________________
CHAPTER VI
POLITICAL CONDITIONS AND INSTITUTIONS
Since at the time of Lord Mahāvīra, there was no paramount power in North India, the region was divided into many independent states. The period, however, was politically very important in ancient Indian history and marked the end of the tribal stage of society, while it also gave rise for the first time to those organized states which were known as sixteen great countries Solasamahajanapada. These states formed some definite territorial units and included both monarchies and republics. A trial of strength was taking place amongst the monarchies, and, what is more, between the monarchical and the non-monarchical forms of government. It led to the decline of the republics, the rise of absolutism, and the growing success of Magadhan imperialism.
The Jaina, Buddhist, and Purāņic texts furnish catalogues of these states. In spite of the striking resemblances bctween one list and another, there are also important differences, a fact which leads to the assumption that the lists were originally drawn up at different times, and they reflect the difference in their author's knowledge of or interest in or even his intimacy with the different parts of the country..
The Jaina Bhagavati Sūtra,1 (otherwise called VjākhyāPrajñapti), provides a list of sixteen Mahajanapadas at the time of Lord Mahāvīra as follows:
(1) Anga, (2) Banga (Vanga), (3) Magaha (Magadha), (4) Malaya (5) Mālava (ka),(6) Achchha (7) Vachchha (Vatsa) (8) Kochchha (Kachchha), (9) Padha (Pāņdya or Pauņdra) (10) Ladha (Lāța or Rādha), (11) Bajji (Vajji), (12) Moli (Alalla), (13) Käsi (Kāís), (14) Kosala (15) Avāha and (16) Sambhuttara (Sumhottara). 1. Saya XV, Uddessa I (Hoerule-the Urā, II, (ppendix).
