Assaka kingdom

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http://www.palikanon.com/english/pali_names/ay/assaka.htmAssaka.-The country of Assaka is one of the sixteen

Mahâjanapadas mentioned in the Anguttara Nikâya (A.i.213; iv.252, 256, 260). It does not, however; occur in the list of twelve countries given in the Janavasabha Sutta. The Assakas are said to have had settlements on the

Godâvarî, and

Bâvarî's hermitage (Sn.v.977) was in their territory, in close proximity to the Alaka or Mulaka (the district round Paithan) (Law, Early Geography, 21).

The country is mentioned with Avanti (J.v.317) in the same way as Anga with

Magadha, and its position in the list between

Sûrasena and Avanti makes it probable that when the list was drawn up, its position was immediately to the north-west of Avanti. It is probable, in that case, that the Godâvarî settlement, in the

Dakkhinâpatha, was a later colony.

In the Assaka Jâtaka (J.ii.155) mention is made of a king Assaka whose realm was in the kingdom of Kâsî. It is significant, in this connection, that the capital of Assaka, variously called Potana (E.g., D.ii.235; J.iii.3) or Potali (E.g., J.ii.155), is not mentioned in the reference to the Godâvarî.

According to the Culla Kâlinga Jâtaka (J.iii.3-5), at one time the King of Assaka (Arum) accepted the challenge of King Kâlinga of

Dantapura to war, and defeated him. Later Assaka married Kâlinga's daughter and the relations between the two countries were amicable. In the Hâthigumphâ Inscription of Khâravela it is related that Khâravela, regardless of King Sâtakarnî, sent a large army to the west (pachime disam) to strike terror into Assaka (or Asika) nagara. Law (Op.cit., p.21) thinks that the Assaka of the Culla Kâlinga Jâtaka, the Asikanagara of the Hâthigumphâ Inscription and the Assaka of the Sutta Nipâta are one and the same place. This would probably be correct if Potana and Potali were regarded as two different cities, capitals of two different settlements having the same name.

Sanskrit authors speak of both Asmakâ and Asvakâ. It is not possible to say whether these represent two distinct tribes or whether they are variant names for the same people. Asanga mentions Asmaka in his Sûtrâlankâra as a territory on the basin of the Indus. This would make it identical with the Assakenus of Greek writers, that is to the east of the Sarasvati, about twenty-five miles from the sea on the Swat valley. Pânini mentions the Asmakas (iv.173). The Mârkandeya Purâna and the Brhat Samhitâ place Assaka to the north-west. The Assaka capital, Potana, it has been suggested, is the Paudanya of the Mahâbhârata (i.77, 47). In the Commentary to Kautilya's Arthasâsta, Bhattasvâmi identifies Asmaka with Mahârâstra (Law, op. cit., 22).

Soon after the Buddha's death, a King Assaka was the ruler of Potali, and he and his son Sûjata were converted by Mahâ Kaccânâ (VvA.259-67).

In the time of King Renu, the Assaka king of Potana was Brahmadatta (D.ii.236).

In the Buddha's time the Assaka king is described as an Andhakarâjâ. He took a thousand for the plot of land sold for Bâvarî's hermitage (SnA.ii.581).