This article is about the historical region of Avanti. For the kingdom in Indian epic literature, see Avanti Kingdom (Mahabharata).
Avanti (Sanskrit: अवन्ति) was an ancient IndianMahajanapada (Great Realm), roughly corresponding to the present-day Malwa region. According to the Buddhist texts, the Anguttara Nikaya, Avanti was one of the solasa mahajanapadas (sixteen great realms) of the 6th century BCE. The janapada was divided into two parts by the Vindhyas, the northern part had its capital at Ujjayini and the southern part had its centre at Mahishmati.[1][2]
Kingdom of Avanti
c. 700 BCE–c. 300 BCE
Avanti and other Mahajanapadas in the Post Vedic period.
The Avantis, the ancient people belonging to this realm, were described as mahavala (very powerful) in the Udyoga Parva (19.24) of the Mahabharata.[3] According to the Vishnu Purana (II.3), the Bhagavata Purana (XII.I.36) and the Brahma Purana (XIX.17), the Avantis were associated with the Malava, the Saurashtras, the Abhiras/Yadavas, the Suras, the Karushas and the Arbudas and were described as dwelling along the Pariyatra (or Paripatra) mountains[4][5] (a western branch of the Vindhyas).
The kingdom of Avanti covered a territory which included the region around the city of Ujjenī and the section of the Narmadā river valley between Māhissatī and Maheshwar, as well as some nearby areas.[6]
Avanti was divided into a northern and a southern part by the Vindhya mountains, with the northern section, which had its capital at Ujjenī, being drained by the Sipra river as well as other streams, while the southern section was drained by the Narmadā and had its capital at Māhissatī or Māhiṣmatī.[6]
The Haihayas of Mahishhmati
A silver coin of ½ karshapana from the kingdom of Avanti about 400-312 BC. Obv: Fish. Rev: empty. Dimensions: 10 x 9.32 mm. Weight: 1.7 g.
According to the Puranic accounts, the Haihayas were the earliest rulers of Avanti, who captured the region from the Nagas. Initially, they ruled from Mahishmati. Some accounts place Ujjayini as the capital of Avanti.[7] Later, the whole janapada was divided into two parts with the capitals at Mahishmati and Ujjayini. The Haihayas were a confederation of five clans, the Vitihotras, the Bhojas, the Avantis, the Tundikeras and the Sharyatas. Later, the Haihayas were better known by their dominant clan - the Vitihotras. Ripunjaya, the last Vitihotra ruler of Ujjayini was overthrown by his amatya (minister) Pulika, who placed his son, Pradyota on the throne.[8][9]
The Mahagovindasuttanta of the Dighanikaya mentions an Avanti king Vessabhu (Vishvabhu) and his capital Mahissati (Mahishmati). Probably he was a Vitihotra ruler.[10]
Pradyota was contemporary to Gautama Buddha.[11] He was also known as Chandapradyota Mahasena. Pradyota captured the Vatsa king Udayana but later he married his daughter Vasavadatta to Udayana. The Mahavagga described him as cruel and according to the Majjhima Nikaya, Ajātasattu, the king of Magadha fortified Rajagriha to protect it from an invasion led by Pradyota. He also waged war on Pushkarasarin, king of Takshashila[12] Pradyota's chief queen Gopalamata (mother of prince Gopala) was a disciple of Buddhist monk Mahakatyayana and constructed a stupa in Ujjayini.
Prodyota had two sons, Gopala and Palaka. He was succeeded by Palaka. According to Jaina accounts Palaka ascended to the throne on the day of passing away of Mahavira. According to the Kathasaritsagara and the Avashyaka Kathanaka, the kingdom of Vatsa was already a part of Avanti during the reign of Palaka and a prince of the royal family was the governor of Kaushambi. In the Mricchakatika, Palaka was described as a tyrant who was overthrown by a popular revolt. This revolt placed Aryaka on the throne of Ujjayini. The Puranas place Nadivardhana or Vartivardhana after Aryaka. But these names are probably corruptions of Avantivardhana, the name of the son of Palaka according to the Kathasaritsagara or the son of Gopala according to the Nepali Brihatkatha. He was defeated by Shishunaga, the king of Magadha.[13]
Avanti under Magadhan rule
A copper uninscribed coin of Ujjayini
Avanti was a part of the Magadha empire during the rule of the Shaishunaga and the Nanda dynasties. During the Maurya dynasty rule, Avanti became the Avantirāṭṭha[14] or the western province of the empire, with its capital at Ujjayini.[15] The Junagarh Rock inscription of Rudradaman I (150 CE) mentions Pushyagupta as the governor of the western province during the reign of Chandragupta Maurya.[16] During the reign of the next ruler Bindusara, prince Ashoka was the provincial governor.[17] After the fall of the Mauryas, at the time of Pushyamitra Shunga, his son Agnimitra was the Magadhan viceroy at Vidisha, but he ruled independent of Magadha for all practical purposes.[18]
The Malava kingdom is one of the many kingdoms ruled by the Yadava kings in the central and western India Malwa region that are mentioned in the Mahabharata.[19] Sometimes, Avanti and Malava were described to be the same country. They were originally a western tribe, located in the Punjab region of North-west India.[citation needed] Later, they migrated to the Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh states of India. In the recorded history of India, there was a royal tribe called Malavas that were believed to be the descendants of the Malavas.
^Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam (ed.). India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 74.
^Raizada, Ajit (1992). Ujjayini (in Hindi), Bhopal: Directorate of Archaeology & Museums, Government of Madhya Pradesh, p.21
^Raychaudhuri, H.C. (1972). Political History of Ancient India, Calcutta: University of Calcutta, pp.130-1
^Bhattacharyya, P. K. (1977). Historical Geography of Madhya Pradesh from Early Records. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 118–9. ISBN9788120833944. writer( sp ananth)
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This article is about the historical region of Avanti For the kingdom in Indian epic literature see Avanti Kingdom Mahabharata Avanti Sanskrit अवन त was an ancient Indian Mahajanapada Great Realm roughly corresponding to the present day Malwa region According to the Buddhist texts the Anguttara Nikaya Avanti was one of the solasa mahajanapadas sixteen great realms of the 6th century BCE The janapada was divided into two parts by the Vindhyas the northern part had its capital at Ujjayini and the southern part had its centre at Mahishmati 1 2 Kingdom of Avantic 700 BCE c 300 BCEAvanti and other Mahajanapadas in the Post Vedic period CapitalUjjayiniCommon languagesSanskritReligionHinduismBuddhismJainismGovernmentMonarchyMaharaja Historical eraBronze Age Iron Age Establishedc 700 BCE Disestablishedc 300 BCESucceeded byMalavasToday part ofIndiaThe Avantis the ancient people belonging to this realm were described as mahavala very powerful in the Udyoga Parva 19 24 of the Mahabharata 3 According to the Vishnu Purana II 3 the Bhagavata Purana XII I 36 and the Brahma Purana XIX 17 the Avantis were associated with the Malava the Saurashtras the Abhiras Yadavas the Suras the Karushas and the Arbudas and were described as dwelling along the Pariyatra or Paripatra mountains 4 5 a western branch of the Vindhyas Contents 1 Location 2 The Haihayas of Mahishhmati 3 Pradyota dynasty 4 Avanti under Magadhan rule 5 Malava Kingdom 6 See also 7 References 7 1 Citations 7 2 SourcesLocation EditThe kingdom of Avanti covered a territory which included the region around the city of Ujjeni and the section of the Narmada river valley between Mahissati and Maheshwar as well as some nearby areas 6 Avanti was divided into a northern and a southern part by the Vindhya mountains with the northern section which had its capital at Ujjeni being drained by the Sipra river as well as other streams while the southern section was drained by the Narmada and had its capital at Mahissati or Mahiṣmati 6 The Haihayas of Mahishhmati Edit A silver coin of karshapana from the kingdom of Avanti about 400 312 BC Obv Fish Rev empty Dimensions 10 x 9 32 mm Weight 1 7 g Main article Haihayas According to the Puranic accounts the Haihayas were the earliest rulers of Avanti who captured the region from the Nagas Initially they ruled from Mahishmati Some accounts place Ujjayini as the capital of Avanti 7 Later the whole janapada was divided into two parts with the capitals at Mahishmati and Ujjayini The Haihayas were a confederation of five clans the Vitihotras the Bhojas the Avantis the Tundikeras and the Sharyatas Later the Haihayas were better known by their dominant clan the Vitihotras Ripunjaya the last Vitihotra ruler of Ujjayini was overthrown by his amatya minister Pulika who placed his son Pradyota on the throne 8 9 The Mahagovindasuttanta of the Dighanikaya mentions an Avanti king Vessabhu Vishvabhu and his capital Mahissati Mahishmati Probably he was a Vitihotra ruler 10 Pradyota dynasty EditMain article Pradyota dynasty Pradyota was contemporary to Gautama Buddha 11 He was also known as Chandapradyota Mahasena Pradyota captured the Vatsa king Udayana but later he married his daughter Vasavadatta to Udayana The Mahavagga described him as cruel and according to the Majjhima Nikaya Ajatasattu the king of Magadha fortified Rajagriha to protect it from an invasion led by Pradyota He also waged war on Pushkarasarin king of Takshashila 12 Pradyota s chief queen Gopalamata mother of prince Gopala was a disciple of Buddhist monk Mahakatyayana and constructed a stupa in Ujjayini Prodyota had two sons Gopala and Palaka He was succeeded by Palaka According to Jaina accounts Palaka ascended to the throne on the day of passing away of Mahavira According to the Kathasaritsagara and the Avashyaka Kathanaka the kingdom of Vatsa was