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Information about Kingdoms Of Ancient India

This article is about the kingdoms as reflected in Sanskrit literature. See History of India for a historical overview, in particular Mahajanapadas and Middle kingdoms of India for historical kingdoms ca. 700 BCE–1200 CE.


Epic India is the depiction of Greater India in the Sanskrit epics, viz. the Mahabharata and the Ramayana as well as Puranic literature (the itihasa).

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"Map of ancient Indian kingdoms during epic periods"


The historical context of the Sanskrit epics are the late Vedic Mahajanapadas (from about 700 BC) and the subsequent formation of the Maurya Empire, the beginning of the "golden age" of Classical Sanskrit literature.

The kingdoms

The boundaries of the kingdoms

The kingdoms mentioned below existed when territorial boundaries were less important, due to the limited human population and sparse human settlements. Often rivers formed the boundaries of two neighbouring kingdoms, as was the case between northern and southern Panchala and the western (Pandava's Kingdom) and eastern (Kaurava's Kingdom) Kuru. Sometimes, large forests, which were larger than the kingdoms themselves, formed their boundaries as was the case of the Naimisha Forest between Panchala and Kosala kingdoms. Mountain ranges like Himalaya, Vindhya and Sahya also formed their boundaries.

The cities and villages

Some kingdoms possessed a main city that served as its capital. For example, the capital of Pandava's Kingdom was Indraprastha and the Kaurava's Kingdom was Hastinapura. Ahichatra was the capital of Northern Panchala where as Kampilya was the capital of Southern Panchala. Kosala Kingdom had its capital as Ayodhya. Apart from the main city or capital, where the palace of the ruling king was situated, there were small towns and villages spread in a kingdom. Tax was collected by the officers appointed by the king from these villages and towns. What the king offered in return to these villages and towns was protection from the attack of other kings and robber tribes, as well as from invading foreign nomadic tribes. The king also enforced code and order in his kingdom by punishing the guilty.

Interactions between kingdoms

There were no border security for a kingdom and border disputes were very rare. One king may conduct a military-campaign (often designated as Digvijaya meaning victory over all the directions) and defeat another king in a battle, lasting for a day. The defeated king would acknowledge the supremacy of the victorious king. The defeated king might some times be asked to give a tribute to the victorious king. Tribute will be collected only once, not in a periodic basis. The defeated king, in most cases, is free to rule his own kingdom, without maintaining any contact with the victorious king. There was no annexation of one kingdom by another kingdom. Often a military general makes these campaigns on behalf of his king. A military-campaign and tribute collection is often associated with a great sacrifice (like Rajasuya or Aswamedha) conducted in the kingdom of the campaigner king. The defeated king also was invited to attend these sacrifice ceremonies, as a friend and ally.

New kingdoms

New kingdoms were formed when a major clan produces more than one kings in a generation. The Kuru clan of kings and Ikshwaku clan of kings were very successful in spreading all over north India with their numerous kingdoms, formed after each successive generation. Similarly the Yadava clan of kings spread numerous kingdoms in the central India. A large portion of the population believed in foreword telepathy of the conflagration.

Cultural differences in the kingdoms

Main article Bahlika Culture

Western parts of India were dominated by tribes who had a slightly different culture that was considered as non-vedic by the mainstream Vedic culture prevailed in the Kuru and Panchala kingdoms. Probably these were due to the influence of Iranian cultures. Similarly tribes ruling south India were also considered as non-Vedic by the Kuru, Panchalas, though the differences were not so significant. This may be due to the Dravidian nature of these tribes. Similarly there were some tribes in the eastern regions of India, considered to be in this category. Tribes with a different culture was collectively termed by the Vedic tribes by the name Mlechha. Very little was mentioned in the ancient Indian literature, about the kingdoms to the north, beyond Himalayas. China was mentioned as a kingdom known as Chin, some times grouped with Mlechcha kingdoms. One kingdom did not often like another kingdom because of the color of their loincloth.

