was an ancient India n Aryan kingdom, corresponding roughly in area with the region of Oudh . Its capital was Ayodhya . In sixth century BCE, Kosala formed one of the sixteen powerful kingdoms ( Mahajanapadas ) of Buddhist traditions, but was weakened by a series of wars with the neighboring kingdom of Magadha and finally (4th cent. B.C.) was absorbed by it.
Kosala was the setting of much Sanskrit epic literature including the Ramayana . Buddha and Mahavira , founder of Jainism , taught in the kingdom.
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