Reference
Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300
An authoritative, interpretive history of early Indian society and states.
Later Vedic Polities
Tribal communities / janas
Level 2
c. 1,000–600 BCE
Territorial kingdoms (janapadas) emerge in the Ganga-Yamuna doab.
- Region
- Gangetic Plain
- Duration
- 400 years
- Main period
- Vedic Period Polities
Approximate extent.
Key events
| Year | Event | Place |
|---|---|---|
| c. 1,100 BCE | Iron comes into use in the Ganga plain | Atranjikhera |
| c. 1,000 BCE | Painted Grey Ware settlements spread in the doab Iron use and larger agrarian settlements. |
Hastinapura |
| c. 1,000 BCE | Later Vedic texts: Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda | Kuru-Panchala region |
📚 Recommended reading on the Later Vedic Polities
Textbook
Our Pasts I, II & III (Classes 6–8)
The simplest possible start: short, illustrated and the base of countless exam questions.
Textbook
Themes in Indian History, Parts I–III (Class 12)
Source-based chapters on Harappa, Vijayanagara, the Mughal court and 1857 — essential for UPSC.
Textbook
An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I (Class 11)
The standard base for art and architecture questions — stupas, temples and sculpture.
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Contemporaries
Powers that coexisted with the Later Vedic Polities for a significant part of its history.
Magadha ★
East · c. 700–321 BCE
Chalcolithic Cultures
Central · c. 3,000–700 BCE
Kuru
North · c. 1,200–350 BCE
Gandhara
Northwest · c. 1,200–518 BCE
Panchala
Gangetic Plain · c. 1,100–350 BCE
Kosala
Gangetic Plain · c. 1,100–460 BCE
Videha
East · c. 1,100–600 BCE
Matsya
West · c. 1,100–350 BCE
Kashi
Gangetic Plain · c. 1,000–500 BCE
Chedi
Central · c. 1,000–300 BCE
Vatsa
Gangetic Plain · c. 1,000–400 BCE
Avanti
Central · c. 1,000–345 BCE
Surasena
North · c. 800–350 BCE
Kamboja
Northwest · c. 800–330 BCE
Anga
East · c. 700–540 BCE
Assaka / Asmaka
Deccan · c. 700–350 BCE
Kalinga
East · c. 700–261 BCE