With the widespread use of iron and a change in the method of production and organization of production from the 6th century B.C. onwards, there emerged large territorial states, mostly situated north of the Vindhyas and extending from the northwest frontier to Bihar. India was divided into sixteen States as 'Mahajanapadas' just before the rise of Buddhism in India. A list of these States is given in the Buddhist text (the Anguttara Nikaya). These sixteen States and their capitals were the following:
1. Anga - Champa
2. Magadha - Rajgir, Pataliputra
3. Kasi - Varanasi
4. Kosala - Sravasti
5. Vajji - Vaishali
6. Malla - Kushinagar, Pawa
7. Chedi - Sothivatinagar or Suktimati
8. Vamsa or - Kausambi Vatsa
9. Kuru - Asandivant (Hastinapur)
10. Panchala - Ahicchatra (Uttar), Kampilya (Dakshina)
11. Matsya - Viratnagar (Bairat)
12. Surasena - Mathura
13. Assake - Patana or Potali or Poudanva
14. Avanti - Mahismati, Ujjain
15. Gandhara - Taxila
16. Kambhoja - Rajapura or Rajaori
During the lifetime of Buddha all the above-mentioned sixteen States were reduced to only four. These four important kingdoms were those of Vatsa, Avanti, 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.
Of all the States Magadha forged ahead as the most powerful and prominent State in North India from the 6th century to the 4th century B.C.. Three different dynasties ruled Magadha till it was finally incorporated by Mauryas. Reconstruct a new socio-religious order. Confucious in China, Zoroaster in Iran and Permanides in Greece brought about social and religious awakening. In India, numerous religious sects arose in the middle Gangetic plains in the 6th century B.C. We hear of as many as 62 religious sects. Of these sects Jainism and Buddhism were the most important, and they emerged as the most potent religious reform movements.
1. Anga - Its capital was the bank of river Champa Which formed the boundary between a in the east and Magadha. It was one of the most flourishing cities. 'Digha Nikaya' refers to it as one of six principal cities of India. Bimbisara conquered it and merged it in Magadha.
2. Kashi - It was wealthy and prosperous kingdom. Its capital was Varanasi which is one of the foremost cities of India. The Jatakas aks of a long rivalry between Koshi and Kosala. It was an important State which was conquered by Kosala sometime before Buddha.
3. Kosala - It comprised the State of Oudh. The kingdom was divided into North and South, evidently by the river Sarayu. Sravasti was the capital of Northern Kosala and Kusavati, the capital of Southern Kosala. Its king Presenajit, a contemporary of Buddha, figures as one of the most important rulers of the time.
4. Vajji - It was a confederacy which consisted of eight or nine clans of which the Lichchhavis, the Videhans, the Jnatrikas and the Vajjis were most prominent. During the life time of lord Buddha it was an independent state but later on it was conquered by Ajatshatru and merged it in Magadha.
5. Malla - The kingdom of Mallas consisted of nine territories, one of each of the nine confederate clans. At the time of the rise of Buddhism two of these confederate clans were prominent, one with its headquarters at Kushinara and the other with Pava as its chief town. The river Kakustha formed the boundaries between the two territories. The Mallas lost their independence not long after Buddha's death and their dominion were annexed to the Magadhan empire.
6. Cheti or Chedi - It was situated in the Modern Bundelkhand and its near areas. Its capital was Suktimati and Shishupal was once its king. The chedis were one of the most ancient tribes of India.
7. 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 viz 'Svapnavasavadattam' of Bhasa and 'Priyadarshika' and 'Ratnavali' of Harsha. He conquered Kalinga.
8. Kuril - It comprised of the neighbouring areas of the present Delhi and Meerut regions. According to the Jatakas, the capital of Kurus was Indraprastha near modern Delhi. According to Jaina Sutras, Isukara was the king of Kuru kingdom. Initially a monarchy, it had become a republic in the time of Lord Buddha but later on declined.
9. Panchala - The kingdom roughly corresponds to the modern Badaun, Farrukhabad and the adjoining districts of Uttar Pradesh. The kingdom was divided into two parts. The Northern Panchala had its capital at Ahichchhatra while Southern Panchala had its capital at Kampilya. King Chulani Brahmadatta was an important ruler of the Panchalas.
10. Matsya - It roughly corresponds to the modern territory of Jaipur. The capital of kingdom was Viratanagara which was named after his founder king Virata. The Matsyas had no political importance of their own during the time of Buddha. According to the Mahabharata it was conquered by the king of chedi but later on merged in Magadha.
11. Surasena - It was situated at the south-east of Matsya State with its capital at Mathura. The capital was also known at the time of Megasthenes as the centre of Krishna worship. Later on the kingdom became an integral part of the Magadhan empire.
12. Avanti - It was an important kingdom of western India. The kingdom was divided into two parts. The capital of Northern Avanti was 'Ujjain' whereas 'Mahishmati' was the capital of Southern Avanti. Its king Pradyota or Chand Pradyota was a contemporary of Lord Buddha. He was followed by the four kings who ruled for 24, 50, 21 and 20 years respectively. The last ruler Nandi Vardhana was defeated by Shishunaga and Avanti was incorporated with the growing kingdom of Magadha.
13. Gandhara - It included the modern district of Peshawar and Rawalpindi. It also comprised of Taxila, Kashmir and NorthWestern areas. Taxila was the capital of Gandhara which was both a centre of trade and an ancient seat of learning. King Pushkar Sarin was a contemporary of king Bindusara of Magadha who waged the war against king Pradyota of Avanti.
14. 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.
15. Asavaka - It was originally a kingdom based in the basin of Sindhu. The kingdom is placed in the North-West in the 'Markandeya Purana' and the 'Brihatsamhita'. Its capital was 'Potali' corresponding to Paudanya of Mahabharata. At the time of Buddha the ruler of Ashoka was a king whose son was Prince Sujata.
16. Magadha - Of all the kingdoms that flourished 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 Ajatashatru who one-by-one conquered all the neighbouring states and extended/their empires.
Comments
Post a Comment