Assaka


Assaka or Asmaka, was a Mahajanapada according to Buddhist texts or Janapada according to Puranas of ancient India which existed between 700 BC and 425 or 345 BC.

History

Assaka was located around and between the river Godavari. It included areas in present-day Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. It was one of the shodasa mahajanapadas in the 6th century BCE, mentioned in the Buddhist text Anguttara Nikaya. Puranas mention Asmaka as one of the conquerd territories of the Nandas in the 5th or 4th century BC.
The capital is variously called Potali or Podana, which is identified as present-day Bodhan in Telangana. The Buddhist text Mahagovinda Suttanta mentions about a ruler of Assaka, Brahmadatta who ruled from Potali. The Matsya Purana lists twenty-five rulers of Aśmaka, contemporary to the Shishunaga rulers of Magadha. Panini in his 'Aṣṭādhyāyī' mentions Asmaka Kingdom in connection with Dakshinatya and Kalinga
Asmaka is also identified as Assaka and Aśvakas in Buddhist literature and Gatha Saptashati of king Hāla.
The Hathigumpha inscription of Kharavela mentions Kharavela's threat to a city variously interpreted as "Masika", "Musika" or "Asika". N. K. Sahu identifies Asika as the capital of Assaka. According to Ajay Mitra Shastri, "Asika-nagara" was located in the present-day village of Adam in Nagpur district. A terracotta seal excavated in the village mentions the Assaka janapada. Assaka also included Mulaka area around Paithan known in ancient times as Pratishthana. According to Sutta Nipata Saketa or Ayodhya was first halting place on the southward road from Shravasti to Pratishthana.