Janapadas and Mahajanapadas
Short Questions
What is a janapada?
Answer : A small state in ancient India.
Name one source of information about janapadas.
Answer : Sanskrit, Pali, or Ardhamagadhi literature.
Which janapada was in Maharashtra?
Answer : Ashmak.
What was the capital of Kosala?
Answer : Shravasti.
Who was the king of Vatsa?
Answer : King Udayana.
Which city was the capital of Avanti?
Answer : Ujjayani (Ujjain).
Who was the famous physician at Bimbisara’s court?
Answer : Jeevaka.
Who was the last king of the Nanda dynasty?
Answer : Dhananand.
Which city became Pataliputra later?
Answer : Pataligram.
Who ended the Nanda rule and started the Maurya Empire?
Answer : Chandragupta Maurya.
Long Questions
1. What is the difference between janapadas and mahajanapadas?
Answer : Janapadas were small states that existed between 1000 BC and 600 BC. Some janapadas became powerful and expanded their territories; these were called mahajanapadas.
2. How did the Magadha Empire expand?
Answer : Ajatshatru, son of Bimbisara, expanded Magadha by conquering eastern republics. Later, King Shishunag annexed Avanti, Kosala, and Vatsa, making Magadha a dominant power in North India.
3. What role did Gautama Buddha play in Kosala?
Answer : Gautama Buddha lived in the famous Jetvan Vihara in Shravasti, Kosala. King Prasenjit, the ruler of Kosala, was his contemporary and supported his teachings.
4. What were the achievements of the Nanda dynasty?
Answer : The Nanda kings ruled Magadha from 364 BCE to 324 BCE. They had a strong four-column army and introduced standard weights and measures, which helped in trade and administration.
5. How did Pataliputra become an important city?
Answer : During Ajatshatru’s reign, the foundation for Pataligram was laid. Later, it became Pataliputra, the capital of Magadha, and an important political and cultural center.
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