The Great

16
Mahajanapada

By :Dhruvik K.
Patel

09Bal153
1st Sem.
Index :Sr.
No.

Subject

1 Introduction
2 Disappearances
Economic And Political
3 Organisation
4 Mahajanapadas
5 Kasi
6 Kosala
7 Anga
8 Magadha
9 Vajji
10 Malla
11 chedi
12 Vatsa
13 Kuru
14 Panchala
15 Matsya
16 Surasena
17 Assaka
18 Avanti
19 Gandhara
20 Kamboja
21 Conclusion
22 References

Introduction :The political structure of the ancient Indians appears to have started with
semi-nomadic tribal units called Jana (meaning subjects). Early Vedic texts
speak of several Janas, or tribes, of Aryans, organized as semi-nomadic tribal
states, fighting among themselves and with other non-Aryan tribes for cattle,
sheep and green pastures. These early Vedic Janas later coalesced into the
Janapadas of the Epic Age.
The term "Janapada" literally means the foothold of a tribe. The fact that
Janapada is derived from Jana suggests the taking of land by a Jana tribe for
a settled way of life. This process of settlement on land had completed its final
stage prior to the times of Buddha and Panini. The Pre-Buddhist north-west
region of the Indian sub-continent was divided into several Janapadas
demarcated from each other by boundaries. In the Panini grammar, Janapada
stands for country and Janapadin for its citizenry. Each Janapada was named
after the Kshatriya tribe (or Kshatriya Jana) who had settled there.
Tribal identity was more significant than geographical location in defining the
territory of a Janapada, and the sparsity of the population made specific
boundary lines unimportant. Often rivers formed the boundaries of two
neighboring kingdoms, as was the case between the northern and southern
Panchala and between the western (Pandava's Kingdom) and eastern
(Kaurava's Kingdom) Kuru. Sometimes, large forests, which were larger than
the kingdoms themselves, formed boundaries, such as the Naimisha Forest
between Panchala and Kosala kingdoms. Mountain ranges like Himalaya,
Vindhya and Sahya also formed boundaries.

Disappearance :In a struggle for supremacy that followed in the sixth/fifth century B.C., the
growing state of Magadha emerged as the most predominant power in ancient
India, annexing several of the Janapadas of the Majjhimadesa. A bitter line in
the Brahmin Puranas laments that Magadhan emperor Mahapadma Nanda
exterminated all Kshatriyas, none worthy of the name Kshatrya being left
thereafter. This obviously refers to the Kasis, Kosalas, Kurus, Panchalas,
Vatsyas and other neo-Vedic tribes of the east Panjab of whom nothing was
ever heard except in the legend and poetry.
According to Buddhist texts, the first 14 of the Mahajanapadas belong to
Majjhimadesa (Mid India) while the Kambojans and Gandharans belong to
Uttarapatha or the north-west division of Jambudvipa. These last two never
came into direct contact with the Magadhan state until the rise of the Maurya
Empire in 321 B.C.E. They remained relatively isolated but were invaded by
the Achaemenids of Persia during the reign of Cyrus (558-530 B.C.E.) or in
the first year of Darius. Kamboja and Gandhara formed the twentieth and
richest strapy of Achaemenid Empire. Cyrus I is said to have destroyed the
famous Kamboja city called Kapisi (modern Begram) in Paropamisade
(Paropamisus Greek for Hindu Kush). In 327 B.C.E. the Greeks under
Alexander of Macedon overran the Punjab, but withdrew after two years,
creating an opportunity for Chandragupta Maurya to step in.

