Our main topic for today was the MAHAJANAPADAS(1500-1300BC) which is a Sanskrit word for the great foothold of the people(jana-people, pada-feet)There were 16 Mahajanapadas in total. Some of them are Magadha, Kashi, Gandhara, Avanti, Kuru, Kosala, Anga.
Sir made a small timeline on the history of India which really helped us understand the chronology. Mehrgarh( pre harappan period-7500BC) is the earliest known city in India after which comes the Indus Valley civilisation(7500-1500BC). Between 1500-1300 BC there were Vedic kingdoms(more like city states). Mahajanapadas were in this period. Sir kept of relating these events to the ones that we had previously studied which helped us understand the world history and what was going on in India during that period.
We spoke about the Nanda dynasty(490-232BC), Chandragupta Maurya and Kautilya(chanakya) and Ashoka.
ARTHASHASTRA : The Arthashastra is the title of a handbook for running an empire, written by Kautilya (also known as Chanakya, c. 350-275 BCE) an Indian statesman and philosopher, chief advisor and Prime Minister of the Indian Emperor Chandragupta, the first ruler of the Mauryan Empire. The title Arthashastra a Sanskrit word which is normally translated as The Science of Material Gain, although Science of Politics or Science of Political Economy are other accepted translations for Kautilya’s work.The Arthashastra summarizes the political thoughts of Kautilya. This book was lost for many centuries until a copy of it, written on palm leaves, was rediscovered in India in 1904 CE. This edition is dated to approximately 250 CE, many centuries after the time of Kautilya, but the main ideas in this book are largely his. The book contains detailed information about specific topics that are relevant for rulers who wish to run an effective government.
AYUSHI JAIN 