Rise of Mahajanapadas

Introduction

India’s history is appropriately regarded as significant from the sixth to the fourth century BC. We can observe how earlier shifts matured to add a new dimension to political processes that were strongly rooted in people’s changing material lives at the time.

Background

Between these periods, a new sort of society emerged in the Ganga valley as a result of the agrarian environment. This is why historians situate the commencement of Indian his- tory’s early historic period in this phase. 

The rising usage of iron in eastern UP and western Bihar during the time period under review created the circumstances for the emergence of substantial territorial entities. 

People were able to become self-sufficient and stay on their property due to excess provided by the new agricultural equipment and implements. They could now expand at the expense of neighbouring areas, selling surplus goods to the princes for military and administrative objectives. Large states with towns arose as a result.

Factors behind the rise of mahajanapadas:

• The rise of Mahajanapadas has the out- come of the combined effect of a num- ber of political, socio-cultural & economic factors.
• By the 6th century B.C, remarkable prog- ress had taken place in Agriculture, Arts and Crafts, as well as trade and commerce.
• A huge amount of surplus was available in the 6th century B.C 
• Through taxes, the kings could mobilize huge sources to maintain a large army and to look after the needs of the administration.
• With the help of their politico-military strength, large entities could be created & maintained
• The imperialistic outlook.
  • During the later Vedic age, the process of territorial expansion had commenced
  • This tendency of territorial expansion had continued to gain strength
• The greater use of Iron weapons had great- ly strengthened the fighting capacity of ambitious sectors.
• The gradual increase in population was also responsible for the emergence of ma- hajanapadas.

Republics of Ancient Age

• Hereditary rulers controlled certain maha- janapadas, while republican or oligarchical administrations led by people’s represen- tatives or nobles dominated others.
• The non-monarchical clans were ruled by the Vajjis confederacy of eight clans, the most powerful of which were the Lichcha- vis, who ruled from their capital at Vaishali.
• Essential Elements of Politico Administra- tive Systems of Republics are
  • The Head of the state was elected.
  • At times, a collegiate form of govt ad- ministered republics.
  • There used to be a council of advisers. 

It was to act as a legislative body. The important issues were decided through a secret ballot.

• The members of this legislative body were the representatives of the people.
• A council of ministers were also main- tained in republican states. These minis- ters were the highest functionaries who looked after various politico-administra- tive and military responsibilities.

Causes of Failure of Republican States

• The republican states failed to survive. 

There were several reasons behind the fail- ure, like

• The republican states lacked unity of command.
• There were internal differences and  divisions in the council of ministers. They lacked the capability of swift decision making.
• The geographical location of the  Republican states were also important limitations. 

There was a lack of natural resources and fertile soil etc.

• Magadha’s Ascension to Empire/The Indian Subcontinent’s Great First Empire (6th-4th Century BC).
• Magadha became to be the most powerful state of the period, comprising the erstwhile districts of Patna, Gaya, and Shahabad.
• The slow progress that had been going on since the Vedic era culminated in the establishment of the Magadhian empire under the Nandas and Mauryans.

The Reasons Behind the Rise of Magadha- Geographical Location and Economic Strength-

• Alluvial Fertile Plain is available in the region boosting agricultural production.
• A number of perennial rivers were flowing through the Magadha region; as a result of this, water resources were available in plenty.
• The Magadha climate was also suitable for agriculture
• The huge agricultural surplus was available
• The arts & crafts were also in the devel- oped stage because of huge internal & external demand
• The important trade routes of North India passed through the Magadha region. Tam- ralipti (Bengal) is the most important port of the age. This control over the routes of internal & external trade helped in the progress of Magadhian trade & commerce on the one hand & on the other hand; it enabled Magadhian rulers to tax the trade of other Kingdoms.

Military Strength of Magadha:

• Natural protection was available to the Magadha capitals. Rajagraha, the early cap- ital, was surrounded by five hills. It seemed like a natural fortification. Pataliputra, the later capital, was bordered by three rivers (Ganges, Punpun, Son). Jaldurga was the name given to it (water fort).
• The availability of Iron mines in Magadha region (Rajmahal hills) allowed Magadhian rulers to use Iron weapons on a large scale.
• The forest resources were also available
• Elephants found only in the forests of east- ern India enhanced their military strength immensely.

Socio-Cultural Strength:

• Magadha was located outside the pale of holy Aryavarta. As a result, the varna ash- rama dharma system & other Brahmani- cal ideas were yet to be well-entrenched. 

There was a comparatively lesser influence of Brahmanical order in this region.