already a part of Avanti during the reign of Palaka and a prince of the royal family was the governor of Kaushambi In the Mricchakatika Palaka was described as a tyrant who was overthrown by a popular revolt This revolt placed Aryaka on the throne of Ujjayini The Puranas place Nadivardhana or Vartivardhana after Aryaka But these names are probably corruptions of Avantivardhana the name of the son of Palaka according to the Kathasaritsagara or the son of Gopala according to the Nepali Brihatkatha He was defeated by Shishunaga the king of Magadha 13 Avanti under Magadhan rule Edit A copper uninscribed coin of Ujjayini Avanti was a part of the Magadha empire during the rule of the Shaishunaga and the Nanda dynasties During the Maurya dynasty rule Avanti became the Avantiraṭṭha 14 or the western province of the empire with its capital at Ujjayini 15 The Junagarh Rock inscription of Rudradaman I 150 CE mentions Pushyagupta as the governor of the western province during the reign of Chandragupta Maurya 16 During the reign of the next ruler Bindusara prince Ashoka was the provincial governor 17 After the fall of the Mauryas at the time of Pushyamitra Shunga his son Agnimitra was the Magadhan viceroy at Vidisha but he ruled independent of Magadha for all practical purposes 18 Malava Kingdom EditMain article Malavas The Malava kingdom is one of the many kingdoms ruled by the Yadava kings in the central and western India Malwa region that are mentioned in the Mahabharata 19 Sometimes Avanti and Malava were described to be the same country They were originally a western tribe located in the Punjab region of North west India citation needed Later they migrated to the Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh states of India In the recorded history of India there was a royal tribe called Malavas that were believed to be the descendants of the Malavas See also EditJanapada Mahajanapada History of India Avanti Magadhan Wars History of Hinduism List of Indian monarchs List of Hindu Empires and DynastiesReferences EditCitations Edit Mahajan V D 1960 reprint 2007 Ancient India New Delhi S Chand ISBN 81 219 0887 6 p 233 Raychaudhuri H C 1972 Political History of Ancient India Calcutta University of Calcutta pp 85 129 30 Law B C 1973 Tribes in Ancient India Bhandarkar Oriental Series No 4 Poona Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute pp 337 43 Law B C 1973 Tribes in Ancient India Bhandarkar Oriental Series No 4 Poona Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute p 63 Gokhale B G 1962 Samudra Gupta Life and Times New Delhi Asia Publishing House p 18 a b Raychaudhuri 1953 p 144 146 Gopal Madan 1990 K S Gautam ed India through the ages Publication Division Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Government of India p 74 Raizada Ajit 1992 Ujjayini in Hindi Bhopal Directorate of Archaeology amp Museums Government of Madhya Pradesh p 21 Raychaudhuri H C 1972 Political History of Ancient India Calcutta University of Calcutta pp 130 1 Bhattacharyya P K 1977 Historical Geography of Madhya Pradesh from Early Records Delhi Motilal Banarsidass pp 118 9 ISBN 9788120833944 writer sp ananth Kailash Chand Jain 1972 p 99 Raychaudhuri H C 1972 Political History of Ancient India Calcutta University of Calcutta pp 179 81 Raychaudhuri H C 1972 Political History of Ancient India Calcutta University of Calcutta pp 192 5 Raychaudhuri H C 1972 Political History of Ancient India Calcutta University of Calcutta p 256 Thapar R 2001 Asoka and the Decline of the Mauryas New Delhi Oxford University Press ISBN 0 19 564445 X p 237 Thapar R 2001 Asoka and the Decline of the Mauryas New Delhi Oxford University Press ISBN 0 19 564445 X p 13 Thapar R 2001 Asoka and the Decline of the Mauryas New Delhi Oxford University Press ISBN 0 19 564445 X p 21 Lahiri B 1974 Indigenous States of Northern India Circa 200 B C to 320 A D Calcutta University of Calcutta p 49 Kisari Mohan Ganguli The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose 1883 1896 Sources Edit Jain Kailash Chand 1972 Malwa Through the Ages First ed Motilal Banarsidass ISBN 978 81 208 0805 8 Raychaudhuri Hemchandra 1953 Political History of Ancient India From the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of Gupta Dynasty University of Calcutta Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Avanti Ancient India amp oldid 1137391723, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
