Home Region: North India (South Asia)

Mahajanapada era

600 BCE 324 BCE

D G SC WF

EQ 2020 in_mahajanapada / InMahaJ

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Succeeding Entity:

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General Description

The Mahajanapada era ran from 450-605 CE.
Information cannot be found in the sources consulted regarding the polity’s population, however the largest settlement is estimated to have had a population of between 12,000-48,000 people (based off the number of inhabitants of Rajagriha, the old Magadhan capital.) ^[1]
Excavations show there may been four types of settlements during this period, ranging from less than six hectares, up to fifty hectares, and other very small sites represented by simple ceramic findings, which may have been agricultural areas or farmsteads. ^[2]

[1]: (Kaul 2015b: 525) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/94XKJ54Q.

[2]: (Coningham and Young 2015: 380: 381) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/DIGG6KVA.

General Variables

Identity and Location

Temporal Bounds

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

Language

1 Linguistic Family

Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Population of the Largest Settlement

1 Polity Territory

1 Largest Communication Distance

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

1 Source Of Support

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Merit Promotion

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

1 Examination System

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Irrigation System

1 Drinking Water Supply System

Transport Infrastructure

1 Port

Special-purpose Sites

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

1 Non Phonetic Writing

1 Mnemonic Device

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Philosophy

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 History

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

1 Store Of Wealth

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

1 Long Wall

Military use of Metals

2 Steel

1 Iron

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Dog

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases Coding in Progress.

Power Transitions Coding in Progress.

Instability Events Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada) was in:
(600 BCE 325 BCE)	Middle Ganga

Home NGA: Middle Ganga

General Variables

Identity and Location Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Temporal Bounds Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Duration	[600 BCE ➜ 324 BCE]
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Political and Cultural Relations Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Language Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	NO_VALUE_ON_WIKI	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Religion Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	[12,000 to 48,000] people	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Polity Territory	- Undecided	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Largest Communication Distance	- Undecided	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Hierarchical Complexity Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	4	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Religious Level	2	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Military Level	4	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Administrative Level	4	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Professions Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Present	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Professional Priesthood	Present	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Professional Military Officer	Present	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Source Of Support	uncoded Undecided	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Absent Inferred	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Merit Promotion	Uncoded Undecided	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Absent Inferred	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Examination System	Uncoded Undecided	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Law Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Absent Inferred	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Judge	Absent Inferred	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Formal Legal Code	Absent Inferred	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Court	Absent Inferred	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Irrigation System	Present	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Drinking Water Supply System	Present	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Transport Infrastructure Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Port	Uncoded Undecided	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Special-purpose Sites Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Information / Writing System Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Absent	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Script	Unknown Suspected	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Absent Inferred	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Nonwritten Record	Present	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Non Phonetic Writing	Unknown Suspected	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Mnemonic Device	Uncoded Undecided	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Sacred Text	Absent	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Religious Literature	Absent Inferred	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Practical Literature	Absent Inferred	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Philosophy	Absent Inferred	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Unknown Suspected	600 BCE 324 BCE
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History	Absent Inferred	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Fiction	Unknown Suspected	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Calendar	Absent	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Information / Money Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Absent Inferred	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Precious Metal	Present	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Paper Currency	Absent Inferred	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Indigenous Coin	Absent Inferred	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Foreign Coin	Absent Inferred	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Article	Present	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Store Of Wealth	Uncoded Undecided	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Information / Postal System Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Absent Inferred	600 BCE 324 BCE
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General Postal Service	Absent Inferred	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Courier	Present	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Information / Measurement System Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Unknown Suspected	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Unknown Suspected	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Present Inferred	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Unknown Suspected	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Modern Fortification	Absent	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Moat	Present	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Fortified Camp	Unknown Suspected	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Earth Rampart	Present	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Ditch	Present	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Complex Fortification	Present	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Long Wall	absent	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Military use of Metals Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Unknown Suspected	600 BCE 451 BCE
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Steel	Present Inferred	450 BCE 300 BCE
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Iron	Present	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Bronze	Unknown Suspected	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Projectiles Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Absent	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Sling Siege Engine	Absent	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Sling	Present	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Self Bow	Present	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Javelin	Present	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Handheld Firearm	Absent	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Crossbow	Absent	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Composite Bow	Unknown Suspected	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Atlatl	Absent	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Handheld weapons Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Absent	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Sword	Present	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Spear	Present	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Polearm	Absent	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Dagger	Present	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Battle Axe	Present	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Animals used in warfare Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Present	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Elephant	Present	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Donkey	Absent	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Dog	Absent	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Camel	Absent	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Armor Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Unknown Suspected	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Shield	Present Inferred	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Scaled Armor	Absent	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Plate Armor	Absent	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Limb Protection	Present Inferred	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Leather Cloth	Unknown Suspected	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Laminar Armor	Absent	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Helmet	Unknown Suspected	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Chainmail	Absent	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Breastplate	Present Inferred	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Naval technology Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Absent	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Unknown Suspected	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Unknown Suspected	600 BCE 324 BCE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Human Sacrifice Mahajanapada era (in_mahajanapada)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More