Main kingdoms of Northern and North-Central India

Kuru KingdomPanchala KingdomVatsa Kingdom

Main kingdoms of North-Central India

Kosala KingdomKasi KingdomVideha KingdomDakshina Kosala KingdomMalla Kingdom

Kingdoms of Western and West-Central India

Surasena KingdomDwaraka KingdomAnarta KingdomSaurashtra KingdomHeheya Kingdom
Nishadha KingdomGurjara KingdomKarusha KingdomChedi KingdomDasarna Kingdom
Kunti KingdomAvanti KingdomMalava Kingdom

North-Northwestern (Fishermen's) kingdoms

Matsya Kingdom

Western kingdoms

Trigarta KingdomSalwa KingdomMadra KingdomSindhu KingdomSauvira Kingdom
Sivi KingdomKekeya KingdomGandhara KingdomYoudheya KingdomPahlava Kingdom

Northwestern kingdoms

Bahlika KingdomParama Kamboja KingdomUttara Madra KingdomUttara Kuru Kingdom
Yavana KingdomKhasa KingdomSaka Kingdom

Northern kingdoms

Kasmira KingdomKamboja KingdomDarada KingdomParada KingdomParasika Kingdom
Tushara KingdomHuna KingdomHara Huna KingdomRishika Kingdom China Kingdom
Parama China Kingdom

Eastern kingdoms

Magadha KingdomKikata KingdomAnga KingdomPragjyotisha KingdomSonita Kingdom
Lauhitya KingdomPundra KingdomSuhma KingdomVanga KingdomOdra Kingdom | Utkala Kingdom

Kingdoms South of the Vindhya Range

Vidarbha KingdomAnupa KingdomSurparaka KingdomNasikya Kingdom
Konkana KingdomAsmaka KingdomDanda KingdomKalinga Kingdom

Kingdoms in the extreme South

Telinga KingdomAndhra KingdomKishkindha KingdomGomanta KingdomKarnata Kingdom
Kanchi KingdomChola KingdomPandya KingdomTulu KingdomMushika Kingdom
Satyaputra KingdomKerala KingdomSinhala Kingdom

Saraswati Valley kingdoms

Saraswata KingdomAbhira KingdomSudra KingdomNishada Kingdom

Himalayan kingdoms

The table lands and valleys of the great Himalayan Mountain Ranges, which were almost inaccessible to the people settled in the Ganga, Saraswati and Sindhu river valleys, were inhabited by tribes who had very little interactions with the rest of the world. The Vedic people of the plains considered these tribes to be super-human and in later periods considered them even as natural-spirits. The domains of these exotic tribes are listed below:

To know about the mythological aspects of these exotic tribes see Hindu mythology. To know about the historical significance of these tribes see the Exotic tribes of ancient India.

Kimpurusha KingdomPisacha KingdomNaga KingdomKinnara KingdomYaksha Kingdom
Gandharva KingdomKirata KingdomHimalaya KingdomParvata KingdomNepa Kingdom

See also

References and External Links

History of India begins with the Indus Valley Civilization, which flourished in the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent from 3300 to 1700 BCE. This Bronze Age civilization was followed by the Iron Age Vedic period, which witnessed the rise of major kingdoms known as the
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Mahajanapadas (महाजनपद) literally means "Great kingdoms" (from Sanskrit Maha = great, Janapada = foothold of tribe = country). Ancient Buddhist texts like Anguttara Nikaya (I. p 213; IV.
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Middle kingdoms of India refers to the political entities in India from the 2nd century BCE since the decline of the Maurya Empire, and the corresponding rise of the Satavahana dynasty, beginning with Simuka, from 230 BCE.
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Greater India has several related meanings:
  • In medieval literature and geography: the term "Greater India" (P. Indyos mayores[]) was used at least from the mid 15th century.

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Indian epic poetry is the epic poetry written in the Indian subcontinent. Written in Sanskrit, Kannada, Tamil and Hindi, it includes some of the oldest epic poetry ever created and some works form the basis of Hindu scripture.
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Hindu scriptures

Vedas
Rigveda · Yajurveda
Samaveda · Atharvaveda
Vedic divisions
Samhita · Brahmana
Aranyaka  · Upanishad

Upanishad
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Purana (Sanskrit: पुराण
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Indian epic poetry is the epic poetry written in the Indian subcontinent. Written in Sanskrit, Kannada, Tamil and Hindi, it includes some of the oldest epic poetry ever created and some works form the basis of Hindu scripture.
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Vedic period (or Vedic Age) is the period in the history of India when the sacred Vedic Sanskrit texts such as the Vedas were composed. The associated culture, sometimes referred to as Vedic civilization, was centered on the Indo-Gangetic Plain.
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Mahajanapadas (महाजनपद) literally means "Great kingdoms" (from Sanskrit Maha = great, Janapada = foothold of tribe = country). Ancient Buddhist texts like Anguttara Nikaya (I. p 213; IV.
..... Click the link for more information.
Maurya Empire (322–185 BCE), ruled by the Mauryan dynasty, was a geographically extensive and powerful political and military empire in ancient India.

