Varanasi

City · c. 600 BCE · in South Asia

Capital of Janapada of Kasi (600 BCE–451 BCE).

Ujjain (c. 600 BCE – c. 405 CE): Capital of Janapada of Avanti (600 BCE–405 BCE), Western Satraps (43–405).
Mathura (c. 600 BCE): Capital of Janapada of Surasena (600 BCE–405 BCE).
Milan (600 BCE): Capital of Duchy of Milan (1402–1539), Ambrosian Republic (1450–1450), Cisalpine Republic (1797–1799).
Kushinagar (c. 600 BCE): Capital of Janapada of Malla (600 BCE–451 BCE).
Kausambi (c. 600 BCE): Capital of Janapada of Vatsa (600 BCE–451 BCE).
Vaishali (c. 600–481 BCE): Capital of Janapada of Vajji (600 BCE–481 BCE).
Shravasti (c. 600–501 BCE): Capital of Janapada of Kosala (600 BCE–501 BCE).
Rajgir (c. 600 BCE): Capital of Janapada of Magadha (600 BCE–501 BCE), Magadha - Shaishunaga dynasty (404 BCE–345 BCE).
Viratnagar (c. 600 BCE): Capital of Janapada of Matsya (600 BCE–405 BCE).
Champapuri (c. 600 BCE): Capital of Janapada of Anga (600 BCE–501 BCE).

Around the same time and place

Gautama Buddha (c. 563 BCE – 483 BCE): Founder of Buddhism, born at Lumbini in present-day Nepal. His traditional dates are c. 563–483 BCE; many scholars place his death around 400 BCE.
Mahavira (c. 599 BCE – 527 BCE): The 24th Tirthankara of Jainism, who systematised Jain teaching in the Ganges plain. Traditional dates are 599–527 BCE; some scholars place him a century later.
Vedic period (c. 1,500–500 BCE): Period in northern Indian history when the Vedas were composed, marked by Indo-Aryan settlement of the Punjab and Ganges plain and the development of early Hindu ritual.
Mahajanapadas (c. 600–345 BCE): Sixteen great kingdoms and republics of northern India in the 6th century BCE, among which Magadha eventually became dominant.