Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c9.4

c9.4

The Buddhist literature speaks of sixteen Mahā-Janapadas stretching from Kamboja in the Pamir to Aśmaka with capital at Pratiṣṭhāna (Paithan) on the Godāvarī. The Jaina literature also mentions 24 Janapadas. The Purāṇas go further and give a longer list of more than 100 names beginning from Kamboja in the north to Aṅga-Vaṅga in the east and from Sauvīra in the west to Aparānta, Mūshika and Māhishaka in the south. I have discussed at length the cultural elements and the political background of the Janapadas in my book *India as known to Pāṇini*, (ch. II. pp. 48-74).