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{{about|the historical kingdom}}
{{Short description|Ancient kingdom of India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2013}}
{{about|the historical kingdom|Cultural, linguistic, and historical region of Bihar, India|Angika#Anga Region}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox former country
{{Infobox former country
| native_name               =  
| native_name           =  
| conventional_long_name               = Anga
| conventional_long_name = Aṅga
| common_name               = Anga
| common_name           = Anga
| era               = [[Bronze Age]], [[Iron Age]]
| era                   = [[Iron Age]]
| government_type               = [[Monarchy]]
| government_type       = [[Monarchy]]
| year_start               = unknown (~1100 BCE)
| year_start             = Unknown (~1100 BCE)
| year_end               = c. 500 BCE
| year_end               = c. 530 BCE
| s2                = Mahajanapadas, Janapadas
| s1                    = Haryanka dynasty{{!}}Magadha
| image_map               = Late Vedic Culture (1100-500 BCE).png
| image_map             = Late Vedic Culture (1100-500 BCE).png
| image_map2               = Mahajanapadas (c. 500 BCE).png
| image_map2             = Mahajanapadas (c. 500 BCE).png
| image_map2_caption               = Anga and other Mahajanapadas in the Post Vedic period.
| image_map2_caption     = Aṅga and other Mahajanapadas in the Post Vedic period<br />Aṅga is the easternmost, south of [[Vajjika League|Vajji]] and east of [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]]
| image_map_alt               = Anga
| image_map_alt         = Anga
| image_map_caption               = Anga and other kingdoms of the late [[Vedic period]]
| image_map_caption     = Aṅga and other kingdoms of the late [[Vedic period]]
| capital                = [[Champapuri]] (near modern [[Bhagalpur]]) and [[Malinipuri|Malini]] (near modern [[Munger]]), Bihar
| capital                = [[Champapuri]] (near modern [[Bhagalpur]]) and [[Malinipuri|Malini]] (near modern [[Munger]]), Bihar
| Angika_languages               =  
| Angika_languages       =  
| religion               = [[Historical Vedic religion|Vedic]] [[Hinduism]]
| religion               = [[Historical Vedic religion]]<br>[[Jainism]]<br>[[Buddhism]]
| currency               =  
| currency               =  
| title_leader               = [[Raja]] (King or Chief)
| title_leader           = [[Raja]] (King)
| today               =  
| leader_name1          = [[Karna]]<br>[[Brahmadatta of Anga|Brahmadatta]]
| year_leader1          = mid 6th century BCE
| today                 =  
| demonym                =  
| demonym                =  
| area_km2               =  
| area_km2               =  
| area_rank               =  
| area_rank             =  
| GDP_PPP                =  
| GDP_PPP                =  
| GDP_PPP_year               =  
| GDP_PPP_year           =  
| HDI               =  
| HDI                   =  
| HDI_year               =  
| HDI_year               =  
}}
}}
{{History of Bihar}}
{{History of Bengal|Ancient}}
{{History of Bengal|Ancient}}
'''Anga''' was an ancient Indian kingdom that flourished on the eastern [[Indian subcontinent]] and one of the sixteen [[mahajanapadas]] ("large state").{{sfn|Jha|1999|p=78}} It lay to the east of its neighbour and rival, [[Magadha]], and was separated from it by the river Champa in the modern day [[Bhagalpur]] and [[ Munger]] in the state of [[Bihar]]. The capital of Anga was located on the bank of this river and was also named [[Champapuri|Champa and Malini]]. It was prominent for its wealth and commerce.{{sfn|Jha|1999|p=79}} Anga was annexed by Magadha in the 6th century BCE.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}
'''Anga'''{{efn|{{langx|sa|अङ्ग}}, {{IAST3|Aṅga}}}} was an ancient [[Indo-Aryan peoples|Indo-Aryan]] [[tribe]] of eastern [[South Asia]] whose existence is attested during the [[Iron Age in India|Iron Age]]. The members of the Aṅga tribe were called the '''Āṅgeyas'''.{{sfn|Raychaudhuri|1953|p=106-110}}


Counted among the "sixteen great nations" in [[Buddhist texts]] like the [[Anguttara Nikaya]], Anga also finds mention in the Jain [[Vyakhyaprajnapti]]’s list of ancient [[janapadas]]. Some sources note that the Angas were grouped with people of ‘mixed origin’,<ref>''Bodhayana Dharma Sutra''</ref>{{full citation needed|date=June 2017}} generally in the later ages.
Counted among the "sixteen great nations" in [[Buddhist texts]] like the [[Anguttara Nikaya]], Aṅga also finds mention in the Jain [[Vyakhyaprajnapti]]'s list of ancient [[janapadas]].
 
