Maharashtra Board Class 6 History Chapter 6 Janapadas and Mahajanapadas PDF Download

6. Janapadas And Mahajanapadas

6.1 Janapadas

The period from about 1000 BC to 600 BC is considered to be the post-Vedic period. It is in this period that the janapadas came into existence.

Janapadas were the many small States that spread from today's Afghanistan which is to the northwest of the Indian subcontinent to Bengal and Odisha in the east and to Maharashtra in the south.

The janapada called Ashmak occupied a part of today's Maharashtra. The names of these janapadas can be found in Sanskrit, Pali and Ardhamagadhi literature. One can also find information about them in the writings of Greek historians. Some of the janapadas were monarchies, while others were republics.

Some janapadas had a gana-parishad of senior citizens. Members of the gana-parishad came together for discussions and made decisions regarding administrative issues. The place where these discussions took place was known as the santhagar. Gautam Buddha hailed from the Shakya Republic. Every janapada had its own coinage.

Teacher's Note

Janapadas were like small kingdoms long ago. Just like each village in India has a village head, each janapada had its own leader and rules.

Exam Trick

Remember: Janapada = Jana (people) + Pada (place). So it is a place where people lived together under one rule. Think of it like a modern district.

Points to Remember

Janapadas existed from 1000 BC to 600 BC.
They spread from Afghanistan to Bengal and Maharashtra.
Some janapadas were ruled by kings, others were republics.
Each janapada had its own money and coinage.
Gana-parishad was a group of senior citizens who made decisions.

6.2 Mahajanapadas

Some janapadas gradually became stronger and expanded their geographical boundaries. Such janapadas came to be known as mahajanapadas. From the literature of that period, it is clear that up to the sixth century BCE, sixteen mahajanapadas had acquired special importance. Kosala, Vatsa, Avanti and Magadha among them became more powerful.

Kosala

The Kosala mahajanapada was located in the foothills of the Himalayas in the region of Uttar Pradesh and Nepal.

The famous cities of Kosala were Shravasti, Kushavati and Saket.

Shravasti was the capital of Kosala.

Gautama Buddha had lived in the famous vihara Jetvan at Shravasti for a long time.

The Kosala king Prasenjit was a contemporary of the Buddha and Vardhaman Mahavir.

Later, the State of Kosala merged with Magadha.

Vatsa

The mahajanapada Vatsa was located in the region around Prayag, that is Allahabad, in Uttar Pradesh.

Kosam, the capital of Vatsa, was the ancient city of Kaushambi.

It was an important centre for trade.

Three extremely rich merchants of Kaushambi had built three viharas for Gautama Buddha and his followers.

King Udayana was a contemporary of Gautama Buddha.

After king Udayana, the State of Vatsa could not maintain its independent existence for long. The king of Avanti mahajanapada conquered the State.

Avanti

The ancient kingdom of Avanti was located in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh.

Ujjayani (Ujjain) was its capital.

The city was an important trade centre.

The king of Avanti, Pradyot, was a contemporary of Gautama Buddha and Vardhaman Mahavir.

During the reign of King Nandivardhan, the State of Avanti was merged into the Magadha Empire.

Magadha

The ancient mahajanapada of Magadha was spread through the regions of Gaya, Patna in Bihar and some regions in Bengal.

The capital of Magadha was Rajgriha (Rajgir).

King Bimbisara's palace was built by the architect Mahagovind.

Jeevaka, the famous physician, was at the court of Bimbisara.

Bimbisara had become a follower of Gautama Buddha.

Teacher's Note

Mahajanapadas were bigger and more powerful than janapadas. Think of it like smaller towns joining together to make a big city with more power and control.

Exam Trick

Remember the four main mahajanapadas: Kosala, Vatsa, Avanti, and Magadha. You can remember them by the first letters: K-V-A-M (like KVA-M).

Points to Remember

Sixteen mahajanapadas became important by the sixth century BCE.
Kosala was in north India near the Himalayas.
Vatsa was near Allahabad and was a trade center.
Avanti was in Madhya Pradesh with capital at Ujjain.
Magadha was in Bihar and later became the most powerful.

6.3 Rise Of The Magadha Empire

Ajat shatru, the son of Bimbisara, continued with the policy of expansion of the Magadha Empire. He successfully conquered many republics of the east. The kingdom of Magadha prospered during the reign of Ajatshatru. He had become a follower of Gautama Buddha. After the Mahaparinirvana of Gautama Buddha, it was during his reign that the first Buddhist Council or Sangiti was held at Rajgriha.

The foundation for the new capital Pataligram of Magadha was laid during Ajatshatru's period. Later, it became famous as Pataliputra. Pataliputra was probably in the vicinity of today's Patna city.

A noteworthy successor of Ajatshatru was the Magadha king Shishunag. He annexed the kingdoms of Avanti, Kosala and Vatsa to Magadha. Nearly the entire region of northern India came under the control of Magadha. That was how the Magadha Empire took shape.

The Nanda Kings Of Magadha

The Nandas ruled the Magadha Empire between 364 BCE and 324 BCE. They had set up a good administrative system necessary to run the huge empire. They had a huge four-column army of infantry, cavalry, chariots and elephants. The Nandas also introduced the system of standard weights and measures.

King Dhananand was the last king of the Nanda dynasty. By this time, the Magadha Empire had extended up to the Punjab in the west. However, during Dhananand's reign, the ambitious youth Chandragupta Maurya won Pataliputra, ended the Nanda regime and laid the foundation of the Maurya Empire.

In the next chapter, we will read about the foreign invasions on the western and northwestern frontiers of India during the rise of the Maurya Empire. Also, we will read about the Maurya Empire in greater detail.

Teacher's Note

Magadha became the strongest empire by conquering smaller kingdoms around it. It's like how a big company buys smaller companies to become even bigger and more powerful.

Exam Trick

Remember: Ajatshatru started Magadha's growth, Shishunag made it big, and the Nandas made it strong with army and rules. Then Chandragupta Maurya changed everything.

Points to Remember

Ajatshatru expanded Magadha by conquering eastern republics.
Pataliputra was the new capital, near today's Patna city.
Shishunag added Avanti, Kosala and Vatsa to Magadha.
The Nandas ruled from 364 BCE to 324 BCE and made a strong army.
Chandragupta Maurya ended the Nanda rule and started the Maurya Empire.

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