mahajanapada

M3A1H4A1J8A1N1A1P3A1D2A1
UK/mɑːhəˈd͡ʒɑːnəˌpɑːdə/UK/mʌhəˈd͡ʒʌnəˌpʌdə/US/mɑhəˈd͡ʒɑnəˌpɑdə/US/məhəˈd͡ʒənəˌpədə/

proper noun

One of 16 prominent ancient Indian realms extant from around 600 BCE to 345 BCE.

Scrabble 27

Meanings

mahajanapada1

proper nounmahajanapada (plural mahajanapadas)

plural mahajanapadas

  1. alternativeAlternative form of Mahajanapada.

Mahajanapada2

proper nounMahajanapada (plural Mahajanapadas)

plural Mahajanapadas · alternative mahajanapada

  1. One of 16 prominent ancient Indian realms extant from around 600 BCE to 345 BCE.

    We know that there were sixteen mahajanapadas in the 6th and 5th centuries BCE but there were more than one hundred janapadas, some of which were independent and some others were included in the bigger mahajanapadas.

    2006, Irā Kiruṣṇamūrtti, Irāmaccantiran̲ Nākacāmi, Sangam: numismatics and cultural history : essays in honour of Dr. R. Krishnamurthy, New Era Publications, pages 66–67
    2 more examples

    Among the 16 mahajanapadas the monarchical states of Kosala, Vatsa, Avanti, and Magadha, along with the non‐monarchical mahajanapada of the Vrijis or Vajjis, attained political prominence by eclipsing other contemporary powers. However, it was the mahajanapada of Magadha which ultimately rose to prominence.

    2016 January 11, Susmita Basu Majumdar, “Magadha, Kingdom of”, in N. Dalziel, J. M. MacKenzie, editors, The Encyclopedia of Empire, Wiley, →DOI

    Pataliputra was founded by Udayin while Rajgriha was founded by Bimbisar. Vajji was the ancient name of north Bihar. The territory of the Vajji Mahajanapada was located on the north of the Ganges river and extended up to the Terai region of Nepal.

    2019 April 1, 2200+ MCQs with Explanatory Notes For HISTORY 2nd Edition, 2nd edition, New Delhi: Disha, page A23

Origin

  1. Sanskritमहाजनपद
  2. EnglishMahajanapada

Borrowed from Sanskrit महाजनपद (mahājanapada).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Hindi महाजनपद
  • महाजनपद (mahājanpad)one of 16 prominent ancient Indian realms
Cite this entry
APA

mahajanapada. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mahajanapada

MLA

“mahajanapada.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mahajanapada. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mahajanapada,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mahajanapada.

Source: mahajanapada on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.