==Location==
Annga proper was located between the [[Chandan River|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 (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]] in the west.{{sfn|Raychaudhuri|1953|p=106-110}}
 
The capital of Anga, named Campā, was located at the confluence of the Champa and [[Ganges|Ganga]] rivers, and corresponds to the modern-day area of [[Champapuri|Champapuri]] and Champanagar in [[Bhagalpur]] the eastern part of the Indian state of [[Bihar|Bihar]]. According to the [[Jataka tales|{{transliteration|pi|Jataka}}]]s, Champa was also called Kala-Champa, while [[Puranas|Puranic texts]] claim its ancient name was Malini.{{sfn|Raychaudhuri|1953|p=106-110}}
 
The other important cities within the Anga kingdom included {{transliteration|pi|Assapura}} ([[Sanskrit]]: {{transliteration|sa|Ashvapura}}) and {{transliteration|pi|Bhaddiya}} ([[Sanskrit]]: {{transliteration|sa|Bhadrika}}).{{sfn|Raychaudhuri|1953|p=106-110}}


== Etymology ==
== Etymology ==
According to the [[Mahabharata]] (I.104.53-54) and [[Puranic]] literature, ''Anga'' was named after Prince Anga, the founder of the kingdom, and the son of Vali, who had no sons. So, he requested the sage, Dirghatamas, to bless him with sons. The sage is said to have begotten five sons through his wife, the queen Sudesna.<ref name=vayu>{{cite book|title=Cultural History from the Vāyu Purāna|year=1946|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Pub.|pages=46|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jmnm-smZm6oC&lpg=PA46 |author=Devendrakumar Rajaram Patil|isbn=9788120820852}}</ref> The princes were named Anga, [[Vanga Kingdom#References in Mahabharata|Vanga]], [[Kalinga (Mahabharata)|Kalinga]], [[Suhma Kingdom#References in Mahabharata|Sumha]] and [[Pundra Kingdom#References in Mahabharata|Pundra]].<ref name=enHindu>{{cite book|title=Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World, Volume 1|year=1992|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w9pmo51lRnYC&q=Bali+Kalinga+Vanga&pg=PA18|author=Gaṅgā Rām Garg|isbn=9788170223740|access-date=28 October 2012}} The prince Vanga founded [[Vanga Kingdom|Vanga kingdom]], in the current day region of southern [[Bangladesh]] and the eastern part of southern [[West Bengal]]. The prince Kalinga founded the kingdom of [[Kalinga (historical kingdom)|Kalinga]], in the current day region of coastal Orissa, including the North Sircars. Also the price Pundra founded [[Pundra Kingdom|Pundra]] consisting of the northern regions of [[West Bengal]] and [[Bangladesh]]. The prince [[Suhma]] founded [[Suhma Kingdom]] in the western part of southern [[West Bengal]].</ref>
According to the [[Mahabharata]] (I.104.53–54) and [[Puranic]] literature, ''Aṅga'' was named after Prince Anga, the founder of the kingdom, and the son of Vali, who had no sons. So, he requested the sage, Dirghatamas, to bless him with sons. The sage is said to have begotten five sons through his wife, the queen Sudesna.<ref name=vayu>{{cite book|title=Cultural History from the Vāyu Purāna|year=1946|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Pub.|pages=46|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jmnm-smZm6oC&pg=PA46 |author=Devendrakumar Rajaram Patil|isbn=9788120820852}}</ref> The princes were named Aṅga, [[Vanga kingdom#References in the Mahabharata|Vaṅga]], [[Kalinga (Mahabharata)|Kaliṅga]], [[Suhma kingdom#References in Mahabharata|Sumha]] and [[Pundra kingdom#References in Mahabharata|Pundra]].<ref name=enHindu>{{cite book|title=Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World, Volume 1|year=1992|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w9pmo51lRnYC&q=Bali+Kalinga+Vanga&pg=PA18|author=Gaṅgā Rām Garg|isbn=9788170223740}} The prince Vaṅga founded [[Vanga kingdom|Vaṅga kingdom]], in the current day region of southern [[Bangladesh]] and the eastern part of southern [[West Bengal]]. The prince Kalinga founded the kingdom of [[Kalinga (historical kingdom)|Kalinga]], in the current day region of coastal Orissa, including the North Sircars. Also the price Pundra founded [[Pundra kingdom|Pundra]] consisting of the northern regions of [[West Bengal]] and [[Bangladesh]]. The prince [[Suhma]] founded [[Suhma kingdom]] in the western part of southern [[West Bengal]].</ref>
 