Economic and political organization :The development of a stable Agricultural society led to concepts of private
property and land revenue, and to new forms of political and economic
organization. Commerce among the Janapadas expanded through the Ganges
Valley, and powerful urban trading centers emerged. Craftsmen and traders
established guilds (shrem) and a system of banking and lending, issuing script
and minting coins, of which the earliest were silver-bent bars and silver and
copper punch-marked coins.
Many Janapadas were republics (ghana-sangas), either single tribes or a
confederacy of tribes, governed by a general assembly (parishad) and a
council of elders representing powerful kshatriya families (clans). One of the
elders was elected as a chief (raja or pan) or "king consul," to preside over the
assembly. Monarchies came to embody the concept of hereditary ascension to
the throne and the association of the king with a divine status, accompanied by
elaborate ceremonies and sacrifices.
Some kingdoms possessed a main city that served as a capital, where the
palace of the ruler was situated. In each village and town, taxes were collected
by the officers appointed by the ruler in return for protection from the attacks
of other rulers and robber tribes, as well as from invading foreign nomadic
tribes. The ruler also enforced law and order in his kingdom by punishing the
guilty.
The republics provided a climate in which unorthodox views were tolerated,
and new schools of thought such as Buddhism and Jainism emerged and
spread. These challenged the orthodox Vedic social order and the exclusivity
of the caste system, emphasizing equality and a rational approach to social
relations. This approach appealed to the wealthy as well as the poor because it
allowed for social mobility, and royal patronage supported missionaries who
spread Buddhism over India and abroad. By the third century B.C.E. Jainism
had already reached many parts of India.
The Mahajanapadas of the late Vedic (from about 700 B.C.E.) are the
historical context of the Sanskrit epics, such as The Mahabharata and The
Ramayana as well as Puranic literature (the itihasa). Most of the historical
details about the Mahajanapadas are culled from this literature. Buddhist and
Jaina texts refer to the Mahajanapadas only casually and give no historical
details about them

Mahajanapadas :Buddhist and other texts make incidental references to 16 great nations
(Solasa Mahajanapadas) which were in existence before the time of Buddha,
but do not give any connected history except in the case of Magadha. In
several passages, the ancient Buddhist text Anguttara Nikaya, gives a list of 16
great nations:
1) Kasi (East Bihar)
2) Kosala (South Bihar)
3) Anga (Banaras)
4) Magadha (oudh)
5) Vajji (or Vriji) ( North Bihar)
6) Malla (Gorkhpur District )
7) Chedi (Between Jumna & Narmada )
8) Vatsa (or Vamsa) (Allahabad Region)
9) Kuru (Delhi & Meerut District)
10) Panchal (Bareilly)
11) Matsya (Machcha) (Jaipur)
12) Surasena (Mathura)
13) Assaka (On the Godavari)
14) Avanti (in Malva)
15) Gandhara (Rawalpindi District)
16) Kamboja (South West Kashmir)
Another Buddhist text written in Pali, Digha Nikaya ("Collection of Long
Discourses"), mentions only first 12 Mahajanapadas in this list and omits the
last four.Chulla-Niddesa, another ancient text of the Buddhist canon, adds
Kalinga to the list and substitutes Yona for Gandhara, thus listing the Kamboja
and the Yona as the only Mahajanapadas from Uttarapatha.

Those who drew up these lists of Janapada lists were clearly more concerned
with tribal groups than geographical boundaries, since the lists include names
of the dynasties or tribes and not of the countries. The Buddhist and Jaina
texts refer to the Mahajanapadas only casually and give no historical details
about them. The following isolated facts are gleaned from these and other
ancient texts containing references to these ancient nations.

Kasi
Location :The Kasis were Aryan people who had settled in the region around Varanasi
(formerly called Banaras). The capital of Kasi was at Varanasi, which took its
name from the rivers Varuna and Asi which made up its north and south
boundaries.

History :Before the time of Buddha, Kasi was the most powerful of the 15
Mahajanapadas. Several Jatakas (folktales about the previous incarnations of
Buddha) bear witness to the superiority of its capital over other cities of India
and speaks high of its prosperity and opulence. The Jatakas speak of long
rivalry of Kasi with Kosala, Anga and Magadha. A struggle for supremacy
went on among them for a time. King Brihadratha of Kasi had conquered
Kosala, but Kasi was later incorporated into Kosala by King Kansa during
Buddha's time. The Kasis along with the Kosalas and Videhans are mentioned
in Vedic texts and appear to have been closely allied peoples. Matsya Purana
and Alberuni read Kasi as Kausika and Kaushaka respectively; all other
ancient texts read Kasi.

