Janapada of Anga: Map & History
Anga was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe of eastern South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age.
Wikipedia Encyclopedic Compendium
Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
Anga was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe of eastern South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age. The members of the Aṅga tribe were called the Āṅgeyas.
Janapada of Anga in Depth
Early history
Aṅga was first mentioned in the Atharvaveda, where it was connected to the Gāndhārīs, Mūjavats, and Māgadhīs. The founder of Aṅga might have been the king Aṅga Vairocana, who is mentioned in the Aitareya Brāhmaṇa as a ruler who had been consecrated by the Aryan ritual of Aindra mahābhiśeka.
Vedic literature such as the Baudhāyana Dharmasūtra nevertheless listed the Āṅgeyas with peoples described as being of "mixed origin."
Aṅga was a powerful kingdom at the time of the Aitareya Brāhmaṇa, which mentions the "world conquest" of one of the Āṅgeya kings. The Āṅgeya capital of Campā itself was counted until the time of the Buddha's death among the six most prominent cities of northern India, along with Rājagaha, Sāvatthī, Sāketa, Kosāmbī, and Vārāṇasī.
Later history
During his pilgrimage there in the end of the 4th century, the Chinese monk Faxian noted the numerous Buddhist temples that still existed in Campā, transliterated Chanpo in Chinese (瞻波 pinyin: Zhānbō; Wade–Giles: Chanpo). The kingdom of Aṅga by then had long ceased to exist; it had been known as Yāngjiā (鴦伽) in Chinese.
Location
Anga proper was located between the Champa river to the west and the Rajmahal hills to the east. However, at times, its territories did extend to the sea in the south, or included Magadha in the west.
The capital of Anga, named Champapuri, was located at the confluence of the Champa and Ganga rivers, and corresponds to the modern-day area of Champapuri and Champanagar in Bhagalpur the eastern part of the Indian state of Bihar. According to the Jatakas, Champa was also called Kala-Champa, while Puranic texts claim its ancient name was Malini.
The other important cities within the Anga kingdom included Assapura (Sanskrit: Ashvapura) and Bhaddiya (Sanskrit: Bhadrika).
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Anga (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Janapada of Anga: Key Facts
| Capital | Champapuri |
|---|---|
| Form of government | monarchy |
| Founded | 11th century BCE |
| Dissolved | 5th century BCE |
Preceded by
- Anga
Facts from Wikidata Q1155818 (CC0).
Janapada of Anga Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 5,578 km² in 516 BCE.
Janapada of Anga: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Janapada of Anga exist?
Janapada of Anga is dated to 600 BCE – 501 BCE, in the Bronze & Iron Age Civilizations era.
What was the capital of Janapada of Anga?
The capital of Janapada of Anga was Champapuri (near modern Bhagalpur) and Malini (near modern Munger), Bihar.
How large was Janapada of Anga at its peak?
At its peak in 516 BC Janapada of Anga covered about 5,578 km².
Other Sovereign Realms
Classical Antiquity • Capital: Persepolis, Pasargadae, Susa, Babylon
Bronze Age Civilizations • Capital: Memphis
Classical Antiquity • Capital: Pataliputra
Classical Antiquity • Capital: Pella, Babylon