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{{Short description|Historical region in modern India}}
{{about|the historical region of Vatsa|the village in Estonia|Vatsa, Estonia|the gotra of Brahmins|Vats (clan)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2017}}
{{Infobox country
| native_name            = 
| conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Vatsa
| common_name            = Assaka
| era                    = [[Iron Age]]
| government_type        = [[Monarchy]]
| year_start             = c. 700 BCE
| year_end               = c. 300 BCE
| p1                     = Kuru Kingdom
| s1                     = Nanda dynasty{{!}}Magadha
| image_map              = Mahajanapadas_(c._500_BCE).png
| image_map_alt          = 
| image_map_caption      = Vatsa and other Mahajanapadas in the Post Vedic period.
| year_leader1           = 8th century B.C.
| leader1                = [[Nicakṣu]] <small>(first)</small>
| year_leader3           = 4th century B.C.
| leader3                = [[Kṣemaka]] <small>(last)</small>
| capital                = [[Kosambi|Kauśāmbī]],[[Prayag|Prayāga]]
| common_languages       = [[Prakrit]]<br/>[[Sanskrit]]
| religion               = [[Historical Vedic religion]]<br/>[[Buddhism]]<br/>[[Jainism]]
| currency               = 
| title_leader           = [[Maharaja]]
| today                  = [[Allahabad division]] of [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[India]]
}}

'''Vatsa''' or '''Vamsa''' ([[Pali]] and [[Ardhamagadhi]]: {{Transliteration|pra|Vaccha}}, literally "calf"<ref>{{cite book|author=Louis Herbert Gray|title=Indo-Iranian Phonology with Special Reference to the Middle and New Indo-Iranian Languages|url=https://archive.org/details/indoiranianphon01graygoog |year=1902|publisher=Columbia University Press|pages=[https://archive.org/details/indoiranianphon01graygoog/page/n197 169]–170}}</ref>) was one of the sixteen [[Mahajanapadas]] (great kingdoms) of [[Uttarapatha]] of [[ancient India]] mentioned in the [[Aṅguttara Nikāya]].

==Location==
The territory of Vatsa was located to the south of the [[Ganges|Gaṅgā]] river, and its capital was the city of {{Transliteration|sa|Kauśāmbī}} or [[Kosambi|{{Transliteration|pi|Kosāmbī}}]], on the [[Yamuna|Yamunā]] river and corresponding to the modern-day location of Kosam.<ref>{{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 |pages=131–133 |url= |location= |publisher=[[University of Calcutta]] |isbn=}}</ref>

== The early period ==
The Vatsas were a branch of the [[Kuru dynasty]]. During the Rig Vedic period, the Kuru Kingdom comprised the area of present day Haryana/ Delhi and the Ganga-Jamuna Doab, till [[Allahabad|Prayag]]/ Kaushambi, with its capital at [[Hastinapura]]. During the late-Vedic period, Hastinapura was destroyed by floods, and the Kuru King {{IAST|[[Nicakṣu]]}} shifted his capital and all his subjects to a newly constructed capital that was called [[Kosambi]] or Kaushambi. In the post Vedic period, when Aryavarta consisted of several Mahajanapadas, the Kuru Dynasty was split between Kurus and Vatsas. The Kurus controlled the Haryana/ Delhi/ Upper Doab, while the Vatsas controlled the Lower Doab. Later, The Vatsas were further divided into two branches—One at [[Mathura]], and the other at Kaushambi.

The Puranas state that after the washing away of [[Hastinapura]] by the Ganges, the {{IAST|Bhārata}} king {{IAST|Nicakṣu}}, the great-great grandson of [[Janamejaya II|Janamejaya]], abandoned the city and settled in {{IAST|Kauśāmbī}}. This is supported by the {{IAST|Svapnavāsavadattā}} and the {{IAST|Pratijñā-Yaugandharāyaṇa}} attributed to {{IAST|Bhāsa}}. Both of them have described the king Udayana as a [[kinship|scion]] of the {{IAST|[[Bhāratas]]}} family ({{IAST|Bhārata-kula}}). The Puranas provide a list of {{IAST|Nicakṣu}}’s successors which ends with king {{IAST|Kṣemaka}}.<ref name=rh>{{cite book |last=Raychaudhuri |first=Hemchandra |year=1972 |title=Political History of Ancient India |publisher=University of Calcutta |location=Calcutta, India}}</ref>{{rp| p.117–8 }}
Other Puranas state that the Vatsa kingdom was named after a {{IAST|Kaśī}} king, Vatsa.<ref>Pargiter, F.E. (1972) ''Ancient Indian Historical Tradition'', Chaunan, Delhi, pp.269-70</ref> The [[Ramayana]] and the [[Mahabharata]] attribute the credit of founding its capital {{IAST|Kauśāmbī}} to a Chedi prince {{IAST|Kuśa}} or {{IAST|Kuśāmba}}.

