagalpur	It was located at the confluence of river Champa and River Ganga. Its capital, Champa, was one of the six great cities of the 6th century BC, and it was known for its trade and commerce. Anga is mentioned in Atharva Veda and in Prajnapan, which is a highly revered text of Jaina. It was annexed into the Magadha empire by Bimbisara.
Kasi	Varanasi	Banaras	Its capital city, Varanasi, is located at the confluence of rivers Ganga and Gomathi. They were known for their horse markets and cotton textiles. Brihadratha, the ruler of Kashi, conquered Kosala. However, it was later annexed by Kosala, which turned out to be a cause of war between Magadha and Kosala.
Vajji	Vaishali	Bihar	Oligarchy or Republic form of government was followed in Vajji. River Gandak separated Vajji from Kosala Mahajanapada. The Licchavis ruled it. Videhans, Vriji and Jnatrikas, were the important clans that ruled Vajji. Vajji is listed as one of the 16 Mahajanapadas in both Buddhist and Jaina texts.
Malla	Kusinara	Deoria and Uttar Pradesh	Oligarchy or Republic form of government was followed in Malla, and they were referred to as Gana Sanghas. It had several branches, out of which the branches at Pava and Kusinara towns were very significant during the time of Buddha. Buddha died at Kusinara, and Lord Mahavira attained Nirvana at Pava.
Anga	Champa	Bundelkhand	It was a monarchical Mahajanapada. Sahajati and Tripuri were the important towns of Chedi Mahajanapada. Its territory stretched up to the Malwa plateau. It covers the eastern region of present-day Bundelkhand. The chedis were mentioned in Mahabharata and Rig Veda.
Kuru	Indraprastha	Meerut and South East Haryana	Koravya and Isukara were the important rulers of Kuru Mahajanapada, and they belonged to the race of Yudhisthira. They made matrimonial alliances with the Bhojas, the Panchalas, and the Yadavas. The rulers of Kuru were referred to as Rajasabdopajivinah (consul of the King) in Arthashastra. Thus, it is evident that absolute monarchy was absent in Kuru Mahajanapada.
Panchala	Ahichchatra and Kampilya	Western Uttar Pradesh	According to ancient texts, there were two lineages of Panchalas-northern Panchalas and southern Panchalas. The two lineages were divided by the river Bhagirathi. Ahichchatra was the capital of northern Panchalas, whereas Kampilya was the capital of southern Panchalas. Initially, they followed a monarchical form of government and later switched to the republican form.
Vatsa	Kausambi	Allahabad	Vatsas were a branch of Kurus that migrated to Vatsa. The most prominent ruler of Vatsa was Udayana, who had a strong passion for hunting. According to Puranas, Nichaksu (A Pandava descendant) shifted the capital of Vatsa from Hastinapur to Kausambi. It was known for trade and other economic activities.
Matsya	Viratnagar	Jaipur	It included the portions of the Alwar and Bharatpur regions of Rajasthan. Matsya has separated from Panchala by the river Yamuna. Their capital city was famed as the hiding place of Pandavas. It once formed a part of Chedi Mahajanapada, which is evident from the fact that King Sujata ruled over both Matsya and Chedi.
Surasena	Mathura	Mathura	The capital Mathura has located on the bank of the river Yamuna. They followed the Oligarchy or Republic form of government, and they were referred to as Gana Sanghas. Avantiputra, one of the prominent rulers of Surasena, was a chief disciple of Buddha. He ensured the spread of Buddhism in Mathura. It was later annexed into the vast Magadha empire.
Asmaka	Paithan	Bank of Godavari	It was also known as Assaka. It was located in the Dakshinapatha, and it covered the regions of Telangana, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh. Brahmadatta and Aruna were the important rulers of Asmaka.
Avanti	Mahishamati and Ujjain	Malwa and Madhya Pradesh	It was one of the most powerful Mahajanapadas. It was divided into two parts – northern Avanti and southern Avanti. Ujjain was the capital of northern Avanti, and Mahishamati was the capital of southern Avanti. Pradyota was the powerful ruler of Avanti during the 6th century BC. It is believed that he conquered Vatsa. Another famous ruler of Avanti was Prasenajit, who strengthened his position by making matrimonial alliances with Magadha. While marrying his sister Kosala Devi to Bimbisara, he gifted Kasi as the dowry.
Gandhara	Taxila	Rawalpindi	Its capital, Taxila, was an important learning center in ancient India. Its territory extended from Kabul in present-day Afghanistan to Rawalpindi in the North Western Province. It was ruled by king Pukkusati (Pushkarasarin) during the 6th century BC. He was the contemporary of Bimbisara. According to Mahabharata, Gandharas were the strong allies of the Kurus who together fought against the Pandavas Persians conquered it in the later half of the 6th century BC.
Kamboja	Pooncha	Rajori and Hajra	It was located in the Northwest region around the Hindukush mountains in Punjab and Kashmir. In Brahmanical texts, the Kambojas were regarded as uncultured people. The Arthashastra refers to them as Varta-Sastropajivin Samgha, which means the confederation of agriculturists, traders, herdsmen, and warriors.

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Political Structure of Mahajanapadas

Mahajanapadas were republics (Ganas or Sanghas), monarchies, or oligarchies. Most of them were monarchies. The monarchies were ruled by a king who held supreme power and was assisted by a council of ministers. A council of elected representatives governed the republics. The head of the council was the executive head. Oligarchies were ruled by a small group of people who held power over the masses. Each of the Mahajanapadas had a capital city.

The Mahajanapadas had a complex system of administration with various officials holding different positions. The King was responsible for the defense of the kingdom, and the army was the backbone of the state. The Mahajanapadas had a well-organized system of revenue collection. Taxes were collected from different sources. There existed a tax on crops that was 1/6th of the produce, known as Bhaga or share. Even artisans, herders, hunters, and traders were taxed by the rulers.

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Key Takeaways On 16 Mahajanapadas for UPSC Aspirants Formation: Established in 1923 by Motilal Nehru and Chittaranjan Das within the Indian National Congress. Purpose: To contest the elections to the Central Legislative Assembly and provincial legislative councils under the Government of India Act, 1919, and obstruct colonial governance from within. Ideology: Advocated self-rule (Swaraj) and aimed to enter legislative councils to fight for Indian interests and expose inefficiencies in the British administration. Success: Achieved significant success in the 1923 elections, winning numerous seats; their entry into councils was part of a strategy to gain political leverage.

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