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Chapter 6 Janapadas and Mahajanapadas

Textbook Questions and Answers

1. Answer in one sentence:

Question 1.
What is meant by janapada?
Answer:
Small city states came to be known as janapadas.

Question 2.
What is meant by mahajanapada?
Answer:
Some janapadas gradually became stronger and expanded their geographical bounderies, such janapadas came to be known as Mahajanapadas.

Question 3.
Where was the first Buddhist council held?
Answer:
The first Buddhist council or sangiti was held at Rajgriha.

Question 4.
Who introduced the system of standard weights and measures?
Answer:
The Nandas introduced the system of standard weights and measures.

2. Can you name the following?

Question 1.
Some part of today’s Maharashtra was occupied by this janapada.
Answer:
Ashamak

Question 2.
This was an assembly of the senior citizens of a janapada
Answer:
Gana-parishad

Question 3.
This was the venue of discussion.
Answer:
Santhagar

Question 4.
Gautam Buddha belonged to this janapada.
Answer:
Shakya Republic

Question 5.
They had a four-column army.
Answer:
The Nanda Kings

3. Match the following:

Question 1.

Answer:
1 – b
2 – d
3 – a

4. Make a table showing the various kingdoms in the Indian sub-continent and their capitals.
Answer:

Activity:

• Visit a nearby fort and find out the following:

1. Type of the fort
2. In whose reign it was built
3. The Killedar………..
4. The main feature.

• Find out the different arms and services of the Indian Army.
• Complete the following table:

In Text Questions and Answers

Activity:

Question 1.
Find out the different arms and services of the Indian Army.
Answer:
Combat Arms :

• Infantry
• Armoured Corps
• Regiment of Artillery

Supporting Arms :

• Army Aviation Corps
• Corps of Engineers
• Corps of Signals
• Mechanized Infantry
• Army Air Defence

Services :

• Army Education Corps
• Army Medical Corps
• Army Ordinance Corps
•  Army Postal Service Corps
• Army Service Corps
• Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers
• Corps of Military Police
• Judge Advocate Generals Department
• Army Dental Corps
• Remount and Veterinary Corps
• Other Services

Question 2.
Complete the following table:

Answer:

Additional Important Questions and Answers

Complete the sentence by choosing the correct option:

Question 1.
The period from about 1000 BCE to 600 BCE is considered to be the ______ period.
(a) medieval
(b) Vedic
(c) post-Vedic
Answer:
(c) post-Vedic

Question 2.
The ______ came into existence in the post-Vedic period.
(a) janapadas
(b) mahajanapads
(c) angas
Answer:
(a) janapadas

Question 3.
The janapada called Ashmak occupied a part of today’s _______.
(a) Karnataka
(b) Maharashtra
(c) Bihar
Answer:
(b) Maharashtra

Question 4.
Some of the janapadas were monarchies, while others were ________.
(a) republics
(b) independent
(c) dependent
Answer:
(a) republics

Question 5.
Every janapada had its own ______.
(a) library
(b) palace
(c) coinage
Answer:
(c) coinage

Question 6.
Some janapadas gradually became stronger and ______ their geographical boundaries.
(a) contracted
(b) expanded
(c) built
Answer:
(b) expanded

Question 7.
By sixth century BCE, _______ Mahajanapadas acquired special importance.
(a) fifteen
(b) sixteen
(c) seventeen
Answer:
(b) sixteen

Question 8.
Ajatshatru was the son of _______.
(a) Chandragupta
(b) Shishunag
(c) Bimbisara
Answer:
(c) Bimbisara

Question 9.
The kingdom of Magadha prospered during the reign of ______.
(a) Ajatshatru
(b) Bimbisara
(c) Chandragupta
Answer:
(a) Ajatshatru

Question 10.
Ajatashatru became the ______ of Gautam Buddha.
(a) leader
(b) follower
(c) descendant
Answer:
(b) follower

Question 11.
The first Buddhist Council or sangiti was held at ______.
(a) Rajgriha
(b) Ashmak
(c) Panchal
Answer:
(a) Rajgriha

Question 12.
The foundation for the new _______ Pataligram of Magadha was laid during Ajatshatru’s period.
(a) city
(b) palace
(c) capital
Answer:
(c) capital