The [[Ramayana]] (1.23.14) narrates the origin of name ''Anga'' as the place where Kamadeva was burnt to death by Siva and where his body parts (''angas'') are scattered.<ref>[http://www.valmikiramayan.net/bala/sarga23/bala_23_frame.htm Balakanda Book I, Chapter 23]</ref>


== History ==
The [[Ramayana]] (1.23.14) narrates the origin of name ''Aṅga'' as the place where Kamadeva was burnt to death by Siva and where his body parts (''aṅgas'') are scattered.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.valmikiramayan.net/bala/sarga23/bala_23_frame.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221103150640/http://www.valmikiramayan.net/bala/sarga23/bala_23_frame.htm|archive-date=November 3, 2022 |title=Bala Kanda Book I, Chapter 23}}</ref>


The earliest mention occurs in the [[Atharvaveda]] (V.22.14) where they are listed alongside the [[Magadhan|''Magadhas'']], [[Gandhara|''Gandharis'']] and the ''Mujavatas'', as examples of faraway places to "dispel fevers" to. Puranic texts place the janapadas of the Angas, [[Kalinga (historical kingdom)|Kalingas]], Vangas, Pundras (or [[Pundra Kingdom]] - now some part of Eastern [[Bihar]], [[West Bengal]] and [[Bangladesh]]), Vidarbhas, and [[Vindhya]]-vasis in the ''Purva-Dakshina'' division.<ref>The ''[[Garuda Purana]]'' 55.12; V.D. I.9.4; the ''[[Markendeya Purana]]'' 56.16-18</ref>
== Early history ==
Aṅga was first mentioned in the [[Atharvaveda|{{transliteration|sa|Atharvaveda}}]], where it was connected to the [[Gandhara|Gāndhārī]]s, Mūjavats, and [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Māgadhī]]s. The founder of Aṅga might have been the king Aṅga Vairocana, who is mentioned in the [[Aitareya Brahmana|{{transliteration|sa|Aitareya Brāhmaṇa}}]] as a ruler who had been consecrated by the Aryan ritual of {{transliteration|sa|Aindra mahābhiśeka}}.{{sfn|Raychaudhuri|1953|p=106-110}}


The Puranas also list several early kings of Anga. The ''Mahagovinda Suttanta'' refers to king Dhatarattha of Anga. Jain texts refer to Dhadhivahana, as a ruler of the Angas. Puranas and Harivamsa represent him as the son and immediate successor of ''Anga'', the eponymous founder of the kingdom. [[Jain]] traditions place him at the beginning of 6th century BCE.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}} According to the [[Mahabharata]] (Adi Parv, Section CXXXVIII), [[Duryodhana]] had named [[Karna]] the King of Anga.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sacred-Texts: Hinduism|url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/maha/index.htm|website=www.sacred-texts.com|access-date=2020-05-18}}</ref>
Vedic literature such as the {{transliteration|sa|Baudhāyana Dharmasūtra}} nevertheless listed the Āṅgeyas with peoples described as being of "mixed origin."{{sfn|Raychaudhuri|1953|p=106-110}}


Between the Vatsas and the realm of Anga, lived the [[Magadhas]], who initially were comparatively a weak people. A great struggle went on between the Angas and its eastern neighbours. The ''Vidhura Pandita Jataka'' describes [[Rajagriha]] (the Magadhan Capital) as the city of Anga and Mahabharata also refers to a sacrifice performed by the king of Anga at ''Mount Vishnupada'' (at [[Gaya, India|Gaya]]). This indicates that Anga had initially succeeded in annexing the Magadhas and thus its borders extended to the kingdom of [[Matsya]] country.
Aṅga was a powerful kingdom at the time of the {{transliteration|sa|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 [[Rajgir|Rājagaha]], [[Shravasti|Sāvatthī]], [[Sāketa]], [[Kosambi|Kosāmbī]], and [[Varanasi|Vārāṇasī]].{{sfn|Raychaudhuri|1953|p=106-110}}


