Mahajanapadas of Rajasthan: Ancient History of Rajasthan

Rajasthan, state of northwestern India, located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent. It is bounded to the north and northeast by the states of Punjab and Haryana, to the east and southeast by the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, to the southwest by the state of Gujarat, and to the west and northwest by the provinces of Sindh and Punjab in Pakistan.

Mahajanapadas of Rajasthan

 The capital city is Jaipur, in the east-central part of the state. Rajasthan has deep historical roots with sites of ancient Indus Valley Civilization (Kalibangan), Vedic Civilization being located in the state.

Read more: Rajasthan during Mahajanpada period MCQs | Ancient History of Rajasthan

Angutara Nikaya, a Buddhist scripture mentions 16 great kingdoms or Mahajanapadas at the beginning of the 6th century BCE in India. They emerged during the Vedic Age. The history of the emergence of Mahajanapadas can be linked to the development of eastern Uttar Pradesh and western Bihar during the 6th to 4th century BCE where agriculture flourished due to the availability of fertile lands and iron production increased due to availability of iron ore in large quantities. This resulted in the expansion of the territories of the Janapadas (due to the use of iron weapons) and later addressed as 16 highly developed regions or the Mahajanapadas.

The term “Janapada” literally means the foothold of a tribe, in Pāṇini’s “Ashtadhyayi”, Janapada stands for country. The Pre-Buddhist north-west region of the Indian sub-continent was divided into several Janapadas demarcated from each other by boundaries. Each of these Janapadas was named after the Kshatriya tribe (or the Kshatriya Jana) who had settled therein.

Ancient Buddhist texts like the Anguttara Nikaya make reference to sixteen Mahajanpadas and Janapada (Republics) which had evolved and flourished in Indian Sub-Continent.  The region surrounding modern districts of Bikaner & Jodhpur was referred to as Jangaldesh during Mahajanpada period.  Here, we first look at Mahajanpada’s and then at Republics of Rajasthan:

Emergence of Mahajanapadas from Janapadas

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 urbanisation, first being the Harappan civilisation.

During that period, the political centre 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 centres.

Which were the 16 Mahajanapadas?

List of 16 Mahajanapadas that arose before the rise of Buddhism in India:

  1. Kasi
  2. Kosala
  3. Anga
  4. Magadha
  5. Vajji
  6. Malla
  7. Chedi/Cheti
  8. Vatsa
  9. Kuru
  10. Panchala
  11. Matsya
  12. Surasena/Shurasena
  13. Assaka
  14. Avanti
  15. Gandhara
  16. Kamboja

Rajasthan History

Polity of Rajasthan

Rajasthan Economy

Geography of Rajasthan

Rajasthan Art and Culture

Current Affairs of Rajasthan

महाजनपद काल में राजस्थान

कालांतर में महाजनपद का काल आया जिसमें राजस्थान के दो महत्त्वपपूर्ण महाजनपद का वर्णन मिलता है, जो निम्न थे- शुरसेन एवं कुरु जो क्रमशः भरतपुर, धौलपुर एवं अलवर क्षेत्र में विस्तृत थे। महाभारत युद्ध के बाद कुरु और यादव जन-पद निर्बल हो गये। महात्मा बुद्ध के समय से अवन्ति राज्य का विस्तार हो रहा था। समूचा पूर्वी राजस्थान तथा मालवा प्रदेश इसके अंतर्गत था। ऐसा लगता है कि शूरसेन और मत्स्य भी किसी न किसी रूप में अवंति के प्रभाव क्षेत्र में थे।

मत्स्य महाजनपद
  • मत्स्य शब्द का सर्वप्रथम उल्लेख ऋग्वेद में मिलता है जहां मत्स्य निवासियों को सुदास का शत्रु बताया गया है।
  • मत्स्य जनपद आधुनिक जयपुर, अलवर, भरतपुर के मध्यवर्ती क्षेत्र में विस्तृत था।
  • इसकी राजधानी विराटनगर थी।
कुरू महाजनपद
  • राज्य में अलवर का उत्तरी भाग कुरु जनपद का हिस्सा था। इसकी राजधानी इन्द्रपथ थी।
शूरसेन महाजनपद
  • इसका क्षेत्र वर्तमान पूर्वी अलवर,धौलपुर,भरतपुर तथा करौली था।
  • इसकी राजधानी मथुरा थी।
  • वासुदेव पुत्र कृष्ण का संबंध किस जनपद से था।
अवंती महाजनपद
  • अवंति महाजनपद महत्व वर्तमान मध्य प्रदेश की सीमा में था परंतु सीमावर्ती राजस्थान का क्षेत्र इसके अंतर्गत आता था।

