Chapter 6

THE FIRST KINGDOMS

Learning Objectives
Students will acquire knowledge about the
 origin of janapadas and mahajanapadas
 life of the people
 difference between the monarchies and republics
 causes for the rise of Magadha
 administration, agriculture, revenue, society, trade of these kingdoms

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS (600-321 BCE) from their tribes or jana to their janapada, i.e.
The sixth century BCE is regarded as a major the territories to which they belonged. The
turning point in the history of India. It was the Vedic, Jain and Buddhists literature of the 6th
time which saw the emergence of new and century BCE provides the proof of existence of
powerful kingdoms and cities and growth of the sixteen mahajanapadas.
diverse thoughts like Buddhism and Jainism.
Tribal societies called jana began to live a The Mahajanapadas
settled life and practised agriculture. The use
The mahajanapadas were the republics ruled
of iron implements for agriculture resulted in
by kings who used to inherit the throne as
surplus production. It led to increased economic
hereditary, while some of them were democratic
prosperity which in turn instilled in the people
republics and ruled by representatives who were
the desire to expand further. The settlements
nominated by the people, e.g. the Lichchavis
gradually grew in size and came to be known
and the Shakyas. Most of these mahajanapadas
as janapadas. The janapadas that gained more
were located to the north of the Vindhyas.
importance and power came to be called as
During this era, the political history of India
mahajanapadas.
was full of clashes and conflicts for supremacy.
Each of the janapadas comprised several villages,
The Anguttara Nikaya, a Buddhist text lists the
a few towns and cities. People’s loyalty shifted
sixteen mahajanapadas as under:

emergence: something starting to exist | diverse: of different kind | loyalty: faithfulness | inherit: to
Important
receive from family
54 Terms
 Key Question: Which one of the
sixteen Mahajanapadas became
very powerful later?

Monarchies
Most of the mahajanapadas were
monarchies in which the head of the
state was a monarch or a king. He
was a hereditary ruler with the throne
passing from father to son. The king’s
position was made strong because he
had a large army and diverse sources
of revenue, For example, Magadha
and Avanti.

Republics
The republics were ruled by a group
of powerful people elected by the
common people of a republic. Kingship
was not hereditary and all decisions
The Mahajanapadas were taken democratically. Shakyas
and Lichchhavis were the important republics
Mahajanapadas Capitals
of the sixth century BC.
Anga Champa
Vajji with its capital at Vaishali (Bihar) was
Asmaka Potali
a republic. The republic was called gana or
Avanti Ujjain
sangha. In the gana or sangha, there were
Chedi Suktimati many rulers. They were all called Rajas. These
Gandhara Taxila rajas met in assemblies and took all decisions
Kamboja Rajpur through discussion and debate. However,
Kashi Banaras women, dasas and kammakaras could not
Kosala Shravasti participate in these assemblies. Both, Buddha,
the founder of Buddhism, and Mahavira, the
Kuru Indraprastha
founder of Jainism, belonged to these republics.
Magadha Rajgriha Such republics show how from the very ancient
Malla Kushinagar times, a primitive form of democracy prevailed
Matsya Viratnagar in India.
Panchala Ahichatra
Surasena Mathura Difference between Monarchies and Republics
Vajji Vaishali 1. In the monarchies, the kings claimed the
Vatsa Kausambi revenue or tax from the peasants. In the

