Mahajanapadas
There were many States in North India towards the beginning of the 6th century BC. They were known as janapadas mahajanapadas were monarchies, that is, they were ruled by kings. The more important of these were Kosala, Vatsa, Avanti and Magadha.
Some mahajanapadas had gana-parishads consisting of senior, responsible citizens. The gana-parishads had the supreme authority in the State. Though the gana-parishad had the power to govern, there was an executive council for day- to-day administration. Members presented proposals on which discussions were held. Decisions were taken on the basis of a vote of majority.
Kosala :
The State of Kosala was located at the foothills of the Himalayas in the region of Nepal and Uttar Pradesh. Its capital was Saket. Shravasti and Kushavati were the famous cities of Kosala. The Kosala king Prasenjit was contemporary of Gautama Buddha. He was an able General and was very courageous. During his reign, there was a war between Kosala and Magadha. Later, Kosala merged with Magadha.
Vatsa :
Kaushambi near the present day Allahabad was the capital of Vatsa. One of the Vatsa kings, Udayana, was very brave. We learn about him from Buddhist literature and from the plays of the Sanskrit playwright Bhasa. The fine cotton textile of Vatsa was very famous. After king Udayana, the State of Vatsa could not retain its independence for long.
Avanti :
One of the important kings of Avanti was Pradyot. Ujjayani in the present day Madhya Pradesh was the capital of Avanti. This city was a well-known trade centre. Later, Avanti merged into the State of Magadha.
Magadha:
The State of Magadha spread through the basins of the Ganga and the Shon in the region of Bihar. The expansion of Magadha started during the reign of king Bimbisara. He annexed the States of Kashi, Anga, Madra, Avanti and Kosala. The capital of Magadha was Rajgriha, that is, Rajgir of the present day Bihar. An architect named Mahagovinda had built this city and the palace of King Bimbisara. The famous vaidya Jeevaka was a member of king Bimbisara's court.
Ajatshatruson of Bimbisara, continued the, the campaigns of expansion. He conquered a number of eastern republics. Magadha prospered during his regime. He gave royal patronage to Jain and Buddhist religions. He was a contemporary of Gautama Buddha. He embraced Buddhism and made efforts to spread it. He convened the first Buddhist council at Rajgriha.
A noteworthy successor of Ajatshatru was King Shishunag . He annexed the States of Avanti , Kosala and Vatsa . During his reign , nearly the whole of North India was under Magadha dominio.
The Nanda kings of Magadha :
The Nanda kings ruled Magadha between 364 BC and 324 BC. Magadha was the first empire in the history of ancient India. It extended up to Takshashila, Punjab, Karnataka, Bengal, Bihar, and the Himalayas. The last of the Nanda kings, Dhanananda, was greedy and oppressive. His subjects were, therefore, not happy. Chandragupta Maurya, an ambitious youth, attacked Magadha and ended the Nanda rule.
The Nanda kings had set up an administrative system necessary to run their vast empire. The same system continued during the Maurya period. The Nanda kings had a four-fold army that included infantry, cavalry, elephants and charioteers.
Foreign invasions :
At the time of the rise of the Magadha empire , the Iranian emperor Darius attacked and conquered the Gandhar and Sindh provinces to the north - west of India . This led first to the development of diplomatic relations between India and Iran and then , to the beginning of trade and also exchange in the field of art .
The invasion by Alexander :
The Greek king Alexander vanquished the Iranian empire and then invaded India . He crossed the Indus and reached Takshashila . Some of the local Indian kings opposed him fiercely .
During the campaigns , Alexander's army had suffered untold hardships . They had to face fierce opposition from the Indian armies . The soldiers had come far away from their homeland and wanted to return . rose in rebellion against Alexander . Alexander also came to know about the rebellions the territories he had conquered Alexander turned back after deputing his officers to administer the conquered Indian territories . On the way back , he died at Babylon in 323 BC .
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Relations between India and Greece :
Communication between India and Greece increased after Alexander's invasion . Growth of trade was accelerated . Greek sculpture influenced Indian sculpture , giving rise to the ' Gandhara ' school of art . Greek coins were characteristic , with the picture of the king on one side and of some deity on the other . The name of the king was also inscribed on the coin . Indians also began to make coins in this Greek style . Trade between India and the countries to its west was boosted .
