Vedic Sabhyata ke baad Mahajanapada kaal aaya, jo lagbhag 600 BCE ke aas-paas ka samay tha. Is dauran Bharat mein chhote-chhote rajya (janapada) bante gaye, jo baad mein bade rajya ya mahajanapada ke roop mein viksit hue. Is kaal ke dauran, 16 pramukh mahajanapadon ka ullekh milta hai, jisme Magadha, Kosala, Vatsa, aur Avanti jaise janapad pramukh the. Is samay Dhamma aur Upanishad jaisi vichardharaon ka vikas bhi hua.

Mahajanapada kaal ke baad Maurya Samrajya ka uday hua, jise Chandragupta Maurya aur Ashoka ne prabhavit kiya.