Asmaka
Asmaka Aśmaka | |||||||
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| c. 700 BCE–425 or 345 BCE | |||||||
Asmaka and other Mahajanapadas in the Post Vedic period. | |||||||
| Capital | Potali Podana | ||||||
| Common languages | Prakrit Sanskrit | ||||||
| Religion | Historical Vedic religion Buddhism Jainism | ||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||
| Historical era | Iron Age | ||||||
• Established | c. 700 BCE | ||||||
• Disestablished | 425 or 345 BCE | ||||||
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| Today part of | Telangana, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh | ||||||
Aśmaka or Assaka was a Mahajanapada in ancient South Asia which existed between 700 BCE and 425 or 345 BCE according to the Buddhist texts and Puranas. It included areas in present-day Telangana, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh in south-central India. In Gautama Buddha's time, many of the Assakas were located on the banks of the Godavari River (south of the Vindhya mountains).The capital of Aśmaka was the city variously named Podana, Potali, Paudanyapura, and Potana. Most scholars identify it with present-day Bodhan in Telangana, while some correspond it to modern-day Paithan in Maharashtra.
In ancient India, during the 6th century BCE, there were sixteen Mahajanapadas. Among them, Ashmaka (or Assaka) was the only Mahajanapada located in South India.