• In the absence of rigidity of the varnashrama dharma system, the Magadhian rulers could recruit their soldiers from all the varnas.

Role of Magadhian Rulers:

• Magadhian monarchs such as Bimbisara, Ajathashatru, Sishunag, Mahapadmananda, Chandragupta Maurya, and Ashoka all made significant contributions to the growth of the Magadhian empire.

Haryanka dynasty:

Bimbisara’s grandfather founded it around 566 BC, although it is Bimbisara who is credited with its establishment. 

Bimbisara (544 BC- 492 BC)

• He was a contemporary of Buddha and in- vaded Anga (east Bihar) to take control of trade routes to the southern kingdoms. Its capital was Rajgir (Girivaraja).
• Sreniya was another name for him.
• He was the first monarch to have a perma- nent army in history.
• He wanted to create matrimonial partner- ships in order to strengthen his political standing.
• Kosaladevi (Prasenjit’s sister and the daughter of the King of Kosala), Chellana, and Khema (daughter of the king of Modra, Punjab) were his three brides.
• He was devising a strategy for conquest and expansion. The invasion of Anga was Bimbisara’s most noteworthy conquest.
• He’d put in place a system that was both efficient and effective. Three categories of senior officers were formed: executive, military, and judicial.

Ajatashatru (492 BC- 460 BC)

• Ajatshatru, Bimbisara’s son, is suspected 
  of assassinating his father and stealing the 
  kingdom.
• He was the Haryanka dynasty’s most pow- erful and ferocious ruler.
• Kosala was annexed by him (ruled by Prasen- jit). He first had a falling out with his maternal uncle Prasenjit, who was enraged at Bimbis- ara’s treatment. He requested that Ajatasha- tru returns to the Kashi area, which had been given to his mother as a dowry. Ajatashatru refused, and Prasenjit agreed to leave Kashi with Magadha only after a fierce battle.
• He devised military weapons, making him unstoppable in war.
  • He devised a war engine capable of launching stones like catapults (Ma- hashilakantaka).
  • He built a mace-wielding mass-mur- dering chariot (Rathamusala).

Udayin (460-444 BC)

• At the confluence of the Ganga and the Son rivers, he constructed Pataliputra, a new capital.
• Udayin is one of five patricidal successor monarchs; in 413 BC, the people of Magad- ha deposed the last of the five and Shishu- naga, a Viceroy of Benaras, was chosen to the throne.

Shishunaga dynasty

• Shishunaga had previously served in Varana- si (Banaras) as a Viceroy/Amatya (high-rank- ing official), and it is assumed that the peo- ple of Magadha were enraged by Udayin’s successors’ successive parricides.
• According to Sri Lankan history, during Nagadasaka’s reign, the people of Magadha revolted and established Sisunaga, an am- atya (minister), who was crowned king.
• For the time being, he relocated the capital to Vaishali. Shishunaga’s greatest achieve- ment was defeating Avanti (Pradyota Dy- nasty) and incorporating it into Magadha.

Kalasoka

• He was Sisunaga’s child.
• The capital of the Kalasoka was relocated to Pataliputra.
• In Vaishali, he presided over the Second Buddhist Council.
• During the Nanda dynasty’s accession to the throne, he was assassinated.

Nanda dynasty (345 BCE – 321 BCE)

• It is one of the first non-Kshatriya dynas- ties in India.
• The Nandas are credited with establishing India’s first empire. When Mahapadma Nan- da strengthened his dominance by bringing a victory prize from Kalinga, a depiction of the Jina, he erected it. He claimed to be the Ekarat, the one and only monarch who had conquered everything before him.

Mahapadma Nanda

• His forefathers and mothers are unknown. 

He was the son of the last Sisunaga mon- arch and a Sudra lady, according to the Pu- ranas. He was the son of a barber and a prostitute, according to the Jain texts and the Greek writer Curtius.

• His other titles include “Sarva Kashtriyan- taka” (Kshatriya Destroyer) and “Ekrat.” During his rule, the empire expanded. 
• From the Kuru country in the south to the Godavari Valley in the east, and from Magadha to the Narmada in the north, it covered a large area.
• He ruled over a number of nations, includ- ing Kalinga.
• Kosala was bought by him.
• By assigning officials on a regular basis, he ensured that taxes were collected in a sys- tematic manner. He also completed a significant amount of irrigation work.

Dhanananda

• The last of the Nanda rulers, he was the last of the Nanda kings.
• In Greek literature, he is known as Agrammes or Xandrames.
• Alexander invaded North-Western India during his reign, but owing to the refusal of his troops; he was unable to advance towards the Gangetic plains.
• His father had left him a vast fortune. He had 200,000 men, 20,000 cavalries, 3000 elephants, and 2000 chariots on reserve. 

