| Conventional Long Name: | Kingdom of Aśmaka |
| Common Name: | Assaka |
| Era: | Iron Age |
| Government Type: | Monarchy |
| Year Start: | c. 700 BCE |
| Year End: | 425 or 345 BCE |
| Image Map Caption: | Asmaka and other Mahajanapadas in the Post Vedic period. |
| Capital: | Potali or Podana |
| Common Languages: | Prakrit Sanskrit |
| Religion: | Historical Vedic religion Buddhism Jainism |
| Title Leader: | Maharaja |
| Today: | India |
Asmaka or Assaka was a Mahajanapada in ancient India which existed between 700 BCE and 425 or 345 BCE according to the Buddhist texts Anguttara Nikaya and Puranas. It included areas in present-day Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra.[1] [2] In Gautama Buddha's time, many of the Assakas were located on the banks of the Godavari River (south of the Vindhya mountains). Its capital is variously called Potali or Podana, and is identified as present-day Bodhan in Telangana.[3]
Aśmaka was located on the Godāvarī river, between Mūlaka and Kaliṅga.
The capital of Aśmaka was the city variously named Podana, Potali, Paudanyapura, and Potana, which corresponds to modern-day Bodhan.
The Aśmaka kingdom already existed at the time of the s, when its king Brahmadatta was mentioned in the as a contemporary of Reṇu of Videha and Dhataraṭṭha or Dhṛtarāṣṭra of Kāsī.
Panini who flourished 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 Nizamabad district.[4]
Aśmaka annexed the small kingdom of Mūlaka located to its west during the Mahajanapada period, after which it became the southern neighbour of the kingdom of Avanti.
The Hathigumpha inscription of Kharavela (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.[5] According to Ajay Mitra Shastri, "Asika-nagara" was located in the present-day village of Adam in Nagpur district (on the Wainganga River). A terracotta seal excavated in the village mentions the Asmaka janapada.[6] [7] Asmaka also included Mulaka area around Paithan known in ancient times as Pratishthana.[8] According to Sutta Nipata Saketa or Ayodhya was first halting place on the southward road (Dakshinapatha) from Shravasti to Pratishthana.