This success of Angas did not last long. About the middle of 6th century BCE, [[Bimbisara]], the crown prince of Magadha had killed Brahmadatta, the last independent king of Anga and seized Champa. Bimbisara made it as his headquarters and ruled over it as his father's Viceroy. Thenceforth, Anga became an integral part of growing Magadha empire (PHAI, 1996).{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}
During the Iron Age, Aṅga expanded to include Vaṅga within its borders, with the capital city of Campā being a wealthy commercial centre from where traders sailed to [[Suvarnabhumi|Suvarṇabhūmi]]. According to the [[Kathasaritsagara|{{transliteration|sa|Kathā-sarit-sāgara}}]], the Āṅgeya city of Viṭaṅkapura was located on the shores of the sea.{{sfn|Raychaudhuri|1953|p=106-110}}


== Location ==
During the 6th century BCE, the king of Aṅga was Dadhivāhana,{{sfn|Raychaudhuri|1953|p=106-110}} who was married to the [[Licchavi (tribe)|Licchavika]] princess Padmāvatī, who was herself the daughter of the consul of the Licchavika republic, [[Chetaka|Ceṭaka]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Deo |first=Shantaram Bhalchandra |date=1956 |title=History of Jaina Monachism from Inscriptions and Literature |location=[[Pune]], [[India]] |publisher=[[Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute]] |page=71 |isbn=978-9-333-68377-7 }}</ref> Ceṭaka's sister [[Trishala|Trisalā]] was the mother 24th [[Jainism|Jain]] [[Tirthankara|Tīrthaṅkara]], [[Mahavira|Mahāvīra]], thus making Ceṭaka his uncle and Padmāvatī his cousin; Ceṭaka himself had become an adept of the teachings of Mahāvīra and made the Licchavika capital of [[Vaishali (ancient city)|Vesālī]] a bastion of Jainism, and the marriages of his daughters contributed to the spreading of Jainism across northern India.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jain |first=Kailash Chand |date=1974 |title=Lord Mahāvīra and His Times |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.72385 |location=[[Delhi]], [[India]]  |publisher=[[Motilal Banarsidass]] |page=67 |isbn=978-8-120-80805-8}}</ref> The daughter of Dadhivāhana and Padmāvatī, Candanā or Candrabālā, became the first woman convert to Jainism shortly after Mahāvīra attained [[Kevala jnana|{{transliteration|sa|Kevala}}]].{{sfn|Raychaudhuri|1953|p=106-110}}
[[File:Mahajanapadas (c. 500 BCE).png|thumb|The 16 Mahajanpadas; Anga is the easternmost, south of [[Vrijji]] and east of [[Magadha]]]]
[[File:North India in 540 BCE.png|thumb|Map depicting 16 [[mahajanapada]]s kingdoms and other kingdoms of [[vedic era]] India in 540 BCE.]]
{{HistoryOfSouthAsia}}


''Sabhaparava'' of Mahabharata (II.44.9) mentions Anga and [[Vanga Kingdom|Vanga]] as forming one country. The ''Katha-Sarit-Sagara'' also attests that Vitankapur, a city of Anga was situated on the shores of the sea. Thus the boundaries of Anga may have extended to the sea in the east. Anga was bounded by river [[Koshi River|Kaushiki]] on the north.<ref>[https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-mahabharata-third-book/d/doc7389.html Mahabharata Tirthayatra Parva CX]</ref>
Under Dadhivāhana's rule, Aṅga had conquered its western neighbour, the state of [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]], hence why the {{transliteration|pi|Vidhura Paṇḍita Jātaka}} described the Māgadhī capital of Rājagaha as a city of Aṅga.{{sfn|Raychaudhuri|1953|p=106-110}} This conquest brought Aṅga in direct contact with Magadha's western neighbour [[Vatsa]], whose king Śatānīka attacked the Āṅgeya capital of Campā out of fear of Dadhivāhana's expansionism. Dadhivāhana instead sought friendly relations with Vatsa, and he gave his daughter in marriage to Śatānīka's son, [[Udayana (king)|Udayana]].{{sfn|Raychaudhuri|1953|p=106-110}} After Śatānīka's death from dysentery at the same time as a campaign against Vatsa was being carried out by the king [[Pradyota]] of [[Avanti (Ancient India)|Avanti]], the latter became the overlord of Vatsa, and Udayana lived as a captive at the court of Pradyota, in [[Ujjain|Ujjenī]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Smith |first=R. Morton |date=1957 |title=On the Ancient Chronology of India (II) |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/596129 |journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society |volume=77 |issue=4 |pages=266–280 |doi= 10.2307/596129|jstor=596129|url-access=subscription }}</ref>


