Q. Match the following:
List-I (Mahajanapada) List-II (Capital)
A. Avanti I. Ujjain
B. Koshala II. Shravasti
C. Vatsa III. Kaushambi
D. Anga IV. Champa
Choose the correct answer using the codes given below :
(A) I II III IV
(B) II I IV III
(C) IV III II I
(D) III IV I II
Answer: A
Identify the incorrect statement on the contributions of Jainism:
Consider the following types of pottery:
The below mentioned list of 16 Mahajanapadas arose before the rise of Buddhism in India. Smaller, weak kingdoms and republics were eliminated and replaced by stronger rulers over time. The only 4 powerful kingdoms to remain in the 6th century were Magadha, Avanti, Kosala, and Vatsa.
| Mahajanapadas Name | Mahajanapadas Capital | Current day location | Important Facts |
| Anga | Champa | Bhagalpur and Munger | Located in present-day West Bengal and Bihar, and the capital Champa was located at the junction of the Champa and the Ganga river |
| Asmaka/Asaka | Potali/Podana | Banks of Godavari | Located on the banks of Godavari River, it was the only Mahajanapadas situated south of the Vindhya range in Dakshinapatha |
| Avanti | Ujjaini or Mahismati | Madhya Pradesh and Malwa | Located around present-day Madhya Pradesh and Malwa, these Mahajanapadas held importance during the rise of Buddhism |
| Chedi | Sothivati | Bundelkhand region | Shishupala was the king of Chedi in Rigveda. Lord Krishna assassinated Shishupala during the Rajasuya sacrifice of Yudhishthira |
| Gandhara | Taxila | Rawalpindi | Cited in the Atharva Veda, the Gandhara citizens were highly trained in the art of war. It was a crucial place for global commercial activities |
| Kamboja | Poonch | Rajouri and Hajra (Kashmir), NWFP (Pakistan) | Kamboja Mahajanapadas was a republic according to seven literary sources. Situated in present-day Kashmir and Hindukush, Kamboja had an extraordinary horses breed |
| Kasi/Kashi | Kasi | Banaras | Situated in Varanasi, it got its name from Varuna and Asi rivers. The Mahajanapadas was captured by Kosala |
| Kosala | Shravasti (northern) Kushavati (southern) | Eastern Uttar Pradesh | Situated in modern-day Awadh, the area includes an important city of Ramayana-Ayodhya. It was also the birthplace of Gautam Buddha |
| Kuru | Indraprastha | Meerut and Southeastern Haryana | Situated in the area around Kurukshetra, the holy epic of Mahabharata tells the story of a conflict between two branches of the reigning Kuru clan |
| Magadha | Girivraja/ Rajagriha | Gaya and Patna | Magadha became an epicenter of Jainism. It was cited in the Atharva Veda. The first Buddhist council was conducted in Rajagriha, Magadha’s capital |
| Malla | Kusinara | Deoria and Uttar Pradesh | A republic Mahajanapadas, Malla finds a reference in Jain and Buddhist texts and the Mahabharata. Its capital of Kusinara and Pava is significant in the history of Buddhism, as the Buddha took his last meal at Pava and went to Mahaparinirvana at Kusinara |
| Matsya | Viratanagara | Jaipur | Situated to the west of Panchalas and south of the Kurus, the capital of Matsya was named Viratanagara after its founder Virata |
| Panchala | Ahichchatra and Kampilya | Western Uttar Pradesh | These Mahajanapadas incorporate the famous city of Kannauj. The kingdom of Panchala followed the monarchical form of governance, which later shifted to the republic form |
| Shurasena | Mathura | Western Uttar Pradesh | A major hub of Krishna worships during Megasthenes times. There was a supremacy of Buddha followers here too |
| Vajji | Vaishali | Bihar | These Mahajanapadas included eight clans, the most powerful being the Lichchhavis, Jnatrikas, and Videhans. The great Mahavira belonged to the Jnatrikas clan |
| Vatsa | Kausambi | Allahabad | Also known as Vamsa, these Mahajanapadas followed the monarchical form of governance. It was the centre for economic activities where trade and business prospered in the 6th century |