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Soḷasa Mahājanapadā
The Sixteen Great States
The map shown above is approx. 1,600 km from East to West and 1,200 km from North to South
In two places in the Aṅguttara Nikāya (Uposathasuttaṁ, Bk. 3.71; Vitthatūposathasuttaṁ, Bk. 8.42) we find the following list of great states (Mahājanapadā): Aṅgā, Magadhā, Kāsī, Kosalā, Vajjī, Mallā, Cetī, Vaṁsā,ChS: Vaṅgā Kurū, Pañcālā, Macchā, Sūrasenā, Assakā, Avantī, Gandhārā, Kambojā.In a similar list in Mahāvastu the last two states are replaced by Sivi and Darśāṇa.
We sometimes come across other forms of this list, so that at Janavasabhasuttaṁ (DN 18) only the following ten are mentioned: Kāsī, Kosalā, Vajjī, Mallā, Cetī, Vaṁsā, Kurū, Pañcālā, Macchā,ChS: Majjhā Sūrasenā. Interestingly, the Sākiyas and the Koḷiyans are omitted from these lists, perhaps they were not considered as great states, being too small in size.
Below is a list of the state capitals, and their kings where they are known. The most important ones by far are the first two. Remember that the Buddha lived for 80 years and the political situation was very fluid and always changing:
- Magadhā (Capital: Rājagaha; King Bimbisāra, later Ajātasattu)
- Kosalā (Capital: Sāvatthī; King Pasenadi, later Viḍudabha)
- Aṅgā (Capital: Campā)
- Kāsī (Capital: Bārānasī)
- Vajjī (Republic, Capital: Vesālī)
- Mallā (Republic) [Sākiyā (Republic), Koḷiyā (Republic)]
- Vaṁsā (Capital: Kosambī, King Udena)
- Cetī (Capital: Sotthivatī)
- Kurū (Two Kingdoms, North and South. Northern Capital: Indapatta. I think the references to Kuru in the Canon refer to the Southern State)
- Pañcālā (Two Kingdoms, North and South. Northern Capital: Hastināpura; Southern Capital: Kāmpilya)
- Macchā (Capital: Virāṭanagara; King Virāṭa)
- Sūrasenā (Capital: Mathurā)
- Assakā (Capital: Potana)
- Avantī (Capital: Ujjenī in the North, Māhissatī in the South; King Vessabhū)
- Gandhārā (Capital: Takkasilā)
- Kambojā.
last updated: April 2024