Kosala
Location :The country of Kosalas was located to the north-west of Magadha with its
capital at Savatthi (Sravasti). It was located about 70 miles to north-west of
Gorakhpur and comprised territory corresponding to the modern Awadh (or
Oudh) in Uttar Pradesh. It had river Ganga for its southern, river Gandhak for
its eastern and the Himalaya mountains for its northern boundaries.

History :In the Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Puranas the ruling family of the Kosala
kingdom was descended from king Ikshvaku. The Puranas give lists of kings of
the Aikhsvaka dynasty (the dynasty founded by Ikshvaku) from Ikshvaku to
Presenajit (Pasenadi). A Buddhist text, the Majjhima Nikaya ("Middle-length
Discourses") mentions Buddha as a Kosalan and Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara
of Jainism taught in Kosala. In the time of king Mahakosala, Kashi was an
integral part of the kingdom. Mahakosala was succeeded by his son Pasenadi
(Prasenajit), a follower of Buddha. During Pasenadis absence from the capital,
his minister Digha Charayana raised his son Vidudabha to the throne. There was
a struggle for supremacy between king Pasenadi (Prasenjit) and king Ajatasatru
of Magadha which was finally settled once the confederation of Lichchavis
became aligned with Magadha. Kosala was ultimately merged into Magadha in
the fourth century B.C. during the reign of Vidudabha. The chief cities of Kosala
were Ayodhya, Saketa, Benares and Sravasti. The ruins of the city walls of
Shravasti, the capital of the Kosala kingdom.

Anga
Location :Based on Mahabharata evidence, the country of Anga roughly corresponded to
the region of Bhagalpur and Monghyr in Bihar and parts of Bengal. The River
Champa formed the boundary between the Magadha in the west and Anga in
the east; Anga was bounded by river Koshi (Ganga) on the north.

History :The first reference to the Angas is found in the Atharva-Veda where they are
mentioned along with the Magadhas, Gandharis and the Mujavats, all
apparently as a despised people. The Jaina Prajnapana ranks Angas and
Vangas in the first group of Aryan peoples.. According to the Mahabharata,
Duryodhana had named Karna the King of Anga. Sabhaparava of
Mahabharata mentions Anga and Vanga as forming one country..Champa
was a great center of trade and commerce and its merchants regularly sailed to
distant Suvarnabhumi. Other important cities of Anga were said to be
Assapura and Bhadrika.
It indicates that Anga had initially succeeded in annexing the Magadhas, and
that its borders extended to the kingdom of Matsya. This success of Angas did
not last long. About the middle of the sixth century B.C., Bimbisara, the
crown prince of Magadha, had killed Brahmadatta, the last independent king
of Anga, and seized Champa. Bimbisara made it his headquarters and ruled
over it as his father's Viceroy. Anga then became an integral part of the
expanding Magadha empire.

Magadha
Location :The kingdom of Magadha roughly corresponds to the modern districts of
Patna and Gaya in southern Bihar, and parts of Bengal in east. It was bounded
on the north by the river Ganga, on the east by the river Champa, on the south
by the Vindhya Mountain and on the west by the river Sona. During the
Buddhas time and onward, it boundaries included Anga.

History :The first reference to the Magadhas occurs in the Atharva-Veda where they are
found listed along with the Angas, Gandharis and the Mujavats as a despised
people. The bards of Magadha are spoken of in early Vedic literature in terms
of contempt. The Vedic dislike of the Magadhas in early times was due to the
fact that the Magadhas were not yet wholly Brahmanised.
Based on Jain and Buddhist text appears that Magadha was ruled by the
iunga dynasty for some 200 years. According to the Mahabharata and the
Puranas, the earliest ruling dynasty of Magadha was founded by king
Brihadratha, but Magadha came into prominence only under king Bimbisara
and his son Ajatasatru. The kingdom of Magadha finally emerged victorious
in the war of supremacy which went on for a long time among the nations of
Majjhimadesa, and became a predominant empire in mid-India.Magadha was
also the origin of two of India's greatest empires, the Maurya Empire and
Gupta Empire, which are considered the ancient Indian "Golden Age" because
of the advances that were made in science, mathematics, astronomy, religion,
and philosophy. Later on, Pataliputra became the capital of Magadha.