सिकंदर के आक्रमण के पश्चात्

सिकन्दर के अभियानों से आहत तथा अपनी स्वतन्त्रता को सुरक्षित रखने को उत्सुक दक्षिण पंजाब की मालव, शिवि तथा अर्जुनायन जातियाँ, जो अपने साहस और शौर्य के लिए प्रसिद्ध थी, अन्य जातियों के साथ राजस्थान में आयीं और सुविधा के अनुसार यहाँ बस गयीं। इनमें भरतपुर का राजन्य और मत्स्य जनपद, नगरी का शिवि जनपद, अलवर का शाल्व जनपद प्रमुख हैं।

इसके अतिरिक्त 300 ई. पू. से 300 ई. के मध्य तक मालव, अर्जुनायन तथा यौधेयों की प्रभुता का काल राजस्थान में मिलता है। मालवों की शक्ति का केन्द्र जयपुर के निकट था, कालान्तर में यह अजमेर, टोंक तथा मेवाड़ के क्षेत्र तक फैल गये। भरतपुर-अलवर प्रान्त के अर्जुनायन अपनी विजयों के लिए प्रसिद्ध रहे हैं। इसी प्रकार राजस्थान के उत्तरी भाग के यौधेय भी एक शक्तिशाली गणतन्त्रीय कबीला था। यौधेय संभवतः उत्तरी राजस्थान की कुषाण शक्ति को नष्ट करने में सफल हुये थे, जो रुद्रदामन के लेख से स्पष्ट है।

लगभग दूसरी सदी ईसा पूर्व से तीसरी सदी ईस्वी के काल में राजस्थान के केन्द्रीय भागों में बौद्ध धर्म का काफी प्रचार था, परन्तु यौधेय तथा मालवों के यहाँ आने से ब्राह्मण धर्म को प्रोत्साहन मिलने लगा और बौद्ध धर्म के हास के चिह्न दिखाई देने लगे। गुप्त राजाओं ने इन जनपदीय गणतन्त्रों को समाप्त नहीं किया, परन्तु इन्हें अर्द्धआश्रित रूप में बनाए रखा। ये गणतन्त्र हूण आक्रमण के धक्के को सहन नहीं कर पाये और अन्ततः छठी शताब्दी आते-आते यहाँ से सदियों से पनपी गणतन्त्रीय व्यवस्था सर्वदा के लिए समाप्त हो गई।

यौद्धेय जनपद
  • योद्धेय जनपद वर्तमान श्रीगंगानगर हनुमानगढ़ क्षेत्र में विस्तृत था।
राजन्य जनपद
  • राजन्य जनपद वर्तमान भरतपुर क्षेत्र में विस्तृत था।
अर्जुनायन जनपद
  • अर्जुनायन जनपद अलवर क्षेत्र में विस्तृत था।
शाल्व जनपद
  • शाल्वजनपद अलवर क्षेत्र में विस्तृत था।
मालव जनपद
  • मालव जनपद का समीकरण टोंक जिले में स्थित नगर या ककोर्टनगर से किया जाता है।
  • मालवो में श्री सोम नामक राजा हुआ जिसने 225 ई. में अपने शत्रुओं को परास्त करने के उपलक्ष में एकषष्ठी यज्ञ का आयोजन किया।
  • ऐसा प्रतीत होता है कि समुद्रगुप्त के काल तक वे स्वतंत्र बने रहे।
  • हमें राज्य में जिस जनपद के सर्वाधिक सिक्के अब तक प्राप्त हुए हैं वह मालवजनपद ही है। राज्य में मालवजनपद के सिक्के रैढ तथा नगर (टोंक) से प्रमुखता से मिले हैं।
  • मालवो द्वारा 57 ईसवी पूर्व को मालव संवत के रूप में उपयोग किया गया। यह संवत पहले कृत फिर मालव और अंततः विक्रम संवत कहलाया।
शिवि जनपद
  • मेवाड़ प्रदेश (चितौड़गढ) नामकरण की दृष्टि से द्वितीय शताब्दी में शिवजनपद (राजधानी माध्यमिका) के नाम से प्रसिद्ध था। बाद में ‘प्राग्वाट‘ नाम का प्रयोग हुआ। कालान्तर में इस भू भाग को ‘मेदपाट‘ नाम से सम्बोधित किया गया।
  • राज्य में शिविजनपद के अधिकांश सिक्के नगरी क्षेत्र से ही प्राप्त हुए हैं।
  • इस जनपद का उल्लेख पाणिनी कृत अष्टाध्यायी से मिलता है।

During medieval times, the province reached its glory being witness to many decisive wars and tales of bravery and sacrifice available from every corner of the state. Prithvi Raj Chouhan, Maharana Pratap from the place are  not just local heroes but heroes revered in every part of India and famous world-wide. Rajasthan is the largest state by area in India. It is located on the western side of the country, located between 23 30’ and 30 11’ North latitude and 69 29’ and 78 17’ East longitude.