debate: formal discussion by people having different views

Important
Terms 55
 republic, tax was claimed by the entire strengthened here and Buddhism saw its rise
ruling group. Each member of the ruling in Magadha.
group called himself a Raja and claimed
a share of the revenue. MIGHTY KINGDOM OF MAGADHA
2. In the monarchy, only the king maintained Causes of the Rise of Magadha
a regular army, whereas in a republic every (a) Strategic location: The Ganges and the
raja had his own independent army. Son enriched Magadha and provided a
3. Monarchies were ruled by a single monarch natural barrier against the enemy. Rajgriha,
who was the sole decision-maker whereas the capital, was surrounded by five hills.
republics functioned under the care of The new capital Pataliputra was also
assemblies which were controlled by a flanked by the Ganges, Son and Gandak.
group of powerful people. (b) Mighty and ambitious rulers: Magadha
had a successive line of ruling dynasties.
Rulers were outstanding conquerors,
POWERFUL KINGDOMS
strategists and diplomats.
Out of the sixteen mahajanapadas, only
four emerged as powerful kingdoms. (c) Reservoir of natural resources: The River
They were—Vatsa, Kosala, Avanti and Magadha. Ganga made the land fertile. Iron ore was
used to make weapons.
Out of these four only Magadha became
the supreme kingdom. Magadha
comprises modern- day Patna and Gaya
district.
According to the Puranas, Vatsa was
named after a Kashi king, Vatsa. It was
situated in the Gangetic plain with
Kausambi as its capital. Avanti relates to
present-day Malwa region. It was divided
into two parts by the Vindhyas. Kosala
laid roughly with the region of Awadh.
It emerged as a small state in the Later
Vedic Period. By the 6th and 5th centuries
BC, its cultural and political might made
it a great power.
Magadha had under its influence
modern districts of Patna, Nalanda,
Gaya, Aurangabad and parts of Bengal.
It had a strategic location. Ganges in the
north, River Champa in the east, River
Son in the west and Vindhya Range in
the south bounded the kingdom. Jainism Extent of Magadha Empire

strategic: important | bound: surrounded | barrier: fence | flanked: on either side | successive: following
Important
one another | strategists: persons skilled in planning | diplomats: officials representing a country abroad
56 Terms
(d) International trade: Magadha had Revenue (Taxes)
excellent trade relations with countries To maintain the big state and the large army, the
of South-East Asia which increased its king collected taxes regularly. Taxes were paid by
prosperity. the farmers, artisans (craftsmen) and traders.
(e) Efficient army: Magadha had a vast well Taxes could be paid both in cash and kind.
equipped army which helped in expanding Taxes on crops were the most important
the empire to the distant areas. because farming was the main occupation.
Magadha flourished to a great extent under the Generally, the tax was fixed at about one-
Haryanka dynasty. Some of the important rulers sixth of the total produce. Craftsmen used to
of this dynasty were Bimbisara, Ajatashatru, pay taxes in the form of free labour to the
Udayin etc. king. There were taxes on goods bought and
sold. Pastoral people paid taxes in the form of
Insight: The ancient kingdom of Magadha
is also mentioned in the Ramayana, the animal and animal produce like milk or ghee.
Mahabharata and the Puranas. In Vedic texts, Even hunters and forest dwellers gave forest
it existed much earlier than 600 BCE.
produce as taxes.

LIFE IN THE MAHAJANAPADAS

Trade and Commerce
Administration
Towns developed into the centres of trade
Most of the Mahajanapadas had a capital and commerce. Merchants and artisans lived
which was protected by huge walls of wood, in these towns. The traders and craftsmen
brick or stone built around it. Forts were formed their associations which looked after
built to protect the people from the attack by the interests of the particular groups. These
the enemy kingdoms. The king was advised associations were called shrenis.
by the priest or purohita and assisted by the
ministers or amatyas. In matters of war and Trade and commerce flourished in this period
defence he was assisted by the army commander due to the introduction of money. Metal coins
or senapati. The king maintained large and well made of silver and copper were introduced.
equipped armies. Soldiers were paid regular These are called Punch Marked Coins because
salaries by their kings throughout the year. these metals were punched with images such
as tree, fish, bull, elephant, etc. The introduction
of money-economy led to the growth of trade
Agriculture and commerce.
Majority of population in janapadas and
mahajanapadas practiced agriculture. It was Society
during this time that use of iron ploughshare Social setup remained similar to the later vedic
increased. Now the soil could be easily turned period. Caste system was followed. Women enjoyed
over. Farmers also started transplanting paddy. some liberty and were held in high esteem. The
Earlier, they scattered seeds in the fields. Now, girls were free to choose their husbands.
the saplings were grown and then planted in
big fields. This further increased production. People mostly lived in villages. Marriage within
Dasas and Kammakaras were employed in one’s caste was generally preferred, yet there
transplanting samplings in the fields. was no bar to intercaste marriage.

distant: far off | flourished: developed | pastoral: people who kept and grazed cattle or sheep | dwellers:
Important
people living in a particular place | shrenis: groups of people doing same job
Terms 57
 CASE STUDY (MAGADHA AND VAJJI)

