Janapadas and Mahajanapadas - Concepts - Chapter 6 Class 6 History - Early Kingdoms - History

Janapadas and Mahajanapadas

Janapadas:

• The word janapada literally means the ’land where the jana set its foot, and settled down’.
  
  
• Earliest political units in ancient India.
  
  
• Emerged around 600 BCE.
  
  
• Small territorial units based on socio-economic and cultural conditions of the region.
  
  
• Often ruled by kings.
  
  
• Had their own political and administrative systems.
  
  
• Archaeologists have excavated a number of settlements in these janapadas, such as Purana Qila in Delhi , Hastinapura near Meerut , and Atranjikhera, near Etah (the last two are in Uttar Pradesh).

Mahajanapadas:

• Larger and more complex political units.
  
  
• Emerged around 500 BCE.
  
  
• Characterized by growth of cities, emergence of new social classes , and development of trade and commerce.
  
  
• Most mahajanapadas had a capital city , many of these were fortified means that huge walls of wood, brick or stone were built around them.
  
  
• Often ruled by powerful kings who controlled vast territories.
  
  
• Had well-organized administrative systems.
  
  
• There were sixteen mahajanpadas in the gangla valley in the 6th century BCE.
  
  
• The Mahajanapadas were of two types - Republic and Monarchies.

Republics

• A republican mahajanapada was ruled by a group elected by the common people.
  
  
• There was no king.
  
  
• Decisions were taken by majority vote.
  
  
• The Shakyas and the Lichchhhavis were the important republics.

Monarchies

• The monarchical mahajanapadas were ruled by kings.
  
  
• The king was very powerful. He had a large army and many sources of revenue.
  
  
• Kingship was hereditary. 
  
  
• They built forts, palaces, temples and other structures to display their wealth and power.
  
  

• Magadha, Vatsa, Avanti, and Kosala were the greatest of these kingdoms.