As a result, he ascended to the position of a great monarch.

• According to mythology, he is one of Maha- padma Nanda’s 8 or 9 sons. As a result of his onerous tax collection methods, he lost favour with his countrymen. 
• His anti-Kshatriya position, paired with his Sudra ancestry, earned him a great number of adversaries.
• Chandragupta Maurya and Chanakya even- tually conquered him, establishing the Maurya Empire in Magadha.

Foreign Invasions and Persian Conquests of India

• Northwestern India was cut off from the rest of India around the sixth century BC, and because of its political ties to the Ach- aemenid Empire, it had stronger ties to Persian Civilization.
• In 530 BC, Cyrus (Persia’s Achaemenid rul- er) crossed the Hindukush Mountains to collect tributes from the Kamboja, Gand- hara, and trans-Indus tribes.
• During Buddha’s lifetime, Darius-I (522-486 BC), the powerful Achaemenid emperor of Persia, seized a large portion of Punjab and Sindh. According to the Behistun Inscrip- tion from 519 BC, Gadara (Gandhara) was a teak-sending region. Gandhara is the 20th satrapy or province mentioned by Herodo- tus (the ancient Greek historian and father of history) and one of the most populous and powerful.
• In the years 486-465 BC, the Indian prov- inces supplied mercenaries to the Persian troops against the Greeks.
• Alexander travelled to India to conquer Darius’ kingdom’s easternmost areas and add India to his list of conquests.
• Xerxes sought the assistance of his Indian provinces to raise an army to engage in his Greek conflicts.
• His group included both ‘Gandharians’ and ‘Indians.’ They formerly used reed bows and small spears for close combat, whereas the latter wore cotton and had similar bows and arrows with iron tips. These warriors were the first Indian troops to battle in Europe.
• The Mauryas looked forward to the Per- sian Empire in terms of imperial ambitions. 

The adoption of the Kharosthi script in the North-West, a regional variety of Aramaic written from the right, might be a vestige of Persian influence.

Alexander’s Invasion

• Alexander, son of Philip of Macedonia (Greece), invaded India in 326 BC. Taxila, 
  Punjab (Kingdom of Porus), Gandhara, and several tiny autonomous republics existed during the period in northwestern India. 

Except for Porus, who battled Alexander in the famed Battle of Hydaspes period (on the banks of the Jhelum), all other kings submitted quietly and readily about the same. Ambhi (Omphis), King of Taxila, sur- rendered to Alexander. Alexander restored Porus to power after being impressed by him. Then Alexander defeated Glauganikai, a 37-town tribal republic (Glachukayanaka).

• Alexander’s troops refused to advance any further when he reached Beas, forcing him to retire. He constructed 12 large stone altars on the northern banks of the Beas to mark the farthest point of his march. Alexander spent 19 months in India before dying at Babylon in 323 BC.
• Alexander’s conquest opened up four unique communication channels to Eu- rope, three of which were land-based and one of which was sea-based.
• Gandhara established a cosmopolitan school of art as a result of this cultural interaction, which was characterised by sensual paint- ing and lasted until the Gupta period.

Weakening the petty states also prepared the way for Chandragupta Maurya’s unifica- tion of north India.

• The mission, on the other hand, had the di- rect impact of annihilating tribes that had survived earlier ages.

List of All Mahajanpadas

Anga – Capital: Champa

Magadha – Early Capital: Girivraja or Rajagriha; Later Capital: Pataliputra

Kashi – Capital: Varanasi

Kosala – Capital: Shravasti; Other Important City: Ayodhya

Vajji (also Vriji) – A confederacy of clans, including the Lichchavis; Capital: Vaishali

Malla – A republican state; Capitals: Kusinara and Pava

Chedi (also Chetiya) – Capital: Suktimati or Sotthivatinagara

Vatsa (also Vamsa) – Capital: Kaushambi

Kuru – Capital: Indraprastha

Panchala – Divided into Uttara-Panchala and Dakshina-Panchala; Capitals: Ahichchhatra and Kampilya, respectively

Matsya (also Machcha) – Capital: Viratanagara

Surasena (also Shurasena) – Capital: Mathura

Assaka (also Ashmaka) – Located on the banks of the Godavari River; Capital: Potali or Podana

Avanti – Divided into northern and southern parts; Capitals: Ujjaini and Mahishmati, respectively

Gandhara – Capital: Takshashila (or Taxila)

Kamboja – Often associated with Gandhara; Capital could be Rajapura (near modern Rajouri) or other locations in the Hindukush region

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