There are many towns and countries in ancient India that have a huge impact in our history and are very close to our location of residence but are still unknown to us. Find out where they are and what their historical importance is.
Large countries were known as Mahajanapadas in the sixth century BC and under them there are agricultural settlements known as Janapadas. Kashi was the most strong state of the moment and its capital is Varanasi. Kashi had appeared in the moment of the Buddha as the major textile manufacturer.
Koshala was bordered on the west by the Gomati River, on the south by the Sarpika or Syandika(Sai), on the east by the Sadanira(Gandak) that divided it from Videha, and on the north by the hills of Nepal.
The river Champa divided Anga on the north of Magadha from it. It includes the contemporary districts of Munger and Bhagalpur. Its capital Champa (not the river) was renowned for its riches and trade.
The kingdom of Magadha lay between Anga and Vatsa, corresponding to the contemporary districts of Patna and Gaya. The Buddha's friends and disciples were Bimbisara and Ajatashatru. Gaya was the location of the enlightenment of the Buddha and Rajagriha was one of his favorite haunts. Rajagriha, also known as Girivraja, was the capital of Magadha.
North of the Ganga lay the vajjji land, stretching as far as the mountains of Nepal. It is said that the Vajji state was a confederation of eight clans (atthakula), the most significant of which were the Videhans, the Lichchhavis, the Jnatrikas and the Vrijjis.
The non-monarchical Mallas territory was split into two sections, each with its own capital. The two capital cities were Kushinara (identified with Kasia in the district of Gorakhpur) and Pava, potentially identical to Pawapuri in the district of Patna.
The Chedis kingdom corresponded approximately to the eastern parts of Bundelkhand and neighboring regions, and the Buddhist birth stories contain their king lists. The Kingdom of Shurasena had its capital in Mathura.
Kuru, Panchala and Matsya have been the three tribal politics whose existence can be traced back to the previous period. The kurus settled in the Delhi-Meerut region and associated with the Panchalas; the Buddha is said to have visited their trade center. A branch of the Panchalas had a capital in Kampilla, perhaps contemporary Kampil in the district of Farrukhabad. There is not much data accessible about the Matsyas, traditionally connected with the contemporary Rajasthan region of Jaipur-Bharatpur-Alwar; it was better suited for cattle rearing.
The farthest away from Magadha were Kamboja nad Gandhara. The first lay in Afghanistan; the second, with Taxila as its leading town, extended up to the Kabul valley. The Assakas (Ashmakas) territory was located on the banks of the Godavari River close Maharashtra's contemporary Paithan.
The state of Avanti was located in central Malwa and the adjacent regions of Madhya Pradesh. Divided into two parts, its southern capital was Mahishmati and its northern Ujjain, which became more essential of both. The capital of Vatsa lay 64 km on the bank of the Yamuna, forming Allahabad at Kaushambi(modern Kosam). A significant trade path linked Kaushambi and Ujjain, and they have benefited from North-Indian trade.
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India History