== Capital ==
During Udayana's captivity, the state of [[Kalinga (historical region)|Kaliṅga]] attacked Aṅga and took Dadhivāhana captive. It was once Pradyota had restored Udayana to his throne, after the latter's marriage to his daughter Vāsavadattā, that Udayana was able to defeat Kaliṅga and restore Dadhivāhana on the Āṅgeya throne, and Dadhivāhana's daughter Priyadarśikā was married to Udayana; according to the later play [[Priyadarsika|{{transliteration|sa|Priyadarśikā}}]], which itself rests on historical records,{{sfn|Raychaudhuri|1953|p=203}} the Āṅgeya chamberlain took brought her into the refuge of the forest-king Vindhyaketu, from where she was captured by Udayana's army and, given the name Āraṇyikā ("she who is from the forest") after being assumed to be Vindhyaketu's daughter, was brought to Vatsa to become servant of Vāsavadattā, and later married Udayana after the Āṅgeya chamberlain recognised her as once Udayana had defeated Kaliṅga.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Davane |first=G. V. |title=The Legend of Udayana |date=1957 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/42930814 |journal=Bulletin of the Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute |volume=18 |pages=344–373 |jstor=42930814}}</ref>
The capital of Anga was [[Champapuri|Champa]] ({{IAST3|Campā}},{{sfn|Jha|1999|p=79}} formerly known as Malini{{sfn|Malalasekera|2003|loc=Campā}}), one of the greatest cities of the 6th century BCE. It was situated at the confluence of the [[Ganga]] and the Champa (now probably the [[Chandan River|Chandan]]) rivers.{{sfn|Singh|2008|p=262}} It was a notable centre of trade and commerce and its merchants have been described as sailing to distant [[Suvarnabhumi]] (probably in Southeast Asia).{{sfn|Singh|2008|p=262}} Mahabharata tradition places it on river [[Koshi River|Kaushiki]].<ref>[https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-mahabharata-third-book/d/doc7392.html Mahabharata Tirthayatra Parva]</ref> The city has been linked with the present-day villages of Champapur and Champanagar about {{convert|5|km|miles}}west of [[Bhagalpur]] in the state of southern [[Bihar]].{{sfn|Singh|2008|pp=262,284}}{{sfn|Malalasekera|2003|loc=Campā}} Archaeologically, the ancient city had an occupation of the [[Northern Black Polished Ware]] culture, with a surrounding fortification and moat.{{sfn|Singh|2008|pp=384}}


During his pilgrimage there in the end of the 4th century, the Chinese monk [[Faxian]] noted the numerous Buddhist temples that still existed in the city, transliterated ''Chanpo'' in Chinese (瞻波 {{zh | hp=Zhānbō| w=Chanpo}}){{#tag:ref|Campā (Indian, not Vietnamese) was also transliterated, besides 瞻波, in the records as Zhanbopo (瞻博婆) and Zhanpo (瞻婆、瞻匐、瞻蔔、詹波、闡蔔、閻波、占波)<ref name=BL>佛光電子大辭典 (''Buddha's Light Electronic Dictionary''). Taiwan: Buddha's Light Publishing ([[Fo Guang Shan]])</ref>|group="N.B."}}. The kingdom of Anga by then had long ceased to exist; it had been known as Yāngjiā (鴦伽) in Chinese.{{#tag:ref|Anga was also transliterated, besides 鴦伽, in the records as 鴦迦 (different [[radical (Chinese)|radical]] for ''jiā''), 泱伽 (same pronunciation), Yāngjué (鴦掘), Àng'é (盎誐). Sometimes by [[metonymy]], the kingdom would be called the ‘State of Champa’‘’, ''i.e''., 瞻波國.<ref name=BL/>|group="N.B."}}
Aṅga's prosperity ended when, in the middle of the 6th century BCE, the Māgadhī crown prince [[Bimbisāra|Bimbisāra Śreṇika]] avenged his father's defeat against Aṅga by defeating and killing the Āṅgeya king [[Brahmadatta of Anga|Brahmadatta]], after which Aṅga became part of the Māgadhī empire, and Campā became the seat of a Māgadhī viceroy.{{sfn|Raychaudhuri|1953|p=106-110}}{{sfn|Raychaudhuri|1953|p=117}}


