11/03/2020- ANCIENT INDIAN COINS- MAHAJANAPADAS- 11.Vajji Mahajanapada

ഇന്നത്തെ പഠനം
അവതരണം	Augustine Stephen D'souza
വിഷയം	ANCIENT INDIAN COINS
ലക്കം	61

16 MAHAJANAPADAS
11. Vajji Mahajanapada

Vajji or Vrijji Mahajanapada was located north of Ganges in the region of Mithila in Bihar and extended upto the Madhesh region. On the west, Gandaki river was probably the boundary between Vajji and Malla Mahajanapadas and possibly also it separated it from the Kosala Mahajanapada. On the east, its territory probably extended upto the forests along the bank of the rivers Koshi and Mahananda. The capital of this Mahajanapada was Vaishali. During their lifetimes, both Mahavira Jain and Gautama Buddha visited Vaishali several times. Other important towns and villages were Kundapura or Kundagrama (a suburb of Vaishali), Bhoganagara and Hatthigama.

The rulers of Vajji were a confederacy of eight clans (ashtakula) of whom the Vajjis, the Licchavis, the Jnatrikas and the Vidhehas were the most important. The identities of the other four clans are not certain. However, in a passage of the Sutrakritanka (Jain canonical text), the Ugras, the Bhogas, the Kauravas and Aikshvakas are associated with the Jnatrikas and Licchavis as the subject of the same ruler and members of the same assembly. 

Coinage of Vajji Mahajanapada is similar to coins attributed to Shakya - Ayodhya - Licchavi Janapada, with coins find spot being Narham in Utter Pradesh at the Ghaghara - Gandak river valley region.