The country of Central India that was the birthplace of Buddhism and the region of its early activities. It extended in the east to the town of Kajaṅgala,¹ beyond which was Mahāsāla; on the south-east to the river Salalavatī; on the south west to the town of Setakaṇṇika; on the west to the brahmin village of Thūna; on the north to the Usīraddhaja mountain.

It is also noteworthy that in the Commentaries the Majjhimadesa is extended to include the whole of Jambudīpa, the other continents being Paccantima-janapadā. The term came also to be used in a generic sense. Thus, in Sri Lanka (Tambapaṇṇī-dīpa) Anurādhapura came to be called the Majjhimadesa.²

The Majjhimadesa was three hundred leagues (yojana) in length, two hundred and fifty in breadth, and nine hundred in circumference.³ It contained fourteen of the sixteen Mahājanapadā, that is to say all but Gandhāra and Kamboja, which belonged to the Uttarāpaṭha.

The people of Majjhimadesa were regarded as wise and virtuous.⁴ It was the birthplace of noble men (purisājanīyā) including the Buddhas,⁵ and all kinds of marvellous things happened there.⁶ The people of Majjhimadesa considered peacocks’ flesh a luxury.⁷

The Central Region of Buddhist India