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Asmaka
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<h2 id="location">Location</h2> <p>Aśmaka was located on the <a href="/facts/Godavari_River/rLLkY6kJ">Godāvarī</a> river,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> between Mūlaka and <a href="/facts/Kalinga_(historical_region)/J8BP6hbl">Kaliṅga</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> The capital of Aśmaka was the city variously named Podana, Potali, Paudanyapura, and Potana, which corresponds to modern-day <a href="/facts/Bodhan/UWSA05Da">Bodhan</a> in <a href="/facts/Telangana/oE5VoLuj">Telangana</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="history">History</h2> <p>The Aśmaka kingdom already existed at the time of the <a href="/facts/Brahmana/pan0H4CS"><i>Brāhmaṇa</i>s</a>, when its king Brahmadatta was mentioned in the <i>Mahāgovinda Suttanta</i> as a contemporary of Reṇu of <a href="/facts/Videha/wY5PT9GF">Videha</a> and Dhataraṭṭha or Dhṛtarāṣṭra of <a href="/facts/Kingdom_of_Kashi/qPVk5W51">Kāsī</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> </p><p><a href="/facts/P%25C4%2581%25E1%25B9%2587ini/C2brRvXB">Panini</a> who lived in about the seventh century B.C. makes mention of Asmaka which was in the interior of the Deccan watered by the Godavari, which is identified with modern <a href="/facts/Nizamabad_district/zt7jFpJ8">Nizamabad</a> district.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> </p><p>Aśmaka annexed the small kingdom of Mūlaka located to its west during the <a href="/facts/Mahajanapadas/nwEe3Wsu">Mahajanapada</a> period, after which it became the southern neighbour of the kingdom of <a href="/facts/Avanti_(Ancient_India)/8mVw3aq1">Avanti</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> </p><p>The <a href="/facts/Hathigumpha_inscription/ncHuLB0w">Hathigumpha inscription</a> of <a href="/facts/Kharavela/GoFp3x2F">Kharavela</a> (2nd century BCE) mentions Kharavela's threat to a city variously interpreted as "Masika" (Masikanagara), "Musika" (Musikanagara) or "Asika" (Asikanagara). N. K. Sahu identifies Asika as the capital of Asmaka.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a>: 127 According to <a href="/facts/Ajay_Mitra_Shastri/7Qr16IN1">Ajay Mitra Shastri</a>, "Asika-nagara" was located in the present-day village of Adam in <a href="/facts/Nagpur_district/zoMLDBLc">Nagpur district</a> (on the <a href="/facts/Wainganga_River/qdK91e23">Wainganga River</a>). A terracotta seal excavated in the village mentions the Asmaka <a href="/facts/Janapada/33ju5Pl4">janapada</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> Asmaka also included Mulaka area around <a href="/facts/Paithan/NsuAvI0w">Paithan</a> known in ancient times as <a href="/facts/Pratishthana/NsuAvI0w">Pratishthana</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> According to <i><a href="/facts/Sutta_Nipata/Pv6nQ4yB">Sutta Nipata</a></i> Saketa or <a href="/facts/Ayodhya/bTGXC2s7">Ayodhya</a> was first halting place on the southward road (<a href="/facts/Dakshinapatha/0JP1dDMr">Dakshinapatha</a>) from <a href="/facts/Shravasti/Q7U4dBsM">Shravasti</a> to Pratishthana.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a> </p><p><a href="/facts/A%25E1%25B9%2585guttara_Nik%25C4%2581ya/Kf3HmbRS">Anguttara Nikaya</a> like the Puranas tells that Assaka was one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas of <a href="/facts/Jambudv%25C4%25ABpa/lKpt7Gbz">Jambudvīpa</a>. It had abundance of food and gems. It was wealthy and prosperous. One of the oldest works of the Pali-Buddhist literature, the <a href="/facts/Sutta_Nipata/Pv6nQ4yB">Sutta-Nipata</a> (verses 976-7) speak of a Brahman guru called Bavarl, as having left the <a href="/facts/Kosala/JtMvQjGb">Kosala</a> country and settled near a village on the Godhavari in the Assaka territory in the Dakshinapatha.