The country now called India was once divided into 56 kingdoms. The borders of the kingdom are often marked by rivers, sometimes even forests and mountain ranges also forms the borders between two neighboring kingdoms.
A main city in the kingdom will act like a capital with the king and the courtsmen reside to administer the kingdom. Tax was collected by the officers appointed by the king from these villages and towns. What the king offered in return to these villages and towns was protection from the attack of other kings and robber tribes, as well as from invading foreign nomadic tribes. The king also enforced code and order in his kingdom by punishing the guilty.
There was no border security for a kingdom and border disputes were very rare. One king might conduct a military campaign (often designated as Digvijaya meaning victory over all the directions) and defeat another king in a battle, lasting for a day. The defeated king would acknowledge the supremacy of the victorious king. The defeated king might sometimes be asked to give a tribute to the victorious king. Such tribute would be collected only once, not on a periodic basis. The defeated king, in most cases, would be free to rule his own kingdom, without maintaining any contact with the victorious king.
Kingdoms of Ancient India:
1. Kuru
2. Soorasena
3. Kundhi
4. Kundhala
5. Virada
6. Matsya
7. Thirikartha
8. Kekaya
9. Bahliha
10. Kosala
11. Panjala
12. Nishada
13. Nishaadha
14. Sedhi
15. Dhasarna
16. Vidharbha
17. Avanti
18. Malava
19. Konkana/Sourashtra
20. Koorjara
21. Aabira
22. Salva
23. Sindhu
24. Sowveera
25. Parsi
26. Vanayu
27. Barbara
28. Kiradha
29. Gandhara
30. Mathura
31. Kashmir
32. Kamboja
33. Nepal
34. Araata
35. Vidheha
36. Parvatha
37. China
38. Saamarooba
39. Prakjothisha
40. Simma
41. Utkala
42. Vanga
43. Anga
44. Maghadha
45. Hehaya
46. Kalinga
47. Andhra
48. Yavana
49. Maharashtra
50. Kulintha
51. Dravida
52. Chola
53. Simmala
54. Pandya
55. Kerala
56. Karnataka
Sri Ram,
ReplyDeleteArya,
You have done a very good job in posting 56 rajyalu. Now let us know what are the present names of those kingdoms. My Id is raghavendrudu@gmail.com - Please give a reply. R Rao
Shatpanchāshat rāśtrās of Bharatavarśa
ReplyDeletePlease make a map on this topic
shatpanchaashat dēśās(56 countries of Bharatavarśa)
1.Saurāśtra
2. Gurjarādēśa/gōparāśtra
3. Kunti
4. Chedi
5.Avanti
6.Malava/MāLva
7.Dasarna
8.PuliNDa
9.Vidarbha
10.Anupa
11.Shurapāka
12.Konkana(southern konkan region of Maharaśtra)
13.DaNDakā
14.Vraji
15.Gandhāra(Afghanistan)
16.Pallava
17.Āndhrakā/āndhra
18.Kiśkindha(KA)
19.PāNDya/pāndiya nādu(TN)
20.ChōLa/chōla Nadu (TN)
21.Taulava dēśa/TuLu NāDu/satiyaputra/Tulunga(Gokarna to neeleshwara)
22.Chēra/kēraLaputra
23.Telinga(telangana)
24.Gōmantaka/Goapuri(goa till gangavalli river)
25.KārnāTa(North Karnataka and some parts of southern Maharāśtra)
26. Mahiśaka/erumai Nādu(Old Mysore region)
27.Kolaputra/krōDha dēśa/kudaku Nādu(greater coorg)
28.SinhaLēndra/Lankā
29.Pānchāla
30.Kuninda
31.Kinnara
32.Kosala
33.Matsya
34.Nehpa(nepal)
35.Kaśmīra
36.Dravida
37.Kekeya
38.Sindhu
39.Kambōja(cambodia/Kampuchea)
40.Kasi(Banaras)
41.Malla
42.Kuru
43.Vatsa/vamsa
44.Magadha
45.Gaya
46.Videha
47.Anga
48.Pragjyōtiśa
49.Vanga/banga
50.Pundra
51.KaLinga
52.Odra(some parts odiśa)
53.Sōnita
54.Utkala
55.Saraswata
56.Dwārikā
Political system was not a state system like the West. Most of the city kingdoms were cheiftaincies with the Samantas accepting the suzerainty of one strong king among the kingdoms. All the kingdoms were following one chatra chaya of Dharma Sastras and as Budhha narrated
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