Vajji (or Vriji)

Location :The territory of the Vajji was located on the north of the Ganga River and
extended up to the Terai region of Nepal. On the west, the Gandak River was
probably the boundary between it and the Malla, and possibly also separated it
from the Kosala. On the east, its territory probably extended up to the forests
along the banks of the rivers, Koshi and Mahananda. Vaishali (modern Basarh
in Vaishali District of North Bihar), a prosperous town located 25 miles north
of river Ganga and 38 miles from Rajagriha, was the capital of Licchhavis and
the political headquarters of powerful Varijian confederacy

History :The Vajjians or Virijis included eight or nine confederated clans (atthakula) of
whom the Licchhavis, the Videhans, the Jnatrikas and the Vajjis were the most
important. Mithila (modern Janakpur in district of Tirhut) was the capital of
Videha which became an important center of political and cultural activities in
northern India. Videha came into prominence during the reign of King Janaka.
Around 600 B.C. the Licchhavis were disciples of Lord Mahavira, but later
they became followers of Buddha, and Buddha is said to have visited the
Licchavis on many occasions. The Licchhavis were closely related by
marriage to the Magadhas and one branch of Lichhavis dynasty ruled Nepal
until start of the Middle Ages, but have nothing to do with current ruling shah
dynasty in Nepal. The Licchavis are represented as (Vratya) Kshatriyas in
Manusmriti. Vaishali, the headquarters of the powerful Vajji republic and the
capital of Lichchavis, was defeated by king Ajatasatru of Magadha.

The Vajji Sangha (union of Vajji), which consisted of several janapadas,

gramas (villages), and gosthas (groups), was administered by a Vajji gana
parishad (people's council of Vajji). Eminent people called gana mukhyas
were chosen from each khanda (district) to act as representatives on the
council. The chairman of the council was called Ganapramukh (head of the
democracy), but was often addressed as the king, though his post was not
dynastic. Other executives included a Mahabaladhrikrit (equivalent to the
minister of internal security), binishchayamatya (chief justice), and
dandadhikrit (other justices).

Malla :Location :Their tribe was supposed to be quite powerful and they lived somewhere
towards the Eastern India.The Mallas were republican people with their
dominion consisting of nine territories (Kalpa Sutra; Nirayavali Sutra), one for
each of the nine confederated clans. Two of these confederationsone with
Kuinra (modern Kasia near Gorakhpur) as its capital, second with Pava
(modern Padrauna, 12 miles from Kasia) as the capital, had become very
important at the time of Buddha. Kuinra and Pava are very important in the
history of Buddhism since Buddha took his last meal and was taken ill at Pava
and breathed his last at Kusinara. The Jain founder Mahvra died at Pava.

History :Malla was named after the ruling clan of the same name. The Mahabharata
mentions the territory as the Mallarashtra (Malla state). The Mallas are
frequently mentioned in Buddhist and Jain works. They were a powerful clan
of Eastern India. Panduputra Bhimasena is said to have conquered the chief of
the Mallas in course of his expedition through Eastern India. The Malla
mahajanapada was situated north of Magadha and divided into two main parts
with the river Kakuttha (present day Kuku) as the dividing line.
The Mallas, like the Lichchhavis, are mentioned by Manusmriti as Vratya
Kshatriyas. They are called Vasishthas (Vasetthas) in the Mahapparnibbana
Suttanta. The Mallas originally had a monarchical form of government but
later they became a Samgha (republic) whose members called themselves
rajas. The Mallas were a brave and warlike people, and many of them
followed Jainism and Buddhism. The Mallas appeared to have formed an

alliance with Lichchhavis for self defense, but lost their independence not
long after Buddha's death and were annexed to the Magadhan empire.

Chedi ( or Cheti)
Location :There were two different settlements of the Chedis, also known as Cheti. One
was in the mountainous regions of Nepal while the other was located near
River Yamuna. The southern boundaries of Chedi went till the banks of River
Narmada. The Chedis are mentioned in Rig Veda, which is regarded as the
oldest scripture..