Magadha (Monarchy) kings could get a lot of taxes. They used this
Among the sixteen mahajanapadas, it was money to build up a powerful state and a
Magadha which became the most powerful strong army.
and finally became the first Empire of India. The rulers of Magadha benefitted from the rise
of towns. They made profits out of the growing
Causes of Magadha’s Success trade and commerce and charged taxes on the
Magadha had many capable rulers such as sale of goods, thereby getting wealth to build
Bimbisara, Ajatasatru and Mahapadma Nanda. up a rich state and a strong army.
They used all possible ways like wars and
Thus, by sixth century BC, the Aryans had
conquests and marriage alliances to enlarge
progressed from a nomadic pastoral economy
their kingdom. The first capital of Magadha
of cattle rearing to a fully active urban
was at Rajagriha (modern Rajgir) in Bihar.
economy. This was possible because of surplus
It was surrounded by five hills and could
agricultural production, trade and commerce.
not be penetrated easily. Later, the capital
Now, the powerful rulers could collect regular
was shifted to Pataliputra (modern Patna).
taxes and maintain large permanent armies.
Pataliputra was surrounded by three rivers, the
Ganga, the Gandak and the Son. These rivers
proved important for transport, water supply Vajji (or Vrijji) Confederacy
and making the land fertile. In some parts, One of the most important republican states
Magadha had forests, where elephants roamed during Buddha’s period was Vajji (present
freely. Elephants were captured and trained for day Muzzaffarpur district, Bihar). Its capital
the army. Forest wood helped the people to was Vaishali. It was settled on the
build houses, carts and chariots. northern side of the river Ganga.
Magadha also enjoyed an advantageous Vajji was a confederacy of eight
geographical position because rich iron deposits republics or Ganasanghas. Out of
were located near Rajgir, the earliest capital of which Lichchhavi and Videha were
Magadha. The easy availability of rich iron-ore the most important confederacies.
in the region enabled the Magadha rulers to
make a variety of effective
weapons.
Magadha lay at
the centre of the
Middle Gangetic
Plain — a very
fertile area. The
farmers could
produce a lot of
crops and the The Buddhist Stupa and Ashoka’s Pillar, Vaishali

penetrated: to go through or into

Important
58 Terms
The confederacy was ruled by a tribal republic a representative to take part in the meeting
which consisted of several sanghas. Each of the of the Vajji Gana Parishad (People’s Council of
Sangha was ruled by a raja. The sangha chose Vajji).

Learning Outcomes
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to
 explain the concept of state formation and the various types of states
 analyse the social and religious life of the people living in janapadas and
mahajanapadas
 compare the monarchial and Republican system of governance
 interpret the transformation of the ancient society from a tribe to a territory,
and subsequently into a kingdom

REVISION FLOW CHART

Around 6th century BC there emerged about 16 janapadas in North India. Later, some of
these janapadas became far more powerful and called the Mahajanapadas. Most of the
Mahajanapadas had monarchial system of government though some were republics.

Mahajanapadas

Monarchies Republics
Magadha, Avanti, Vatsa, Kosala Vajji Kingdom consisted of 8 republics.
(Shakya, Lichchavis, Videha etc.)

Magadha (Mahajanapada) Vajji (Republic)

• Magadha had its capital at Pataliputra. • The Vajjis had their capital at Vaishali in Bihar.
• Magadha was the most powerful of all the • The Vajji confederacy comprised of 8 clans.
mahajanapadas. • Each clan was ruled by a tribal republic.
• Vast mineral reserves, fertile land, perennial • It was a democratic system, based on the
rivers, dense forests etc., all added to their selection of administrative authorities, and not
power and prosperity. hereditary.

nomadic: not fixed, moving from one place to another | urban: related to city | confederacy: a union of
Important
states
Terms 59
 Mahajananpadas

Administration Trade and Commerce

• The King was the most powerful authority. • The merchants and artisans lived in the towns.
• Other officials like Amatyas, Purohita and Senani • The traders and craftsmen formed their
used to assist the king. associations called Shrenis.
• The king maintained a large and well equipped • They had trade contact with the far off lands.
army. • They were prosperous and strong due to stable
• Taxes fixed at about 1/6th of the regular produce political authority.
and it was collected regularly. • Introduction of silver and copper coins added
to the growth of trade and commerce.

