Question

Define Janapada and Mahajanapada.

Answer 1

Explanation:
Janapada:

• Start with saying it’s an establishment and mention the region and time period
• Try to break down into the two root Sanskrit words

Mahajanapadas:

• Associate with Janapada (Maha + Janapada)
• Mention number of Mahajanapadas
• Name the four important Mahajanpadas

Solution:
Janapada means the establishments of North-India where people live. During 600 B.C., both republican and monarchical Janapadas existed.
Mahajanapada as the word suggests is made of two root words – Maha (Great) and Janapada. The powerful states among Janapadas were known as Mahajanapadas. According to Jain and Buddhist literature, there were a total of sixteen Mahajanapadas. Some of the important Mahajanapadas were Magadha, Kosala, Vatsa and Avanti.