16 MAHAJANPADAS l Ancient History l By DS PANDEY SIR

16 MAHAJANPADAS l Ancient History l By DS PANDEY SIR


The Janapadas were the major kingdoms of Vedic India. During that period, Aryans were the most powerful tribes and were called ‘Janas’. This gave rise to the term Janapada where Jana means ‘people’ and Pada means ‘foot’.

By the 6th century BCE, there were approximately 22 different Janapadas. Socio-economic developments chiefly due to the use of iron tools in agriculture and military, along with religious and political developments led to the rise of the Mahajanapadas from small kingdoms or Janapadas. The people gained a strong allegiance to the territory or Janapada they belonged to rather than the tribe or the Jana. This period is also known as the era of second urbanization, the first being the Harappan civilization.

During that period, the political center shifted from the west of the Indo-Gangetic plains to the eastern side of it. This was due to better fertility of the land because of more rainfall and rivers. Also, this region was closer to iron production centers.

The list below provides you with the names of 16 Mahajanapadas:

Kasi
Kosala
Anga
Magadha
Vajji
Malla
Chedi/Cheti
Vatsa
Kuru
Panchala
Matsya
Surasena/Shurasena
Assaka
Avanti
Gandhara
Kamboja