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="puranas">Puranas</h2> <p>Source:<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a> </p> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Naradiya_Purana/1H2I1EBc">Brihannaradiya Purana</a> narrates entire story of the origin of Asmakas. King <a href="/facts/Sudas/qXBhyANI">Sudas</a>, often identified with the great Rigvedic hero who won the battle of the ten kings. After killing a tiger, a vengeful monster assumes the form of his priest, Vasistha, and tricks him into offering human flesh as a sacrifice. Vasistha curses Sudasa to become a monster for twelve years. Despite his efforts to avoid his fate, Sudasa eventually succumbs to the curse. Every night, he took the form of a monster and used to kill human beings. One night in spite of the requests of a Brahmani, he ate up her husband. As a result, he is further cursed to die during union with his wife. After twelve years, Sudasa is freed from Vasistha's curse but remains haunted by the Brahmani's curse. With Vasistha's help, his queen, MadayantI, conceives a son named Asmaka. Asmaka's grandson, Narikavaca, is saved by naked women and is named accordingly. Dillpa, the forefather of the Lord <a href="/facts/Rama/0FUIok3H">Rama</a>, is a descendant of Narikavaca, establishing a connection between the <a href="/facts/Ikshvaku_clan/AR7otF7b">Ikshvakus</a> and the Asmakas.</li> <li><a href="/facts/Bhavishya_Purana/0EsDkfIa">Bhavishya Purana</a> also mentions Asmaka as the son of Sudasa.</li></ul> <h2 id="jataka-tales">Jataka tales</h2> <p>Source:<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18"><sup>18</sup></a> </p> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Jataka_tales/l7EEg5h7">Jataka tales</a>, narrates a story of King Assaka of Potali, who is deeply grieved by the loss of his beautiful queen. The Bodhisattva, witnessing the king's sorrow, decides to intervene. A young Brahmin informs the king about the <a href="/facts/Bodhisattva/dCMtuevK">Bodhisattva's</a> ability to communicate with the dead. The Bodhisattva reveals to the king that his queen has been reincarnated as a tiny dung-worm. Despite the king's pleas and declarations of love, the dung-worm, speaking in a human voice, reveals that she now prefers the life of a worm over her former existence. The king is astonished by this revelation and learns a valuable lesson from the Bodhisattva.</li> <li>Another story of the Assaka country and its connection with <a href="/facts/Kalinga_(region)/J8BP6hbl">Kalinga</a> is narrated in the Jataka tales. King Assaka of Potali, in the Assaka country, faced a challenge when King Kalinga of Dantapura sent his four beautiful daughters on a royal tour. Kalinga declared that any king who desired his daughters would have to fight him. Despite the initial resistance, Assaka's minister, Mandisena, welcomed the princesses and persuaded Assaka to marry them. Upon hearing this, Kalinga invaded Assaka, but was ultimately defeated through Nandisena's diplomacy. Kalinga was forced to send a portion of his daughters' dowry to Assaka. From then on, the two kings maintained a peaceful relationship.This story shows that the Assakas and the Kalingas were neighbours and that their countries bordered on each other. Evidently, it is the southern Assaka country on the <a href="/facts/Godavari_River/rLLkY6kJ">Godavari</a>.</li></ul> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Kingdoms_of_Ancient_India/aPslrAta">Kingdoms of Ancient India</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Mahajanapada/nwEe3Wsu">Mahajanapada</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Janapada/33ju5Pl4">Janapada</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/History_of_India/ntYkAYDQ">History of India</a></li></ul> <h2 id="notes">Notes</h2> <h3>Sources</h3> <ul><li>Bakker, Hans (1984). <i>Ayodhya, Part 1: The History of Ayodhya from the seventh century BC to the middle of the 18th century</i>. Groningen: Egbert Forsten. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 9069800071.</li> <li><a href="/facts/Hem_Chandra_Raychaudhuri/SESGBd5S">Raychaudhuri, Hemchandra</a> (1953). <i>Political History of Ancient India: From the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of Gupta Dynasty</i>. <a href="/facts/University_of_Calcutta/CjjFrJnT">University of Calcutta</a>.</li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Gupta, Parmanand (1989). Geography from Ancient Indian Coins & Seals. Concept Publishing Company. ISBN 9788170222484. <a href="9788170222484" target="_blank">9788170222484</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Tiwari, Anshuman (10 August 2018). Laxminama: Monks, Merchants, Money and Mantra. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 307. ISBN 978-93-87146-80-8. <a href="978-93-87146-80-8" target="_blank">978-93-87146-80-8</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Indian History. Allied Publishers. 