Mahajanapadas

General

Features

• Total: 16 Mahajanapadas → major states
• Type:
  • Monarchy → single ruler
  • Republic (Gana-Sangha) → multiple rulers

Republic States

• Kuru, Kamboja, Vajji, Malla, Assaka → democratic nature

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Sources / Mention

Literary Sources

• Ashtadhyayi (Panini) → mention of ~40 Janapadas
• Buddhist Texts
  • Anguttara Nikaya → 16 Mahajanapadas
  • Digha Nikaya → 12 Mahajanapadas
• Jain Texts
  • Bhagavati Sutra → reference

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Janapadas (with Capitals)

Eastern India

• Anga → Champa (Munger–Bhagalpur)
• Magadha → Rajgir / Pataliputra (Gaya–Patna)
• Kashi → Varanasi
• Vatsa → Kaushambi (Allahabad)
• Kosala → Shravasti / Ayodhya

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Central / Western India

• Surasena → Mathura
• Panchala → Ahichhatra & Kampilya
• Kuru → Indraprastha
• Matsya → Viratnagar (Jaipur)
• Chedi → Shuktimati (Bundelkhand)
• Avanti → Ujjain / Mahishmati

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North-West / Others

• Gandhara → Taxila (Rawalpindi)
• Kamboja → Poonch (Kashmir region)

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Southern / Eastern Fringe

• Assaka (Asmaka) → Paithan / Pratisthana (Godavari region)
• Vajji → Vaishali
• Malla → Kushinara

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Important Facts

Key Points

• Anga → associated with Karna (Angaraja)
• Varanasi (Kashi) → between Varuna & Assi rivers
• Avanti (Ujjain) → on Kshipra river
• Vajji → confederacy of 8 clans (Lichchhavi, Videha etc.)

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🔥 Memory Tricks

• “16 = 5 East + 6 Central + 3 NW + 2 Others”
• “KVAM” → Kashi, Vatsa, Avanti, Magadha (important states)
• “Republic = Kuru, Vajji, Malla, Kamboja, Assaka”