Panchala (, ) was the name of an ancient kingdom of northern
India, located in the
Ganges-Yamuna Doab of the upper
Gangetic plain, encompassing the modern-day states of
Uttarakhand and western
Uttar Pradesh. During Late
Vedic times (c.850-500 BCE), it was one of the most powerful states of South Asia, closely allied with the
Kuru Kingdom. By the c. 5th century BCE, it had become an oligarchic confederacy, considered as one of the
solasa (sixteen)
mahajanapadas (major states) of South Asia. After being absorbed into the
Mauryan Empire (322-185 BCE), Panchala regained its independence until it was annexed by the
Gupta Empire in the 4th century CE.