In one tradition, a ruler of this kingdom named Kūṇiya was born after his mother ate a fruit that she thought was the fried heart of her husband Seṇiya. Johannes Bronckhorst attributed much of the Second Urbanization to this kingdom’s greater cultural sphere, which promoted shramaṇa movements in opposition (15[1])to Vedic Kuru and Panchāla to the west. Bhojpurī, Oḍiā, and Bengali descend from this kingdom’s namesake vernacular or prākrit. The first to transition to monarchy were Koshala and this most powerful (*) mahājanapada. Mahāvīra and Siddhārtha Gautama lived in this kingdom (10[1])during the reign of its Haryanka rulers Bimbisāra and Ajātashatru, who founded its capital, Pāṭaliputra. One empire was formed by toppling this kingdom’s unpopular Nanda dynasty on Chāṇakya’s advice. For 10 points, name this core state of the Mauryan Empire. ■END■