Political History of Ancient India, from the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty c9.s7.129

c9.s7.129

In the *Jātaka* stories the city is also called Kāla-Champā. The *Mahā-Janaka Jātaka*⁵ informs us that Champā was sixty leagues from Mithilā. The same *Jātaka* refers to its gate, watch-tower, and walls. Down to the time of Gautama Buddha's death it was considered as one of the six great cities of India, the other five being Rājagṛiha, Śrāvastī, Sāketa, Kauśāmbī, and Benares.⁶ Champā was noted for its wealth and commerce, and traders sailed from it to Suvarṇa-bhūmi in the Trans-Gangetic region for trading purposes.⁷ Hindu emigrants to southern Annam and Cochin China are supposed to have named their settlement after this famous Indian city.¹ Other important cities in Aṅga were Assapura (Aśvapura) and Bhaddiya (Bhadrika).²