History :The Chedis were an ancient peoples of India and are mentioned in the
Rigveda. Prominent Chedis during the Kurukshetra War included
Damaghosha, Shishupala, Dhrishtaketu, Suketu, Sarabha, Bhima's wife,
Nakula's wife Karenumati, and Dhristaketu's sons. Other famous Chedis
included King Uparichara Vasu, his children, King Suvahu, and King Sahaja.
A branch of Chedis founded a royal dynasty in the kingdom of Kalinga
according to the Hathigumpha Inscription of Kharvela.

Vatsa (or Vamsa) :Location :The Vatsas, Vamsas or Vachchas (also known as Batsa, or Bansa) are said to
be an offshoot from the Kurus. Vatsa's geographical location was near the
confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers, corresponding with the territory
of modern Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh. Its capital was Kaumb, (identified
with the modern village of Kosam, 38 miles from Allahabad).

History :-
Kausambi was a prosperous city and the residence of a large number of
wealthy merchants resided. It served as an exchange post for goods and
passengers from the north-west and south.The Puranas state that the Vatsa
kingdom was named after a Ka king, Vatsa. The Ramayana and the
Mahabharata attribute the credit of founding its capital Kaumb to a Chedi
prince Kua or Kumba. Later, the Vatsa kingdom was annexed by the Avanti
kingdom. Maniprabha, the great-grandson of Pradyota ruled at Kaumb as a
prince of Avanti.
Vatsa had a monarchical form of government based at Kausambi. The Buddha
visited Koushambi several times during the reign of Udayana on his effort to
spread the dharma, the Eightfold Path and the Four Noble Truths. Udayana
was an Upasaka (lay follower) of Buddha, and made Buddhism the state
religion. The Chinese translation of the Buddhist canonical text Ekottara

gama ("Numbered Discourses") states that the first image of Buddha, curved
out of sandalwood was made under the instruction of Udayana.

Kuru
Location :The country of the Kurus roughly corresponded to the modern Thaneswer,
union territory of Delhi and Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh. The rivers
Aruna, Ashumati, Hiranvati, Apaya, Kausiki, Sarasvati and Drishadvati or
Rakshi washed the lands of Kurus.

History :The Puranas trace the origin of Kurus from the Puru-Bharata family.
According to Buddhist text Sumangavilasini, the people of Kururashtra (the
Kurus) came from the Uttarakuru. Vayu Purana attests that Kuru, son of
Samvarsana of the Puru lineage, was the eponymous ancestor of the Kurus
and the founder of Kururashtra (Kuru Janapada) in Kurukshetra. According to
Jatakas, the capital of Kurus was Indraprastha (Indapatta) near modern Delhi,
which extended for seven leagues.The Kurus of Buddhist period did not
occupy the same position as they had in the Vedic period but continued to
enjoy their ancient reputation for deep wisdom and sound health. The Kurus
had matrimonial relations with Yadavas, the Bhojas and the Panchalas.
Though a well known monarchical people in earlier period, the Kurus are
known to have switched to republic form of government during sixth/fifth
century B.C.

Panchala
Location :The Panchalas occupied the country to the east of the Kurus between the
upper Himalayas and the river Ganga. Panchala roughly corresponded to
modern Budaun, Farrukhabad and the adjoining districts of Uttar Pradesh. The
country was divided into Uttara-Panchala and Dakshina-Panchala. The
northern Panchala had its capital at Adhichhatra or Chhatravati (modern
Ramnagar in the Bareilly District), while southern Panchala had it capital at
Kampilya or Kampil in Farrukhabad District. The famous city of Kanyakubja
or Kanauj was situated in the kingdom of Panchala.

History :Originally a monarchical clan, the Panchals appear to have switched to

republican corporation in the sixth and fifth century B.C. Fourth century B.C.
Kautiliya's Arthashastra (4th century B.C.) attests to the Panchalas following
the Rajashabdopajivin (king consul) constitution.
Panchala had been the second "urban" center of Vedic civilization, as its focus
moved east from the Punjab, after the early Iron Age. The Shaunaka and
Taittiriya Vedic schools were located in the area of Panchala.In the Indian
Hindu epic Mahabharata, Draupadi (wife of the five Pandava brothers) was
the princess of Panchala; Panchali was her other name.