The [[Mahabharata]] and the [[Harivamsa|Harivansa]] states the close connection between the Vatsas and the Bhargas ([[Bhagga]]s).<ref name=rh/>{{rp| p.98 }}

==Mahajanapada period==
[[File:Vatsya coin (400-300 BCE).jpg|thumb|Vatsya coin (400-300 BCE)]]
{{HistoryOfSouthAsia}}

The first ruler of the {{IAST|Bhārata}} dynasty of Vatsa, about whom some definite information available is {{IAST|Śatānīka}} II, Parantapa. While the Puranas state his father’s name was {{IAST|Vasudāna}}, {{IAST|Bhāsa}} tells it was {{IAST|Sahasrānīka}}. {{IAST|Śatānīka}} II married a princess of Videha, who was the mother of Udayana. He also married {{IAST|Mṛgāvatī}}, a daughter of the [[Licchavi (tribe)|Licchavi]] chieftain {{IAST|Ceṭaka}}.<ref>Mahajan V.D. (1960, reprint 2007). ''Ancient India'', S.Chand & Company, New Delhi, {{ISBN|81-219-0887-6}}, pp.171-2</ref> He attacked {{IAST|Campā}}, the capital of {{IAST|Aṅga}} during the rule of {{IAST|Dadhivāhana}}.<ref name=rh/>{{rp| p.119}}

The wife of Śatānīka and the mother of [[Udayana (king)|Udayana]] was Queen Mṛgāvatī (in [[Sanskrit]]) or Migāvatī (in [[Prakrit]]). She was the daughter of [[Chetaka]], the leader of [[Vaishali (ancient city)|Vaishali]].<ref name="Jain 1991 p. 67">{{cite book | last=Jain | first=K.C. | title=Lord Mahāvīra and His Times | publisher=Motilal Banarsidass | series=Lala Sunder Lal Jain research series | year=1991 | isbn=978-81-208-0805-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8-TxcO9dfrcC&pg=PA67 | language=lv | access-date=2018-07-16 | page=67}}</ref> It is recorded that she ruled as a [[regent]] for her son for some period of time, although sources differ about the specific circumstances. According to the [[Jainism|Jain]] [[Jain Agamas|canonical texts]], Udayana was still a minor when Śatānīka died, so "the responsibility of governing the kingdom fell on the shoulders of queen Migāvatī ... till her son grew old enough".<ref name="Jain 1984 p. 470">{{cite book | last=Jain | first=J.C. | title=Life in Ancient India: As Depicted in the Jain Canon and Commentaries, 6th Century BC to 17th Century AD | publisher=Munshiram Manoharlal | year=1984 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2ObUAAAAMAAJ&q=migavati | access-date=2018-07-16 | page=470}}</ref> On the other hand, [[Bhāsa]]'s ''Pratijñāyaugandharāyaṇa'' says that she took "full charge of the administration" while Udayana was held as a prisoner by King [[Pradyota]] of [[Avanti (India)|Avanti]], and "the way in which she discharged her duties excited the admiration of even experienced ministers".<ref name="Altekar 1956 p. 187">{{cite book | last=Altekar | first=A.S. | title=The Position of Women in Hindu Civilization, from Prehistoric Times to the Present Day | publisher=Motilal Banarsidass | year=1956 | isbn=978-81-208-0324-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VYG4K0yYHQgC&pg=PA187 | access-date=2018-07-16 | page=187}}</ref> Mrigavati, is notable for being one of the earliest known female rulers in Indian history.

===Udayana===
{{Main|Udayana (king)}}
Udayana, the son of {{IAST|Śatānīka}} II by the Videha princess succeeded him. Udayana, the romantic hero of the {{IAST|Svapnavāsavadattā}}, the {{IAST|Pratijñā-Yaugandharāyaṇa}} and many other legends was a contemporary of Buddha and of Pradyota, the king of Avanti.<ref name=rh/>{{rp| p.119}}

==Later history==
According to the Puranas, the 4 successors of Udayana were {{IAST|Vahināra}}, {{IAST|DanḍapāṇI}}, Niramitra and {{IAST|Kṣemaka}}. Later, the Vatsa kingdom was annexed by the [[Avanti (India)|Avanti]] kingdom. Maniprabha, the great-grandson of Pradyota ruled at {{IAST|Kauśāmbī}} as a prince of Avanti.<ref name=rh/>{{rp|  pp.180, 180n, facing 565}}

Vatsa was ultimately annexed into [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]] by [[Shishunaga]].{{sfn|Upinder Singh|2016|p=272}}

==See also==
*[[Kingdoms of Ancient India]]

==References==
===Citations===
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Sources===
* {{citation |last=Singh |first=Upinder |author-link=Upinder Singh |title=A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pq2iCwAAQBAJ |publisher=[[Pearson PLC]] |year=2016 |isbn=978-81-317-1677-9 |ref={{sfnref|Upinder Singh|2016}} }}

{{Mahajanapada |state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Vatsa| ]]
[[Category:Kingdoms of the Puru clan]]
[[Category:Mahajanapadas]]
[[Category:Former kingdoms]]
[[Category:History of Uttar Pradesh]]