The Mahajanapadas and the Upanishads: 600 BC to 345 BC

This chapter chronicles the development of dynastic rule, economy, politics, ideological beliefs and practices in the Indo-Gangetic Plain during the time of the Mahajanapadas (600 BC and 345 BC). The chapter begins with a comparison of the Mesopotamian Civilisation, Vedic religion and Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC) in terms of their timelines, religious deities and social ordering. It is followed by an introduction to the Mahajanapadas, which came into existence after the Vedic Age as a consequence of expanding Vedic rule in the sub-continent. Mahajanapadas initially comprised 16 kingdoms and republics and were also the historical backdrops for the Hindu epics—the Mahabharata and Ramayana. The Mahabharata contains the philosophies of morality (Bhagavad Gita) and statecraft while the Ramayana recounts the story of Lord Rama as evidence of the eventual triumph of good over evil. Each kingdom had a ruler, fortified capital, military and a system of taxation and governance while the republics were self-governed. Over time kingdoms were absorbed by one another to form the state of Magadha. Overall the Mahajanapadas was a period that promoted state building, economic prosperity, trade and free thinking. Free thinking led to the spread of Buddhism and Jainism to promote social mobility and equality. Gautama Buddha was brought up in the Magadha Kingdom. The Nanda Dynasty was the most successful dynasty in terms of its dramatic ascension in power, size and territory (discussed in more detail in the next chapter). Nanda King had Sudras (lowest Hindu class) lineage and also adopted Jainism. Around 324 BC, Chandragupta Maurya established the Mauryan Empire by overthrowing the Nanda Empire with the help of his advisor Kautilya. Kautilya wrote an Arthashastra—a framework for statecraft and economic development. Several pieces of writing depict the socio-economic landscape of the Mahajanapadas period. Panini’s Ashtadhyayi, a historical treatise of grammar for Sanskrit, provides insight into the linguistic, economic and political development in ancient India between 5 BC and 4 BC. The Gautama Dharmasutra also indicates increasing diversification in economic productivity during this period. In particular both writings demonstrate the presence of various agrarian and non-agrarian industries, the emergence of economic rather than religious class structures and the presence of extensive trade. The Astadhyayl evidences the presence of daily words for money, usury, profits and loans, categories of businessmen and major trading routes. These trading routes called Uttarapatha and Dakshinapatha also signalled a high degree of economic integration between the Mahajanapadas and other empires. Darius I is also referenced in relation to the development of trade routes linking southern Iran to the Indus Delta and the Achaemenid Empire from 6 BC to 5 BC, which played a role in promoting trade during the Mahajanapadas. Overall the chapter provides insights into the origin of economic diversification, expanding trade routes and the rise of national building and free thinking in India.