In the sixth century B.C, India portrayed a regular disintegrating tendency both socially and politically. There was no paramount power. India was divided into sixteen states or Mahajanapadas. Some of these states had monarchical while others had republican form of governments. Although there is some difference in the list of kingdoms supplied by different sources the widely accepted list included the following states- Kasi,Kosal,Anga, Magadha,Chedi, Malla,Vajji, Vasta,Kuru, Panchala,Mastcha, Surasena,Gandhar, Kamboja, Asanka and Avanti.

The kingdom of Kasi had developed around modern Banaras. It was a big kingdom extending to the limits of nearly 12 leagues. This kingdom was later conquered by Kosala.The kingdom of Kosala roughly corresponded to modern Oudh. This was ruled by the famous king Prasenjit who was a great admirer of  Budha. Kosal annexed Kasi and Sakya kingdoms and ultimately became one of the four great kingdoms of north India.

  The kingdom of Anga roughly corresponded to modern east Bihar- Munger and Bhagal pur districts. The city of Champa, which was one of the major trading centrers of that time was its capital. Anga was in   constant rivalry with Magadha and got conquered by Magadhan king Bimbisar.The kingdom of Magadha corresponded to modern Patna and Gaya districts with capital at Rajagriha. It was a wealthy and prosperous kingdom which attained imperial supremacy.

The Chedi kingdom was confined to Bundelkhand, while Vasta was situated in Allhabad region. The famous king Udayana was the ruler of Vasta. Udayana is said to have conquered Kalinga and embraced Buddhisim under the influence of a Kalingan monk. The kingdom of Avanti was one of the four great kingdoms of north India which corresponded to modern Malwa and central provinces. Ujjain was its capital. The king of Avanti had given his daughter married to Udayana. Avanti was finally conquered by Magadha.

The kingdom of Puru was equivalent to modern Delhi while Panchala consisted of central Doab and Rohilkhand. Matsya was around modern Jaipur while Surasena corresponded to Mathura and Malla developed around Kusinara and Pava. Asanka was

SOCIAL SCENE:

India lived in the villages in the six century B.C. Life was typically rural. Villages were of different sizes. Families were large and consisted of various branches from grandfather to grandsons and their children.

Caste system took the crystallized form during this period. Social occupation was largely hereditary although there was no strict rule to follow the system. Agriculture defied the rules of caste as Brahmins, Kshyatriyas and  Vaisyas resorted to cultivation in varied forms. However intermarriage and interdining between different castes were disfavored.

ECONOMIC SCENE:

Economy of India in six century B.C. was largely agricultural. Cultivation of rice was the major activity. Fruits, vegetables and sugarcane were also produced. Cultivable land was divided into small holdings which was owned by the peasant who could transfer and sell it to others in the village. Channels were dug to facilitate irrigation and fencing was made to protect the crops from animals. The rate of taxation varied from 1/ 6 to 1/12 of the produce which were collected through the village headman.

Cattle rearing, trade and commerce were other economic practices. Trade was both domestic and foreign. Inland trade was undertaken by Caravans while foreign trade was carried by ocean going vessels. Bharoch and Sopara were main ports facilitating foreign trade. Cities like Champa, Ujjain, Taxila, Rajagriha, Ayodhya were cities of great trading activities.

Arts and crafts also flourished during this period. The potter, blacksmith, goldsmith etc. produced sufficient articles to meet the needs of the people. The medium of exchange was copper coins. Gold coins were also rarely used. The barter system had ceased to exist by this time.

THE POLITICAL SCENE:

Out of the sixteen Mahajanapadas majority were hereditary monarchies while a few like Vajis and Mallas were elected republics.

In the monarchies, the king was not the state himself but a part of it. The state was conceived as an organic Whole like human body with nine limbs and the king was one of it. There were people’s assemblies like sabha and samitees and there were ministries and bureaucracies too. However the growth of big kingdoms gradually augmented the arbitrary power of king who became all powerful and powers were centralized in his hands. There were no constitutional checks on the king’s power but there were sastras  which laid down certain principles prohibiting the king from being despotic or autocratic. The sastras presented a code of daily duties of the king. The king was to be free from all vices. Protection of peoples’ life and property was the prime duty of the king. Although all kings did not observe the high standard of duties prescribed for them, kingship played an important role in the life and polity of that time.The republics on the other hand were known as Gana or Sangha. The state was divided into a number of administrative units. These units enjoyed autonomy in local administration. There was a supreme assembly consisting of heads of these local units which acted as central Govt. The assembly was presided over by a chief or president who was elected for a specified term.

The assembly met in a hall called Santhagara to discuss important issues concerning state. There was an executive council elected by the assembly to help the president in day-to-day governance.

The judicial system of the republics were most democratic. A person charged with some crime was successively tried by eight different courts. He was punished only if all the courts found him guilty.

The republics although existed for one thousand years lacked the vitality to over come the insurgent attack of the monarchial imperialism. The lack of unity against the members of the republic also weakened its stability and led of its decline.

 in the neighbor hood of Avanti while Gandhara consisted of areas of modern Kandahar, Peshwar, Rawalpindi and parts of Kashmir. Kamboja was in the extreme north west part of India, while Vajji was a republican confederation of eight clans which developed around Mithila and Vaishali. Vajji or Vrijji was ultimately conquered by Magadha.