History & Culture
Mahajanapadas, Buddhism, Jainism and the Mauryas
GS Paper I
Mahajanapadas and the Mauryas — Quick Revision
One-page UPSC revision of the Mahajanapadas, Magadha, Buddhism, Jainism and the Mauryas — capitals, councils, sects, edicts, officials and art.
SyllabusGS I · History of India (Prelims); Indian culture — salient aspects of art forms, literature and architecture from ancient times (Mains GS I)
A last-week sheet for the sixth century BCE to the Mauryas. Prelims rewards exact pairs: council–patron, edict–content, site–script.
Mahajanapadas and Magadha
| Item | Fact |
|---|---|
| Lists of sixteen | Anguttara Nikaya (Buddhist), Bhagavati Sutra (Jain) |
| Only one south of the Vindhyas | Assaka, on the Godavari |
| Republics | Vajji (Vaishali), Malla (Kushinagara, Pava) |
| Magadha capitals | Rajagriha (Girivraja) → Pataliputra (founded by Udayin) |
| Haryanka | Bimbisara, Ajatashatru, Udayin |
| Shishunaga | Destroyed Avanti; Kalashoka hosted the Second Council |
| Nanda | Mahapadma (ekarat); Dhana Nanda (time of Alexander, 326 BCE) |
Buddhism and Jainism Side by Side
| Feature | Buddhism | Jainism |
|---|---|---|
| Founder’s birth | Lumbini | Kundagrama, near Vaishali |
| Illumination | Bodh Gaya | Jrimbhikagrama (Rijupalika river) |
| Death | Kushinagara | Pavapuri |
| Core | Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path | Five vows, Triratna, anekantavada |
| Canon language | Pali | Ardha-Magadhi Prakrit |
| Councils | Rajagriha, Vaishali, Pataliputra, Kashmir | Pataliputra, Vallabhi |
| Splits | Sthaviravada/Mahasanghika (2nd Council); Hinayana/Mahayana (4th) | Digambara/Shvetambara |
High-yield facts
- Third Council — Moggaliputta Tissa (Ashoka); Fourth — Vasumitra with Ashvaghosha (Kanishka).
- Parshvanatha (23rd) taught four vows; Mahavira added brahmacharya.
- Kalinga war — Major Rock Edict XIII; tolerance — XII; medical care — II; Dhamma-mahamattas — V.
- Name “Ashoka” — Maski, Gujarra, Nittur, Udegolam.
- Pillar Edict VII — only on the Delhi-Topra pillar.
- Rummindei — Lumbini’s bali waived, bhaga cut to one-eighth.
Mauryan Administration
| Official | Role |
|---|---|
| Samaharta | Revenue collector-general |
| Sannidhata | Treasurer |
| Sitadhyaksha | Crown lands |
| Panyadhyaksha | Commerce |
| Navadhyaksha | Ships |
| Akaradhyaksha | Mines |
| Rajuka, Pradeshika, Yukta | Ashoka’s officials touring every five years (Edict III) |
Edict Scripts and Places
| Script/language | Where |
|---|---|
| Prakrit in Brahmi | Most edicts |
| Kharosthi | Shahbazgarhi, Mansehra (Pakistan) |
| Greek and Aramaic | Kandahar (Afghanistan) |
Mauryan Art
| Example | Where | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Lion Capital | Sarnath | State Emblem (adopted 26 January 1950) |
| Bull Capital | Rampurva | Polished Chunar sandstone |
| Lomas Rishi cave | Barabar hills, Bihar | Ajivika cave; chaitya-arch façade |
| Dhauli elephant | Odisha | Rock-cut, above the edicts |
| Didarganj yakshi | Patna | Popular art; date debated |
Traps to Avoid
- Mahavira died at Pavapuri but attained kaivalya at Jrimbhikagrama.
- Hinayana–Mahayana split: Fourth Council, not the Second or Third.
- The State Emblem omits the lotus base.
- Dhamma ≠ Buddhism; it was a non-sectarian ethical code.
Related Topics
- Mahajanapadas, Buddhism and Jainism
- The Mauryan Empire and Ashoka’s Dhamma
- Mahajanapadas and the Mauryas — practice questions
- Post-Mauryan and Gupta Age
Advertisement