Question 13.
_______ was probably in the vicinity of today’s Patna city.
(a) Pataliputra
(b) Vatra
(c) Avanti
Answer:
(a) Pataliputra

Question 14.
A noteworthy successor of Ajatshatru was the Magadha king _______.
(a) Dhananand
(b) Chandragupta
(c) Shishunag
Answer:
(c) Shishunag

Question 15.
Nearly the entire region of northern India came under the ______ of Magadha.
(a) control
(b) influence
(c) subjection
Answer:
(a) control

Question 16.
The _____ ruled the Magadha Empire between 364 BCE and 324 BCE.
(a) Guptas
(b) Nandas
(c) Mauryas
Answer:
(b) Nandas

Question 17.
The Nandas set up a good ________ system necessary to run the huge empire.
(a) political
(b) financial
(c) administrative
Answer:
(c) administrative

Question 18.
The Nandas also ________ the system of standard weights and measures.
(a) introduced
(b) exploited
(c) destroyed
Answer:
(a) introduced

Question 19.
King _______ was the last king of the Nanda dynasty.
(a) Nanda
(b) Dhanananda
(c) Bimbisara
Answer:
(b) Dhanananda

Question 20.
Chandragupta Maurya won ______ and ended the Nanda regime.
(a) Pataliputra
(b) Kashi
(c) Ashmak
Answer:
(a) Pataliputra

Answer the following in one sentence:

Question 1.
Which period is considered to be the post- Vedic period?
Answer:
The period from about 1000 BC to 600 BC is considered to be the post-Vedic period.

Question 2.
When did the janapadas come into existance?
Answer:
The janapadas came into existence during the post-Vedic period.

Question 3.
Around which region did the janapadas spread?
Answer:
The janapadas spread from today’s Afghanistan which is to the north west of the Indian subcontinent to Bengal and Odisha in the east and to Maharashtra in the south.

Question 4.
Which janapada occupied a part of today’s Maharashtra?
Answer:
The janapada called ‘Ashmak’ occupied a part of today’s Maharashtra.

Question 5.
What is the organisation of senior citizens called?
Answer:
The organization of senior citizens is called gana-parishad.

Question 6.
What was the work of the gana-parishad?
Answer:
The members of the gana-parishad came together for discussion and made decisions regarding administrative issues.

Question 7.
What was the place where the gana-parishad met called?
Answer:
The place where the gana-parishad met and took decisions was known as the ‘Santhagar’.

Question 8.
From which Republican state did Gautam Buddha hail?
Answer:
Gautam Buddha hailed from the Shakya Republic.

Question 9.
How many mahajanapadas had acquired special importance in the sixth century BCE?
Answer:
Upto the sixth century BCE, sixteen mahajanapadas had acquired special importance.

Question 10.
Name some powerful mahajanapada.
Answer:
Some of the powerful mahajanapadas were Kosala, Vatsa, Avanti and Magadha.

Question 11.
Who was Bimbisara’s son?
Answer:
Bimbisara’s son was Ajatshatru.

Question 12.
Whose ardent follower did Ajatshatru become?
Answer:
Ajatshatru became the follower of Gautam Buddha.

Question 13.
When was the foundation for the new capital Pataligram laid?
Answer:
The foundation for the new capital Pataligram of Magadha was laid during Ajatshatru’s period.

Question 14.
Which ancient city was in the vicinity of today’s city of Patna?
Answer:
The ancient city Pataliputra was in the vicinity of today’s city of Patna.

Question 15.
Who was the successor of Ajatshatru?
Answer:
A noteworthy successor of Ajatshatru was the Magadha King Shishunag.

Question 16.
Which kingdoms did King Shishunag annex?
Answer:
King Shishunag annexed the kingdoms of Avanti, Kosala, and Vatsa to Magadha.

Question 17.
State the period of Nanda rule.
Answer:
The Nandas ruled the Magadha Empire between 364 BCE and 324 BCE.

Question 18.
Describe the army of the Nanda Kings.
Answer:
The Nanda Kings had a huge four column army of infantry, cavalry, chariots and elephants.

Question 19.
Who was the last king of the Nanda dynasty?
Answer:
King Dhananand was the last king of the Nanda dynasty.

Question 20.
How did the Nanda dynasty decline?
Answer:
During Dhananand’s reign, an ambitious youth Chandragupta Maurya won Pataliputra and brought about an end to the Nanda regime.