TIMELINE

Exercise
1. Multiple Choice Questions
(a) The ________________ century BCE is regarded as a major turning point in the history of India.
(i) Seventh (ii) Sixth (iii) Fifth (iv) Third
(b) Tribal societies called ________________ began to live a settled life and practised agriculture.
(i) Jana (ii) Sangha (iii) Ambhi (iv) Shrenis
(c) Which of these mahajanapadas were located to the north of the Vindhyas?
(i) Gaya (ii) Vaishali
(iii) Vindhyas (iv) Malwa
(d) They could not participate in the assemblies.
(i) Jana and Rajan (ii) Gana and Sangha
(iii) Dasas and Kammakaras (iv) Rajan and Gana

60
 (e) The Ganges and the Son enriched it and provided a natural barrier against the enemy.
(i) Magadha (ii) Vaishali (iii) Vatsa (iv) Avanti

2. Fill in the blanks.

(a) The tribal societies were called ____________________.
(b) A Buddhist text ____________________ lists the sixteen mahajanapadas.
(c) Magadha comprises modern-day _______________ and _______________ district.
(d) The Magadha capital ____________________ was surrounded by five hills.
(e) Rajagriha was built by ____________________.

3. Unscramble the letters given in the help box and fill in the blanks.
isxtene mnoarchise avihsali rpeubilcs
Help Box: Rjaagriah Sahyakas nad lcihhaivs

(a) There were ______________________ mahajanapadas in India.

(b) Most of the mahajanapadas were ______________________ but some of them were ______________________ too.
(c) The first capital of Magadha was at ______________________ .
(d) The capital of Vajji republic was ______________________ .
(e) ______________________ and ______________________ were the important republics of the 6th Century BC.

4. Write True or False against the following.

(a) The fifth century BC was a turning point in the history of India. ____________
(b) Viratnagar was the capital of Malla. ____________
(c) Asmaka, Avanti, Gandhara and Kamboja emerged as the most powerful mahajanapadas. ____________
(d) Pataliputra was flanked by three rivers—the Ganga, the Son and the Gandak. ____________
(e) Judicial administration under Bimbisara was strict. ____________
(f) In the monarchial mahajanapadas, the head of the state was a monarch or a king. ____________
(g) Taxes collected by kings could be paid in cash only. ____________

5. Match the following

Column A Column B
(a) Lichchavi (i) Increased production
(b) Kuru (ii) Ajatashatru
(c) Bimbisara (iii) Democratic republic
(d) Iron ploughshare (iv) Indraprastha

6. Very Short Answer type questions

(a) Which century is regarded as a turning point in the history of India? Why?
(b) Define janas.
(c) What were the mahajanapadas?
(d) What led to the establishment of the janapadas?
(e) What led to the economic prosperity of the janas?

61
 (f) Name the literatures that provide the proof of the existence of the mahajanapadas.
(g) Why were the Nandas called the ‘first empire builders’?
(h) Name the four powerful kingdoms of this time.
(i) Which were the two important republics of sixth century BC?

7. Short Answer type questions

(a) Discuss the causes of the rise of the Magadha Empire.
(b) What was the position of the king in the kingdom of the sixth century BC?
(c) What ways were adopted by the rulers of Magadha to enlarge their kingdoms?
(d) How was Vajji Confederacy different from other mahajanapadas?
(e) The capital cities of mahajanapadas were fortified. Why? (HOTS)
(f) Describe the tax collection system followed by the mahajanapadas.
(g) Why were the coins produced in India called Punch Marked Coins?
(h) What were the two main differences between republics and monarchies?

activity
Critical thinking
Today most of the countries have adopted the democratic system of government. What do you think about this system?
Does it share any similarities with the Republic system of ancient times? Is it better than the monarchy system followed
by most of the mahajanapadas? Discuss

Subject integration
Write about 100 words on How Important Decisions are Taken in My Home and share it with your teacher

Communication skills
Find out five differences between the taxes we pay today and the taxes that were paid under the rule of mahajanapadas.
Hold a discussion in your class on this and write down the main points in your notebook

Digital integration
• Select any mahajanpada and make a PowerPoint presentation describing its physical location, economical life,
social life etc. Also put relevant pictures.

Life skills
• Now, you are familiar with the duties and responsibilities of the four Ashramas of an individual’s life. To what
extent following the four stages in our life is good for an individual and the society? Give your own ideas on
it.

62
 MAP Work
On the outline map of India mark the sixteen Mahajanapadas.

63