Hinduism and Transition (600 BC-322 BC)

As caste system became more rigid, the period saw the advent of Mahavira and Buddha who rebelled against the system. Mahajanapadas (16 kingdoms) were formed:
This period saw the second major rise in urbanization in India after the Indus valley Civilization. The word "maha" means “great” and the word "janapada" means “foothold of a tribe”. In the later Vedic Age, a number of small kingdoms or city states had mushroomed across the subcontinent and also find mention in early Buddhist and Jain literature as far back as 1000 BC. By 500 BC, sixteen territorial states, "monarchies and republics" or Mahajanapadas were established.