16 Mahajanapadas

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Anga

• Reference found in the Mahabharata and Atharva Veda
• Bimbisara taken over Anga

Magadha

• Magadha was semi-Brahmanical habitation.
• Magadha and Anga was divided by river Champa.
• Later it became a center of Jainism and Buddhist

Kasi

• It got its name from rivers Varuna and Asi according to Matsya Purana.

• Dhritarashtra once ruled over Kashi and Anga

Vatsa

• Vatsa is also known as Vamsa
• Ruler Udayana made Buddhism a state religion.

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Kosala

• Ayodhya was an important town in Kosala.
• It was merged in the Magadha by the Magadha ruler, Ajatashatru.
• Kosala also included the tribal republican territory of Sakyas of Kapilvastu.

Saurasena

• This place was a center of Krishna worship at the time of Megasthenes.

• The most famous ruler was Avantiputra.

Panchala

• Later the nature of governance shifted from monarchy to republic.

• Kanauj was an important town in this kingdom

Kuru

• The area around Kurukshetra was apparently the site for Kuru Mahajanapada.
• It moved to a republic form of governance.

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Matsya

• It got its independence from the Chedi kingdom (ruled by King Sahaja) under the leadership of Virat Raja.

Chedi

• This was cited in the Rigveda
• It located in the present day Bundelkhand region.

Avanti

• Avanti was significant in relation to the rise of Buddhism.

• It was the most vulnerable of all the mahajanapadas and was ruled by many kingdoms

Gandhara

• Gandhara are cited in the Atharva Veda
• It was significant for international commercial activities.

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Kamboja

• It is situated in present day Kashmir and Hindukush.
• Several literary sources mention that Kamboja was a republic.

Ashmaka or Assaka

• Brahamdatta was its most important ruler.

Vajji

• Vajji was the seat of a united republic of eight smaller kingdoms of which Lichchavis, Janatriks and Videhas were also members. 

Malla

• Religion was Buddhism

• Malla was a republic

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Taxila University

• Taxila University is the oldest university and was probably the first organized educational center of ancient India.
• It is not clear who actually founded this university, although it was funded by almost all the great kingsand rulers of the ancient past.
• It was a center of learning for logic, religion, medicine, mathematics, astrology, the Vedas, warfare and primitive science
• Taxila was the capital of the Gandhara Kingdom, allowed students from all parts of India to be enrolled and education was free for all.
• Only Chandalas were not allowed to study in this university.
• Scholars like Nagarjuna, Panini, Chanakya, Prasanajit, Jeevka (son of Bimbisara) all came to thisplace to study before they became important personalities in Indian history.
• Alexander taken some scholars from Taxila to Greece.
• In BC, the Hun ruler, Toramana, attacked and demolished the university campus.
• During that time, most of the records were burnt or destroyed.