One of the four great mahajanapadas of ancient India, located in the Malwa region (modern Madhya Pradesh), divided by the Vindhya range into northern and southern parts with two capitals.
The Avanti kingdom (modern Malwa, centred at Ujjain) was conquered and annexed by Magadha under king Shishunaga of the Shishunaga dynasty c. 413–395 BCE, ending a century-long rivalry; it remained part of Magadha through the subsequent Nanda and Maurya periods.
Standard reference for Avanti and the Mahajanapada states.
Era/regional: classic survey of the four great mahajanapadas, including Avanti in the Malwa region.