==List of rulers==
== Later history ==
{{unreferenced section|date=June 2017}}
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 {{transliteration|zh|Chanpo}} in Chinese (瞻波 {{zh | hp=Zhānbō| w=Chanpo}}){{#tag:ref|Campā (Indian, not Vietnamese) was also transliterated, besides 瞻波, in the records as Zhanbopo (瞻博婆) and Zhanpo (瞻婆、瞻匐、瞻蔔、詹波、闡蔔、閻波、占波)<ref name=BL>佛光電子大辭典 (''Buddha's Light Electronic Dictionary''). Taiwan: Buddha's Light Publishing ([[Fo Guang Shan]])</ref>|group="N.B."}}. The kingdom of Aṅga by then had long ceased to exist; it had been known as Yāngjiā (鴦伽) in Chinese.{{#tag:ref|Anga was also transliterated, besides 鴦伽, in the records as 鴦迦 (different [[radical (Chinese)|radical]] for ''jiā''), 泱伽 (same pronunciation), Yāngjué (鴦掘), Àng'é (盎誐). Sometimes by [[metonymy]], the kingdom would be called the 'State of Champa'‘’, ''i.e''., 瞻波國.<ref name=BL/>|group="N.B."}}


* Anga - (eponymous founder of the kingdom and son of King Vali)
== Varman rule on Anga ==
* [[Brihadratha]]
In the 11th–12th century, Anga region was under the control of [[Varman dynasty (Bengal)|Varman dynasty]]. Belava copperplate of Bhojavarman mentions that Jatavarman under the leadership of his father Vajravarman conquered Anga and established the rule of his family.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sharma |first=R. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=93tDAAAAYAAJ&q=jatavarman+yadava+anga |title=A Comprehensive History of India: A.D. 985–1206 |date=1992 |publisher=People's Publishing House |isbn=978-81-7007-121-1 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Karna]]
* [[Vrishaketu]] - Son. 'Chief of the Angas'.
* Samudrasena - Possible king of Vanga?.
* Chandrasena - Possible king of Vanga?.
* Tamralipta
* Lomapada - (a friend of the King of Kosala Dasaratha).
* Chitraratha
* Vrihadratha
* Vasuhoma
* Dhatarattha (noted in the Mahabharata).
* Dhadivahana (also noted in the Mahabharata).
* Brahmadatta - Last king of Anga.


== See also ==
== See also ==
 
* [[Anga (region)]]
* [[Kingdoms of Ancient India]]
* [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]]
* [[Anga Lipi]]
* [[Anga Lipi]]
* [[Mahajanapadas]]
* [[Magadha-Anga war]]
* [[History of India]]
* [[History of Hinduism]]


== Notes ==
== Notes ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Notelist}}{{Reflist}}
<references group="N.B."/>
<references group="N.B."/>


== References ==
== References ==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last1=Jha|first1=D. N.|author-link1=D. N. Jha|title=Ancient India : in historical outline|date=1999|publisher=Manohar Publishers & Distributors|location=New Delhi|isbn=9788173042850}}
* {{cite book|last1=Jha|first1=D. N.|author-link1=D. N. Jha|title=Ancient India : in historical outline|date=1999|publisher=Manohar Publishers & Distributors|location=New Delhi|isbn=9788173042850}}
* {{cite book|last1=Singh|first1=Upinder|author-link1=Upinder Singh|title=A history of ancient and early medieval India : from the Stone Age to the 12th century|date=2009|publisher=Pearson Longman|location=New Delhi|isbn=9788131716779|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pq2iCwAAQBAJ}}
* {{cite book|last1=Malalasekera|first1=G. P.|author-link1=Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera|title=Dictionary of Pali Proper Names|date=2003|orig-year=1937|publisher=Asian Educational Services|isbn=9788120618237|url=http://www.palikanon.com/english/pali_names/c/campaa.htm|language=en}}
* {{cite book|last1=Malalasekera|first1=G. P.|author-link1=Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera|title=Dictionary of Pali Proper Names|date=2003|orig-year=1937|publisher=Asian Educational Services|isbn=9788120618237|url=http://www.palikanon.com/english/pali_names/c/campaa.htm|language=en}}
*{{cite book |last=Raychaudhuri |first=Hemchandra |author-link=Hem Chandra Raychaudhuri |date=1953 |title=Political History of Ancient India: From the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of Gupta Dynasty |publisher=[[University of Calcutta]] }}
* {{cite book|last1=Singh|first1=Upinder|author-link1=Upinder Singh|title=A history of ancient and early medieval India : from the Stone Age to the 12th century|date=2008|publisher=Pearson Longman|location=New Delhi|isbn=9788131716779|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pq2iCwAAQBAJ}}
{{refend}}


{{Santhal Pargana Division topics |state=collapsed}}
{{Santhal Pargana Division topics |state=collapsed}}
{{Mahajanapada}}
{{Mahajanapada}}
 
