Mahajanapadas and the rise of Magadha

Mahajanapadas are not that important from the UPSC point of view. But while we read this, we never know which piece of information can be used for a proper elimination technique. The article would focus on concepts and readings only from the various government exam perspectives, including remembering the chronology and significant events.

Mahanjanpada’s period started from 600 BCE, and is known as the coming of the second wave of urbanization, the first being Indus Valley Civilization. As the political and economic center shifted from North-West to the Eastern region of present day Bihar, the changes became more and more apparent.

Use of iron specifically, and a learning from the past years of urban settlement helped group large territorial formations called the Mahajanapadas. Majorly, we know about 16 Mahajanapadas, according to the Buddhist Text – Anguttara Nikaya.

Listed are some important Mahajanpadas

Mahajanapada	Capital	Things to remember
Anga	Champa	Located in South Ganga, in the state of Bihar. It was an important trade center for traders moving to South-East Asia.
Vajji	Vaishali	It was an important Mahajanpada located in North Bihar. It was a republic state. Some of the important clans from the Vajji Mahajanapada include – Lichchavis, Videhans, Jnatrikas, etc.
Malla	Kushinagar and Pava	A republic state, it is in Malla that Buddha is believed to have taken his last meal, before entering the phase of Mahaparinirvana at Kushinagar.
Kashi	Varanasi	Still continues to be an important ritual and religious place in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Magadha	Rajgir	The Haryanka Dynasty ruled Magadha initially.
Koshala	Shravasti	Present day Ayodhya in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, it was ruled by King Prasenjit, who was a contemporary of Buddha. It also included tribal republics like the Shakyas, with their capital at Kapilvastu.
Chetiya	Shuktimati	Also known as Cheti, located in Central India. Shishupala was the king of Cheti, also mentioned in the Mahabharata.
Panchala	Ahichchhatra (modern day Bareilly)	A place in current Western Uttar Pradesh.
Kuru	Indraprastha	A place in Western Uttar Pradesh, it is Kuru where the story of conflict in the Kuru clan is mentioned in Mahabharata.
Shurasena	Mathura	A place in Western Uttar Pradesh, it was ruled by king Avantipura, who was the disciple of Buddha
Matsya	Viratanagara	Located in Eastern Rajasthan.
Avanti	North Avanti: UjjainSouth Avanti: Mahishmati	Located in Central Malwa, divided by Vindhya Range
Assaka	Potali (modern Nizamabad, Telangana)	It was situated on the bank of Godavari River. It was the only Mahajanapada lying south of Vindhyas.
Gandhara	Taxila	Located in present day North-west Pakistan. Gandhara is mentioned in the Behistun Inscription of the Achaemenid Emperor Darius. It mentions how Gandhara was conquered by Persians in the second half of the 6th Century BC.

Monarchy and Republics

Two types of government are discovered – Monarchy in Kingdoms, and Republics, also called Gana-Sangha.

For Example –
- Vajji was a confederation of many clans
- Shakya and Malla were single clans.

Difference between Monarchy (Kingdoms) & Gana-Sangha (Republics)

Features	Kingdoms/Monarchy	Gana-Sangha/Republics
Decision-making	Decision making in Kingdoms was done through debates, discussions and voting. Voting was done in an assembly called Santhagara.	Most of the decisions were taken through the King. The king was in turn advised by the clans of ministers, called Mantri-Parishad.
Government	The power was centralized and kings were hereditary.	The power was decentralized. Power wasn’t transferred hereditary. All the authority was with a council, which consisted of the chief of the clan.
Location	Based in the Himalayan foothills.	Most Gana-Sanghas were located in the great plains of Ganga and its tributaries.
Religious System	Kingdoms were tolerant towards Buddhism and Jain views, which were contrary to Vedic system.	Brahmanical systems didn’t tolerate other contrary views.
Loyalties	Loyalty of the general population was towards the clan.	Caste and King loyalty was prevalent.

Rise of Magadha Empire

After constant conflicts between different Mahajanapadas, Magadha emerged the largest empire, with Haryanka being the first dynasty founded by Bimbisara.

Chronology of Magadha Empire

Haryanka Dynasty (560-413 BC)
- Bimbisara (544-492 BC)
- Ajatashatru (492-460 BC)
- Udayabhadra/Udayin (460-444 BC)
Shishunaga Dynasty (413-345 BC)
- Shishunaga
- Followed by Kalasoka
Nanda Dynasty (345-321 BC)
- Mahapadma Nanda
- Followed by Dhananada

Important Kings in Magadha Empire

Bimbisara

Founder of the Magadha Empire
Capital of Magadha was Rajgriha
Bimbisara was contemporary to both Buddha and Mahavira.
He followed the matrimonial alliance policy, where he married the princess of Kosala, Madra clan, and Lichchavi.
He followed the policy of friendship with strong rulers, where he sent Jivika to Avanti King.
He conquered Anga, which was an important trading center.

Ajatshatru

He followed expansionist policies like Bimbisara, using modern machines.
Eg – He used war engines to throw stones like catapults (Mahashilakantaka), and chariot with mace (Rathamusala).
He conquered Vaishali and Varanasi
He also met Buddha, depicted in the Bharhut sculptures.
The first Buddhist Council was held in the reign of Ajatshatru at Rajgir.