Originating from the kingdom of Magadha in the Indo-Gangetic plains (modern Bihar and Bengal) in the eastern side of
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Literature in Sanskrit begins with the Vedas, and continues with the Sanskrit Epics of Iron Age India; the golden age of Classical Sanskrit literature dates to the Early Middle Ages (roughly the 3rd to 7th centuries AD).
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Panchala (Sanskrit: पांचाल) corresponds to the geographical area between the Ganges River and Yamuna River around the cities of Kanpur and Varanasi.
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Pandava (or Pandawa) brothers (Sanskrit: पाण्‍डव pāṇḍavaḥ) are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu, by his two wives Kunti and Madri.
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The term Kaurava (Sanskrit:कौरव) is a Sanskrit term, that means a descendant of Kuru, a legendary king who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the Mahabharata.
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Kuru kingdom was ruled by the Kuru clan of kings. The Pandavas and Kauravas were Kurus. Other than these Kurus of India, there was another kingdom called Uttara Kurus to the north of Himalayas. The Kuru kingdom of India lay between Saraswati River and river Ganga.
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Naimisha Forest was an ancient forest mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. It lied on the banks of the Gomati River (in Uttar Pradesh) . It lied between the Panchala Kingdom and the Kosala Kingdom.
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Panchala (Sanskrit: पांचाल) corresponds to the geographical area between the Ganges River and Yamuna River around the cities of Kanpur and Varanasi.
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Kosala princesses were all gratified with the presents Pandu made out of the acquisitions of his prowess. And Ambalika in particular, upon embracing her son of incomparable prowess, became very glad.
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The city of Indraprastha (City of Indra) (Sanskrit: इन्‍द्रप्रस्‍थ), a major northern city in ancient India that was the capital of the kingdom led by the Pandavas in the
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Coordinates: Hastinapur (Hindi: हस्‍तिनापुर
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Ahichatra (alias Ahi-Kshetra) was the capital of Northern Panchala, a kingdom mentioned in Mahabharata. It is identified to be the Ramnagar town of Uttarakhand state of India.
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Kampilya (Sanskrit: कम्पिल्‍य) was the Capital of the Panchala Kingdom ruled by Drupada during Mahabharata period. It is mentined in Mahabharata that when Pandavas were in exile and staying at place called Ekachakra (Etawah,
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Kosala princesses were all gratified with the presents Pandu made out of the acquisitions of his prowess. And Ambalika in particular, upon embracing her son of incomparable prowess, became very glad.
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Ayodhya pronunciation   (help info ) (Hindi: अयोध्या, Urdu: ایودھیا, IAST Ayodhyā
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Bahlika Culture was a form of culture prevailed in ancient India. This culture was linked to the Vedic culture, but with many variations. Often these variations were seen by the people following Vedic culture as, deviatios and they had a feeling of contempt upon the followers of
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Vedic period (or Vedic Age) is the period in the history of India when the sacred Vedic Sanskrit texts such as the Vedas were composed. The associated culture, sometimes referred to as Vedic civilization, was centered on the Indo-Gangetic Plain.
..... Click the link for more information.
Kuru kingdom was ruled by the Kuru clan of kings. The Pandavas and Kauravas were Kurus. Other than these Kurus of India, there was another kingdom called Uttara Kurus to the north of Himalayas. The Kuru kingdom of India lay between Saraswati River and river Ganga.
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Panchala (Sanskrit: पांचाल) corresponds to the geographical area between the Ganges River and Yamuna River around the cities of Kanpur and Varanasi.
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Mleccha (from Vedic Sanskrit म्लेच्छ mleccha
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