[[Category:Anga| ]]
[[Category:Historical Indian regions]]
[[Category:Historical regions in India]]
[[Category:Mahajanapadas]]
[[Category:Mahajanapadas]]
[[Category:Kingdoms in the Mahabharata]]
[[Category:Kingdoms in the Mahabharata]]
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[[Category:6th-century BC disestablishments in India]]
[[Category:6th-century BC disestablishments in India]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in Anga Desh| ]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in Anga Desh| ]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in the 6th century BC]]

Latest revision as of 00:25, 2 March 2026


Aṅga
Unknown (~1100 BCE)–c. 530 BCE
Anga
Aṅga and other kingdoms of the late Vedic period
Aṅga and other Mahajanapadas in the Post Vedic period Aṅga is the easternmost, south of Vajji and east of Magadha
Aṅga and other Mahajanapadas in the Post Vedic period
Aṅga is the easternmost, south of Vajji and east of Magadha
CapitalChampapuri (near modern Bhagalpur) and Malini (near modern Munger), Bihar
Religion
Historical Vedic religion
Jainism
Buddhism
GovernmentMonarchy
• 
Karna
Brahmadatta
Raja (King) 
Historical eraIron Age
• Established
Unknown (~1100 BCE)
• Disestablished
c. 530 BCE
Succeeded by
Magadha

Template:History of Bihar

Anga[lower-alpha 1] 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.[1]

Counted among the "sixteen great nations" in Buddhist texts like the Anguttara Nikaya, Aṅga also finds mention in the Jain Vyakhyaprajnapti's list of ancient janapadas.

Location[edit | edit source]

Annga 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.[1]

The capital of Anga, named Campā, 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.[1]

The other important cities within the Anga kingdom included Assapura (Sanskrit: Ashvapura) and Bhaddiya (Sanskrit: Bhadrika).[1]

Etymology[edit | edit source]

According to the Mahabharata (I.104.53–54) and Puranic literature, Aṅga was named after Prince Anga, the founder of the kingdom, and the son of Vali, who had no sons. So, he requested the sage, Dirghatamas, to bless him with sons. The sage is said to have begotten five sons through his wife, the queen Sudesna.[2] The princes were named Aṅga, Vaṅga, Kaliṅga, Sumha and Pundra.[3]

The Ramayana (1.23.14) narrates the origin of name Aṅga as the place where Kamadeva was burnt to death by Siva and where his body parts (aṅgas) are scattered.[4]

Early history[edit | edit source]

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.[1]

Vedic literature such as the Baudhāyana Dharmasūtra nevertheless listed the Āṅgeyas with peoples described as being of "mixed origin."[1]

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.[1]

During the Iron Age, Aṅga expanded to include Vaṅga within its borders, with the capital city of Campā being a wealthy commercial centre from where traders sailed to Suvarṇabhūmi. According to the Kathā-sarit-sāgara, the Āṅgeya city of Viṭaṅkapura was located on the shores of the sea.[1]

During the 6th century BCE, the king of Aṅga was Dadhivāhana,[1] who was married to the Licchavika princess Padmāvatī, who was herself the daughter of the consul of the Licchavika republic, Ceṭaka.[5] Ceṭaka's sister Trisalā was the mother 24th Jain Tīrthaṅkara, Mahāvīra, thus making Ceṭaka his uncle and Padmāvatī his cousin; Ceṭaka himself had become an adept of the teachings of Mahāvīra and made the Licchavika capital of Vesālī a bastion of Jainism, and the marriages of his daughters contributed to the spreading of Jainism across northern India.[6] The daughter of Dadhivāhana and Padmāvatī, Candanā or Candrabālā, became the first woman convert to Jainism shortly after Mahāvīra attained Kevala.[1]

Under Dadhivāhana's rule, Aṅga had conquered its western neighbour, the state of Magadha, hence why the Vidhura Paṇḍita Jātaka described the Māgadhī capital of Rājagaha as a city of Aṅga.[1] This conquest brought Aṅga in direct contact with Magadha's western neighbour Vatsa, whose king Śatānīka attacked the Āṅgeya capital of Campā out of fear of Dadhivāhana's expansionism. Dadhivāhana instead sought friendly relations with Vatsa, and he gave his daughter in marriage to Śatānīka's son, Udayana.[1] After Śatānīka's death from dysentery at the same time as a campaign against Vatsa was being carried out by the king Pradyota of Avanti, the latter became the overlord of Vatsa, and Udayana lived as a captive at the court of Pradyota, in Ujjenī.[7]

