Based on Mahabharata evidence, the kingdom of the Angas roughly corresponded to the districts of Bhagalpur, Banka, Purnia, Munger, Katihar and Jamui in Bihar and districts of Deoghar, Godda, and Sahebganj in Jharkhand; later extended to include Malda and Uttar Dinajpur in Bengal.
•
Counted among the "sixteen great nations" (solas Mahajanapadas) in Buddhist texts like the Anguttara Nikaya, Anga also finds mention in the Jain Vyakhyaprajnapti’s list of ancient janapadas.
The territory occupied by the present day Munger district was a part of Anga mahajanapada.
Anga | Anga Kingdom | Maham Anga |
The Rishi replied, 'No, they are mine. They were begotten by me upon a Sudra woman. The king Vali then again sent unto him his queen Sudeshna. The Rishi by merely touching her said, 'Thou shalt have five children named Anga, Vanga, Kalinga, Pundra and Suhma.
•
At this very period there was a ruler of the land of Anga known by the name of Romapada who was a friend of Kosala king Dasaratha.
Bhadrabahu is considered to be the last expert of fourteen Purvas, of last Anga called Drstivada, one of the scriptures of Jainism.
She has delivered an electrifying performance in the 2008 hit Jodhaa Akbar as Maham Anga, Akbar's wet nurse, who is also like Akbar's mother.
The other branch of the Anavas under Titiksu moved east and founded the principalities of Anga, Banga, Kalinga, Suhma and Pundra.
In context of Krsna digvijay, the Mahabharata furnishes a key list of twenty-five ancient Janapadas, viz., Anga, Vanga, Kalinga, Magadha, Kasi, Kosala, Vatsa, Garga, Karusha, Pundra, Avanti, Dakshinatya, Parvartaka, Dasherka, Kashmira, Ursa, Pishacha, Mudgala, Kamboja, Vatadhana, Chola, Pandya, Trigarta, Malava, and Darada (MBH 7/11/15-17).
Legend has it that Karnasubarna was the capital of the 'Anga' Kingdom that the Kaurava prince Duryodhana had gifted to the magnanimous Karna, the first born of Kunti.
The Pundra land appears to have been bounded on the east by the river Kasataya, on the west by the modern Mahananda, which separates it from Anga, on the south by the modern Padma, and on the north by the hills, which were inhabited by aboriginal hill tribes, such as the Kiratas.
It also gives information on the subject matter of the 14 Purva and the 12th Anga, Drstivada.