political historyof 6th century B.C

                                                                                                                                                              The sixth century B.C was a time when there was many powerfull and independent states ,this century is regarded as a starting point of the political history of ancient India. We have Buddhist and Jain text (ANGUTTARA NIKAYA& BHAGAVATI SUTRA )from this we have come to know that there were sixteen states of great extent and power and were known as "SOLASA MAHAJANAPADA".These states were:-                                                                  1.kasi  2.kosala  3.Anga    4. magadha  5.vajji  6. malla  7..chedi   8.vatsa  9.kuru  10.panchala 11.matsya 12. sursena  13.asmaka 14.avanti 15.gandhara   16. kamboja..                                                                                                                                                                      These Mahajanapadas flourished together during a period posterior to Karala-janka but anterior to maha  kosala ,because one of them Vajji ,apparently rose to power after the fall of Videhan monarchy,while another namely ,Kasi      1.KASI   lost its indepndence before the timeof Mahakosala and formed an integral part of the kosalan empire in the latter half of the sixth century B.C. In Jain text Anga ,Magadha,Vatsa,Vajji,Kasi &kosala are common to both the lists.Of the sixteen Mahajanapadas KASI was probably at first the most powerful.The Mahavagga also mentions the fact that kasi was in former times a great  and prosperous relalm & immense resources.  The Jainas also witneesed   the greatness   of Kasi &its king Asvasena,( king of Benaras)  as his father  Tirthanker Parsva died in  250 years before Mahavira. The Jatakas & mahavagga clearly proves that Kasi was at one time  a great almost an imperial power,strongerthan manyof its neighbours  including Kosala.    2. KOSALA , it was bounded on the west by the Gumti ,on the south by the Sai river, on the east by theSadantra which seperated it from Videha kosala region gave rise to  Sramana movements ,including Jainism & Buddhism. Its capital was Sravasti , during the 5th century BCE, incorported the territory of the Sakya clan, to which the buddha belonged . In the time of king Mahakosala,the conquered neighboring kingdom of kasi had become an integral part of the Kosala kingdom.Mahakosala's daughter Kosaladevi married with king  Bimbisara ( of magadha) . the kosala kingdom was defited by Ajatsatru of the Magadhan Haryanka dynasy ,which formed the basis of the Mauryan empire.