During Udayana's captivity, the state of Kaliṅga attacked Aṅga and took Dadhivāhana captive. It was once Pradyota had restored Udayana to his throne, after the latter's marriage to his daughter Vāsavadattā, that Udayana was able to defeat Kaliṅga and restore Dadhivāhana on the Āṅgeya throne, and Dadhivāhana's daughter Priyadarśikā was married to Udayana; according to the later play Priyadarśikā, which itself rests on historical records,[8] the Āṅgeya chamberlain took brought her into the refuge of the forest-king Vindhyaketu, from where she was captured by Udayana's army and, given the name Āraṇyikā ("she who is from the forest") after being assumed to be Vindhyaketu's daughter, was brought to Vatsa to become servant of Vāsavadattā, and later married Udayana after the Āṅgeya chamberlain recognised her as once Udayana had defeated Kaliṅga.[9]

Aṅga's prosperity ended when, in the middle of the 6th century BCE, the Māgadhī crown prince Bimbisāra Śreṇika avenged his father's defeat against Aṅga by defeating and killing the Āṅgeya king Brahmadatta, after which Aṅga became part of the Māgadhī empire, and Campā became the seat of a Māgadhī viceroy.[1][10]

Later history[edit | edit source]

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)[N.B. 1]. The kingdom of Aṅga by then had long ceased to exist; it had been known as Yāngjiā (鴦伽) in Chinese.[N.B. 2]

Varman rule on Anga[edit | edit source]

In the 11th–12th century, Anga region was under the control of Varman dynasty. Belava copperplate of Bhojavarman mentions that Jatavarman under the leadership of his father Vajravarman conquered Anga and established the rule of his family.[12]

See also[edit | edit source]

Notes[edit | edit source]

  1. Script error: The function "langx" does not exist., IAST: Aṅga
  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 Raychaudhuri 1953, p. 106-110.
  2. Devendrakumar Rajaram Patil (1946). Cultural History from the Vāyu Purāna. Motilal Banarsidass Pub. p. 46. ISBN 9788120820852.
  3. Gaṅgā Rām Garg (1992). Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World, Volume 1. Concept Publishing Company. ISBN 9788170223740. The prince Vaṅga founded Vaṅga kingdom, in the current day region of southern Bangladesh and the eastern part of southern West Bengal. The prince Kalinga founded the kingdom of Kalinga, in the current day region of coastal Orissa, including the North Sircars. Also the price Pundra founded Pundra consisting of the northern regions of West Bengal and Bangladesh. The prince Suhma founded Suhma kingdom in the western part of southern West Bengal.
  4. "Bala Kanda Book I, Chapter 23". Archived from the original on 3 November 2022.
  5. Deo, Shantaram Bhalchandra (1956). History of Jaina Monachism from Inscriptions and Literature. Pune, India: Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute. p. 71. ISBN 978-9-333-68377-7.
  6. Jain, Kailash Chand (1974). Lord Mahāvīra and His Times. Delhi, India: Motilal Banarsidass. p. 67. ISBN 978-8-120-80805-8.
  7. Smith, R. Morton (1957). "On the Ancient Chronology of India (II)". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 77 (4): 266–280. doi:10.2307/596129. JSTOR 596129.
  8. Raychaudhuri 1953, p. 203.
  9. Davane, G. V. (1957). "The Legend of Udayana". Bulletin of the Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute. 18: 344–373. JSTOR 42930814.
  10. Raychaudhuri 1953, p. 117.
  11. 11.0 11.1 佛光電子大辭典 (Buddha's Light Electronic Dictionary). Taiwan: Buddha's Light Publishing (Fo Guang Shan)
  12. Sharma, R. S. (1992). A Comprehensive History of India: A.D. 985–1206. People's Publishing House. ISBN 978-81-7007-121-1.
  1. Campā (Indian, not Vietnamese) was also transliterated, besides 瞻波, in the records as Zhanbopo (瞻博婆) and Zhanpo (瞻婆、瞻匐、瞻蔔、詹波、闡蔔、閻波、占波)[11]
  2. Anga was also transliterated, besides 鴦伽, in the records as 鴦迦 (different radical for jiā), 泱伽 (same pronunciation), Yāngjué (鴦掘), Àng'é (盎誐). Sometimes by metonymy, the kingdom would be called the 'State of Champa'‘’, i.e., 瞻波國.[11]

References[edit | edit source]