Udayin

He founded the new capital at Patliputra.
After Udayin, the Haryanka dynasty started deteriorating.

Shishunaga

During the Magadha period, Shishunaga was a minister or Amatya. He then became the king, founding the Shishunaga dynasty.
He conquered Avanti and made it a part of his kingdom in Magadha.

Kalasoka

During the reign of Kalasoka, the second Buddhist council was held at Vaishali.
Mahapadma Nanda killed him and founded the Nanda dynasty.

Mahapadma Nanda

He was the founder of the first non-Kshatriya dynasty.
He acquired Kalinga and Kosala to Magadha, an information written in the Hathigumpha inscription.
He is known as Ekarat, or the Empire builder.

Dhanananda

The last king, he became unpopular because of various corruption charges against him.
He used to impose regressive taxes on people, which didn’t go well with the common people.
In such a situation, Chandragupta Maurya took advantage and founded the Mauryan Dynasty.
Alexander invaded India during the reign of Dhananda. However, he didn’t cross the Beas River due to the fear of the mighty Nanda army.

Why was Magadha successful?

An advantageous geographical position was one of the main reasons for Magadha’s success.
- Its strategic location provided it proximity to rich deposits of iron. This way, they were able to build new technology weapons.
- A natural fortification was provided to Rajagriha, which was surrounded by five hills.
- Patliputra was at the confluence of Ganga and Son river, which helped it with trade and commerce.
- The rich plains of Ganga helped in agriculture.
Use of elephants at a large scale helped in storming fortresses.
- Magadha’s rivals used horses, which weren’t as advantageous as elephants.
Leadership with kings like Bimbisara, Ajatashatrum and Mahapadma Nanda
The three-pronged policy followed during the time of Bimbisara and its continuation in the times of Ajatshatru.
- Marriage alliance with Licchavi and Madra clan
- Friendship with strong rulers. (Sending Jivika to Avanti king)
- Policy of Expansion, by conquering weak neighbors like Anga.

The Age of Mahajanpadas – Important Aspects

New type of towns emerged

Capital cities (Rajdhani) in the form of Rajagriha, Patliputra.
Big Cities (Mahanagara) in the form of Kaushambi, Kashi, Shravasti.
Pura (Nagara) was a fortified town
Nigama: Market Town
Nagarka: Small Town

Different Administrative System

Parishad was an advisory council of the King. This council consisted exclusively of Brahmanas. Sabha and Samiti disappeared, and Parishad replaced them.
Other Officials:
- Kamikaze were custom officials
- Rajabhatas were deputed to safeguard the life and property of travelers
- Shulk adhyakshas were toll officials.

Legal and Judicial System

Civil and Criminal laws replaced the tribal laws.
Any crime committed by Shudras was taken seriously, and the punishment was harsh.
Retribution was the basis of criminal laws

Condition of Women

The society was patriarchal, and women were treated as subordinate to men.
Women were generally a part of household work

Agriculture

Use of iron ploughshare and assistance from fertile plains helped in agrarian expansion.
Rice, millets, cotton, sugarcane, pulses and barley were the major crops grown.

Exchange system

Niska (gold coins) & Satamana (silver) coins were an early series of punch-marked coins. A few copper coins were also used.

Type of Villages

Vaddhaki-grama: Craft villages
Aramika-grama: Border Villages
Brahmadeyas: granted to Brahmanas

Persian Invasion in India

Kamboja, Madra and Gandhara – three Mahajanapadas in the North-western part of India, were in continuous disagreement and conflict with each other. There was no central authority, like the Magadha in east India. Hence, the political instability in the region helped the Persian empire to penetrate the north-west.

Cyrus

558-530 BC
Belonged to Achaemenid Empire
First conqueror in west India (Gandhara region)

Darius I

522-486 BC
He was the grandson of Cyrus.
Captured Punjab, Indus Valley, and Sindh in 518 BC

Xerxes

465-456 BC
Fought against the Greeks
Included Gandhara army men into his army

What was the impact of Persian Invasion in India?

Indo-Persian trade and commerce increased
Sigloi-type coins, a persian type of coin, started being copied in India
Kharosthi script, a form of Persian writing, became widely popular, especially in North-West India.
Influenced Mauryan art.
- Eg. Bell Shaped capitals and Preambles of Ashokan edicts had Iranian influence.

Macedonian/Greek Invasion in India

Alexander

Alexander defeated the Persian King Darius, thus capturing North-West India. All except Porus submitted to him. Porus fought the Battle of Hydaspes near the Jhelum river. While fighting the battle, Alexander’s army was exhausted and couldn’t cross the Bear river. On his way back to Greece, he died in Babylonia (323 BC).

What was the impact of Alexander’s Invasion to India?

It helped establish a direct connection between India and Greece.
Greek Historians gave major information to the Indian Historical events
Trade between Indian and Greek merchants and craftsmen increased
Alexander’s invasion helped Mauryan expand its might to the north-west
Helped establish Gandhara school of art.

Read Complete Ancient Indian History here.

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