It shares international border with Pakistan and with 5 other states of India including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. The Aravalli (Aravali) Range forms a line across the state running roughly from Guru Peak on Mount Abu (5,650 feet [1,722 meters]), near the town of Abu in the southwest, to the town of Khetri in the northeast. About three-fifths of the state lies northwest of that line, leaving the remaining two-fifths in the southeast. Those are the two natural divisions of Rajasthan.

The northwestern tract is generally arid and unproductive, although its character shifts gradually from desert in the far west and northwest to comparatively fertile and habitable land toward the east. The region includes the Thar (Great Indian) Desert.

The modern state was formed on 30 March 1949 when Rajputana was merged into the Dominion of India. Its capital and largest city is Jaipur, which is also known as Pink City. Other important cities are Jodhpur, Kota, Udaipur, Bikaner and Ajmer.

Geographically, the state is dominated by stretches of Thar Desert and the Aravalli Range. While, the Thar Desert occupies the most of the northwestern portion of state, the Aravalli’s serve as climate divide running from southwest to northeast, almost from one end to the other restricting the growth and dominance of desert.

It is is also home to three national tiger reserves, the Ranthambore National Park in Sawai Madhopur,  Mukundra Hill Tiger Reserve in Kota and Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar.

The southeastern area lies at a somewhat higher elevation (330 to 1,150 feet [100 to 350 meters]) than its northwestern counterpart; it also is more fertile and has a more-diverse topography. The hilly tract of Mewar lies in the southern region, while a broad plateau stretches across the southeast. In the northeast a rugged badlands region follows the line of the Chambal River. Farther north, the landscape levels out into flat plains that are part of the alluvial basin of the Yamuna River.

The Aravallis form Rajasthan’s most-important watershed. To the east of the range, the Chambal River—the only large and perennial stream in the state—and other waterways generally drain toward the northeast. The principal tributary of the Chambal, the Banas River, rises in the Aravallis near the great Kumbhalgarh hill fort and collects all the drainage of the Mewar plateau. Farther north, the Banganga, after rising near Jaipur, flows east toward the Yamuna before disappearing. The Luni is the only significant river west of the Aravallis.

It rises near the city of Ajmer in central Rajasthan and flows some 200 miles (320 km) west-southwest into the Rann of Kachchh in Gujarat state. Northeast of the Luni basin is an area of internal drainage characterized by salt lakes, the largest of which is Sambhar Salt Lake. Farther to the west lies the true Marusthali (“Land of the Dead”), the barren wastelands and areas of sand dunes that form the heart of the Thar Desert.

Hindi is the official language of the state, and to some degree it has overshadowed the local languages of Rajasthan. Much of the state’s population, however, continues to speak Rajasthani languages, which comprise a group of Indo-Aryan languages and dialects derived from Dingal, a tongue in which bards once sang of the glories of their masters. The four main Rajasthani language groups are Marwari in western Rajasthan, Jaipuri or Dhundhari in the east and southeast, Malvi in the southeast, and in the northeast Mewati, which shades off into Braj Bhasa (a Hindi dialect) toward the border with Uttar Pradesh.

Mahajanapadas of Rajasthan

Matsya

  • Capital: – Viratnagar
  • Present: – Alwar, Bharatpur and Jaipur

Saurasena (Brajmandala)

  • Capital: – Mathura
  • Present: – Alwar, Bharatpur, Dhaulpur and Karauli.

Kuru

  • Capital: – Indraprastha (Delhi)
  • Present: – Delhi and northern region of Rajasthan.

Some Other Janapada Of Rajasthan

Shivi Janapada

  • Capital: – Madhyamika (Present name Nagari)
  • Present region: – Chittorgarh And Udaipur district
  • Rajasthan’s first excavated site.
  • Excavated by D.R. Bhandarkar.

Arjunayana Janapada

  • Present Alwar and Bharatpur district.
  • They emerged as political power during Sunga Period.

Malav Janapada

  • Present Jaipur and Tonk district.
  • Capital: – Nagar (Tonk)
  • They are mentioned in Mahabhashya of Patanjali

Yaudheyas

  • Present Hanumangarh and Ganganagar district.
  • Kushana power was stopped by them.
  • They are mentioned in Ashtadhyayi and Ganapatha of Panini.

Shalvya

  • Present Alwar district.

Rajanya

  • Present Jodhpur and Bikaner region.

Related Articles:

Ancient History of Rajasthan Art and Culture-Rajasthan Current Affairs-Rajasthan eBook Economy of Rajasthan
 General Knowledge General Studies Geography of Rajasthan History of Rajasthan Polity of Rajasthan
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