1988. ISBN 978-81-8424-568-4. <a href="978-81-8424-568-4" target="_blank">978-81-8424-568-4</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Sen, Sailendra Nath (1999). Ancient Indian History and Civilization. New Age International. p. 109. ISBN 978-81-224-1198-0. <a href="978-81-224-1198-0" target="_blank">978-81-224-1198-0</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Raychaudhuri 1953, p. 89. - Raychaudhuri, Hemchandra (1953). Political History of Ancient India: From the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of Gupta Dynasty. University of Calcutta. <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Raychaudhuri 1953, p. 89. - Raychaudhuri, Hemchandra (1953). Political History of Ancient India: From the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of Gupta Dynasty. University of Calcutta. <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Raychaudhuri 1953, p. 89. - Raychaudhuri, Hemchandra (1953). Political History of Ancient India: From the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of Gupta Dynasty. University of Calcutta. <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Raychaudhuri 1953, p. 89. - Raychaudhuri, Hemchandra (1953). Political History of Ancient India: From the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of Gupta Dynasty. University of Calcutta. <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Pushpavathi, Kore. "The early social history of Andhra Desa" (PDF). International Journal of History: 33. <a href="https://www.historyjournal.net/article/20/2-1-1-898.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.historyjournal.net/article/20/2-1-1-898.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Raychaudhuri 1953, p. 143-144. - Raychaudhuri, Hemchandra (1953). Political History of Ancient India: From the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of Gupta Dynasty. University of Calcutta. <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>N. K. Sahu; Kharavela (King of Kalinga) (1984). Khâravela. Orissa State Museum. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=xlMhAAAAMAAJ" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=xlMhAAAAMAAJ</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>Ajay Mitra Shastri (1998). The Sātavāhanas and the Western Kshatrapas: a historical framework. Dattsons. p. 56. ISBN 978-81-7192-031-0. <a href="978-81-7192-031-0" target="_blank">978-81-7192-031-0</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>Inguva Karthikeya Sarma; J. Vara Prasada Rao (1 January 1993). Early Brāhmī Inscriptions from Sannati. Harman Publishing House. p. 68. ISBN 978-81-85151-68-7. <a href="978-81-85151-68-7" target="_blank">978-81-85151-68-7</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>Indian History. Allied Publishers. 1988. ISBN 978-81-8424-568-4. <a href="978-81-8424-568-4" target="_blank">978-81-8424-568-4</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>Bakker, Ayodhya, Part 1 1984, p. 5. - Bakker, Hans (1984). Ayodhya, Part 1: The History of Ayodhya from the seventh century BC to the middle of the 18th century. Groningen: Egbert Forsten. ISBN 9069800071. <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>"Lectures on the Ancient History of India on the period from 650 to 325 B.C." Internet Archive: 15. 1919. <a href="https://archive.org/details/dli.csl.7014/page/n15/mode/2up?q=asmaka" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/dli.csl.7014/page/n15/mode/2up?q=asmaka</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>"Journal Of The Asiatic Society Of Bengal 1924 Vol Xx" (PDF). Discovering Buddha. <a href="https://www.discoveringbuddha.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Asmakas-or-Assakas-in-Ancient-India-BC-Law-JASBgl-1924-NS20-p47.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.discoveringbuddha.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Asmakas-or-Assakas-in-Ancient-India-BC-Law-JASBgl-1924-NS20-p47.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:18"><p>"Journal Of The Asiatic Society Of Bengal 1924 Vol Xx" (PDF). Discovering Buddha. <a href="https://www.discoveringbuddha.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Asmakas-or-Assakas-in-Ancient-India-BC-Law-JASBgl-1924-NS20-p47.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.discoveringbuddha.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Asmakas-or-Assakas-in-Ancient-India-BC-Law-JASBgl-1924-NS20-p47.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>