Matsya (or Machcha)

Location :It lay to south of the kingdom of Kurus and west of the Yamuna which
separated it from the kingdom of Panchalas. It roughly corresponded to former
state of Jaipur in Rajasthan, and included the whole of Alwar with portions of
Bharatpur. The capital of Matsya was at Viratanagara (modern Bairat) which
is said to have been named after its founder king Virata.

History :Matsya or Machcha (Sanskrit for fish), classically called the Mese . In Pli
literature, the Matsya tribe is usually associated with the Surasena. The
western Matsya was the hill tract on the north bank of Chambal. A branch of
Matsya is also found in later days in Visakhapatnam region.
The Matsya Kingdom was founded by a fishing community. The political
importance of Matsya had dwindled by the time of Buddha. King Sujata ruled
over both the Chedis and Matsyas thus showing that Matsya once formed a
part of Chedi kingdom. King Virata, a Matsya king, founded the kingdom of
Virata. The epic Mahabharata refers to as many as six other Matsya kingdoms.

Surasena
Location :Surasenas lay to the southwest of Matsya and west of Yamuna, around the
modern Brajabhumi. Its capital was Madhura or Mathura.

History :Avantiputra, the king of Surasena, was the first among the chief disciples of
Buddha through whose help, Buddhism gained ground in Mathura country.
The Andhakas and Vrishnis of Mathura/Surasena are referred to in the
Ashtadhyayi of Panini. Surasena was the sacred land of Lord Krishna in
which he was born, raised, and ruled. Kautiliya's Arthashastra relates that the
Vrishnis, Andhakas and other allied tribes of the Yadavas formed a Samgha
and Vasudeva (Krishna) is described as the Samgha-mukhya. According to
Megasthenes, people of this place worshipped the shepherd God Herakles,
which according to many scholars was due to a misconception while others
see in it connotations of Scythic origin of Yadus.The Surasena kingdom lost
its independence when it was annexed by the Magadhan empire.

Assaka (or Ashmaka)

Location :Assaka, also known as Ashmaka was a kingdom that was located in the south
of India. During the time of Buddha, this tribe was located on the banks of
river Godavari. The capital city of Assaka was known as Potana. It was
situated in central India and extended till southern India. It is estimated that
Assaka was situated roughly at the place where modern day Maharashtra is
located

History:Assaka (or Ashmaka) was located on the Dakshinapatha or southern high

road, outside the pale of Madhyadesa. In Buddha's time, Assaka was located
on the banks of the Godavari river and was the only mahajanapada south of
Vindhya mountains. The capital of Assaka was Potana or Potali which
corresponds to Paudanya of Mahabharata, and now lies in the Nandura Tehsil.
The Ashmakas are also mentioned by Panini and placed in the north-west in
the Markendeya Purana and the Brhat Samhita. The River Godavari separated
the country of Assakas from that of the Mulakas (or Alakas). The
commentator of Kautiliya's Arthashastra identifies Ashmaka with
Maharashtra. At one time, Assaka included Mulaka and their country abutted
with Avanti.

Avanti
Location :Avanti was divided into north and south by the river Vetravati.The country of
Avanti roughly corresponded to modern Malwa, Nimar and adjoining parts of
the Madhya Pradesh.

History :Avanti was an important kingdom of western India and was one of the four
great monarchies in India when Buddhism arose, the other three being Kosala,
Vatsa and Magadha. Initially, Mahissati (Sanskrit Mahishamati) was the
capital of Southern Avanti, and Ujjaini (Sanskrit Ujjayini) the capital of
northern Avanti, but in the times of Mahavira and Buddha, Ujjaini was the
capital of integrated Avanti. Both Mahishmati and Ujjaini were located on the
southern high road called Dakshinapatha extending from Rajagriha to
Pratishthana (modern Paithan). Avanti was an important center of Buddhism
and some of the leading theras and theris were born and resided there. Avanti
later became part of the Magadhan empire when King Nandivardhana of
Avanti was defeated by king Shishunaga of Magadha.

