Janapada of Malla: Map & History
Malla was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe of north-eastern South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age.
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Malla was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe of north-eastern South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age. The population of Malla was divided into two branches, each organised into a gaṇasaṅgha, presently referred to as the Malla Republics, which were part of the larger Vajjika League.
Janapada of Malla in Depth
History
The Mallas were an Indo-Aryan tribe in the eastern Gangetic plain in the Greater Magadha cultural region. Similarly to the other populations of the Greater Magadha cultural area, Mallas were initially not fully Brahmanised despite being an Indo-Aryan people, but, like the Vaidehas, they later became Brahmanised and adopted the Vāseṭṭha (in Pali) or Vaśiṣṭha (in Sanskrit) gotra. At some point in time, the Mallas became divided into two separate republics with their respective capitals at Kusinārā and Pāvā, possibly due to internal trouble, and henceforth the relations between the two Malla republics remained uncordial.
Decline
The relations of the Licchavikas, who led the Vajjika League which the Mallas were part of, with their southern neighbour, the kingdom of Magadha, were initially good, and the wife of the Māgadhī king Bimbisāra was the Vesālia princess Vāsavī, who was the daughter of the Licchavika Nāyaka Sakala's son Siṃha. There were nevertheless occasional tensions between Licchavi and Magadha, such as the competition at the Malla capital of Kusinārā over acquiring the relics of the Buddha after his death.
In another case, the Licchavikas once invaded Māgadhī territory from across the Gaṅgā, and at some point the relations between Magadha and Licchavi permanently deteriorated as result of a grave offence committed by the Licchavikas towards the Māgadhī king Bimbisāra.
Location
The Mallas lived in the region now covered by the Kushinagar district in India, although their precise borders are yet to be determined. The Mallas' neighbours to the east across the Sadānirā river were the Licchavikas, their neighbours to the west were the Sakyas, Koliyas, Moriyas, and Kauśalyas, the southern neighbours of the Mallas were the Kālāmas and the Gaṅgā river, and the northern Malla borders were the Himālaya mountains. The territory of the Mallas was a tract of land between the Vaidehas and the Kauśalyas.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Malla (tribe) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Janapada of Malla: Key Facts
| Capital | Kushinagar |
|---|---|
| Founded | 6th century BCE |
| Dissolved | 3rd century BCE |
Facts from Wikidata Q1376303 (CC0).
Janapada of Malla Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Janapada of Malla appears, with the other states of the time.
Janapada of Malla Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 5,486 km² in 466 BCE.
Janapada of Malla: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Janapada of Malla exist?
Janapada of Malla is dated to 600 BCE – 451 BCE, in the Bronze & Iron Age Civilizations era.
What was the capital of Janapada of Malla?
The capital of Janapada of Malla was Kusinārā, Pāvā.
How large was Janapada of Malla at its peak?
At its peak in 466 BC Janapada of Malla covered about 5,486 km².
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