Gandhara
Location :Gandharas were settled from Vedic times along the south bank of river Kubha
(Kabol or Kabul River) up to its mouth at the Indus River. Later the
Gandharas crossed the Indus and expanded into parts of north-west Panjab.

History :Coin of Early Gandhara Janapada: a rare silver AR Shatamana (bent bar) and
1/8 Shatamana (round), The wool of Gandharis is referred to in the Rigveda.
According to Puranic traditions, this Janapada was founded by Gandhara, son
of Aruddha, a descendant of Yayati. The princes of this Ghandara are said to
have come from the line of Druhyu who was a famous king of Rigvedic
period. The river Indus watered the lands of Gandhara. Taksashila and
Pushkalavati, the two cities of Ghandara, are said to have been named after
Taksa and Pushkara, the two sons of Bharata, a prince of Ayodhya. According
to Vayu Purana, the Gandharas were destroyed by Pramiti (Kalika), at the end
of Kaliyuga. According to Gandhara Jataka, at one time, Gandhara formed a
part of the kingdom of Kashmir. Jataka also gives another name Chandahara
for Gandhara.

Gandhara Mahajanapada of Buddhist traditions included territories in east

Afghanistan, and north-west of the Panjab (modern districts of Peshawar
(Purushapura) and Rawalpindi). Gandhara was a center of international
commercial activities. It was an important channel of communication with
ancient Iran and Central Asia. According to Dr T. L. Shah, the Gandhara and
Kamboja were nothing but two provinces of one empire and were located
coterminously hence influencing each others language .

Kamboja
Location :Ancient Kamboja is known to have comprised regions on either side of the
Hindukush. The original Kamboja was a neighbor of Bahlika located in
eastern Oxus country, but over time some clans of Kambojas appear to have
crossed Hindukush and planted colonies on its southern side. The capital of
Kamboja was probably Rajapura (modern Rajori) in south-west of Kashmir.

History :Kambojas are also included in the the Uttarapatha division of Puranic and
Buddhistic traditions. In ancient literature, the Kamboja is variously
associated with the Gandhara, Darada and the Bahlika (Bactria). These latter
Kambojas are associated with the Daradas and Gandharas in Indian literature
and also find mention in the Edicts of Ashoka. The Kamboja Mahajanapada
of the Buddhist traditions refers to this cis-Hindukush branch of ancient
Kamboja

The trans-Hindukush branch of the Kambojas remained pure Iranian but a

large section of the Kambojas of cis-Hindukush appears to have come under
Indian cultural influence. The Kambojas are known to have had both Iranian
as well as Indian affinities. There is evidence that the Kambojas used a
republican form of government from Epic times. The Mahabharata refers to
several Ganah (or Republics) of the Kamboja . Kautiliya's Arthashastra and
Ashoka's Edict No. XIII also states that the Kambojas followed a republican
constitution. Though Panini's Sutras portray the Kamboja of Panini as a
Kshatriya Monarchy, the special rule and the exceptional form of derivative
he gives to denote the ruler of the Kambojas implies that the king of Kamboja
was only a titular head (king consul).

Conclusion :From the above all the information we can say that during the ancient time we
have a very well developed city. At the time of mahajanapadas people started
identifying by States name and people felt proud of that. We found that in all
this state there is a Governance working system. This governance was ruined
by either Monarchies or Oligarchies. The entire system of governance was
decentralized that in such a manner Mahajanapadas -> Janapadas -> Gramya.
In all this mahajanapadas all that common was the road, they have very well
road of 90 angle. Another thing in that all this state were usually connected
with Cultural with each other. One great thing in all the mahajanapadas is that
all the state were very good in the commercial transaction. This the so called
the great 16 mahajanapadas which have uncountable values.

References :Books :1) Majumdar R. C. 2006 An advanced history of India (Pg. 53- 57)
2) Mahajan V. D. 2006 Ancient India (Pg. 211-212)

Links :
1) http//www.history-of-india.com
2) http//www.wikipedia.com