Chapter -5 Janapadas, Mahajanapadas and the Early Republics

 A. Define.

1. Kingdom.-A country, state or territory ruled by a king or queen is known as Kingdom.

2. Nishka:- The silver coins of Magadhan cmpire is known as Nishka.

3. Shrenis- Artisans and merchants began to form organized groups as their trade expanded These groups were known as shrenis or guilds.

4. Untouchable:- Basket makers were regarded as untouchables. It consisted of people who were looked down upon by upper castes just because they were performing lowly, but essential jobs

B. Write short answer for the following questions.

Q.1.What were janpadas?

Ans. 1. Janapadas were the small kingdoms. These were the major realms republics or kingdoms of Vedic India.

Q.2. What was Ashvamedha sacrifice?

Ans. 2. Ashwamedha sacrifice is an concoct Indian ritual In this ritval, a horse was left loose to wonder freely It wandered into the kingdoms of other kings and if they stopped it, they had to fight. If they allowed the horse to pass, it meant they accepted that the king who wanted to perform the sacrifice was stronger than them.

Q.3. How were the Shakyas and Lichchhavis different from other Mahajanpadas?

Ans. 3. The Shakyas and Lichachhavis were two clans that formed important republics They have an absolute ruler such as king. It was governed by a group of people Mahajanapadas on the other hand were the powerful kingdoms. The Mahajanapadas were always trying to capture each others territory.

Q.4. Who were untouchables?

And. 4. The caste system became rigid with time Basket makers were regarded as

untouchables. It consisted of people who were looked down upon by upper casts just because they were performing lowly, but essential jobs.

C. Answer the following questions in detail.

Q.1. How is a monarchy different from are public?

Ans. Monarchial and Republic were two kinds of rule in practice in ancient India. A monarchial system was one in which there was a ruler monarch, who was the king The post of king was hereditary On the other hand, a republic did not have an absolute ruler such as a king. It was governed by a group of people

Bimbisara meets the Buddha

Q.2. Examine the role played by Bimbisara to make Magadha powerful.

Ans. Bimbisara ruled over Magadha from 542 BC to 493 BC Under his rule Magadhas saw a many developments in tracts and construction. He built bridges over the rivers, which further increased the trade with the neighbouring kingdoms.

Ajatshatru

Q.3. Which factors made Magadha a powerful kingdom?

Ans. Magadha was ruled by some of the most powerful kingdoms in the history of India. Ajatshatru, son of Bimbisara, ruled over Magadha from 493 BC to 462 BC He waged wars against many neighbouring kingdoms and annexed them. After the Kingdoms of Vajji was annexed, Magadha become the most powerful kingdom of Northern India. The Sishunagas and the Nandas were the next two dynasties who ruled Magadha after Ajatshatru. Finally the Nandas were succeeded by the Mauryan dynasty.

Q.4. Discuss the taxation system used in Magadha empire.

Ans. In Magadha empire, the people were ruled by the king with the help of paid officers. But to make these payments, he needed taxes. Thus, all the producers of goods paid a tax to the king Peasants paid 1/6th bhaga of their produce. Metal workers made implements, carpenters made chariots and weavers wove a certain amount of cloth free for the king. The king distributed all these things as salary to his officers.

D. Fill in the blanks.

1. Iran weapons were not easily available to the rivals of Magadha empire.

2. Rajgriha was surrounded by a group of five hills.

3. After the kingdom of Vajji was annexed Magadha became the most powerful kingdom of Northern India.

4. The king was the protector of society and dharma.

5. The silver coins of Magadhan empire were known as Nishka.

E. Write 'T' for true and 'F' for the false statement.

1. King Ajatshatru had met Lord Buddha several times.

Ans. F

2. Exchange of goods for money was known as Taxing.

Ans. F

3. Ajatshatru was the son of Shishunag.

Ans. F

4. Purohits were used to collect taxes from villages.

Ans. F

5. Inter caste marriage was strongly discouraged in Magadha empire.

Ans. T

F. Match the columns.

Ans.

G. MCQS

SOLVED NCERT TEXT-BOOK QUESTIONS

A. Answer the following questions briefly.

Q.1. Name a ritual used to recognise someone as a raja.
 Ans. Ahvamedha' was one ritual used to recognise a raja

Q.2. Which category of people was incduded from the rituals!
Ans. The Shudras' were included from rituals.

Q.3. Name two Janapadas' in North India.
 Ans. Hastinapura and Atranjkhera.

Q.4. How were cities forfeited?
Ans. Cites were forfeited by building huge walls of wood, bricks or stones around them.

Q.5. For what did rulers need taxes?
Ans. Rulers needed taxes to build huge forts and to maintain big armies.

 B. Tick (√) the correct answer.

1. The ashvamedha' was the sacrifice of :
(a) horse
(b) cow
(c) bull
(d) goat

 Ans. (a)

2. Which of these groups of people were not allowed to take part in the rituals after the ashvamedha?
(a) vaishya
(b) priests
(c) women
(d) shudras

Ans. (d)

3. The two words that constitute the word Janapada' mean:
(a) women and foot
(b) people and foot
(c) men and hand
(e) goat and rajas

Ans. (b)

4. Which of these was usually forfeited?
(a) All cities in Mahajanapada
(b) All cities in Janapadas
(c) Capital cities of Mahajanapadas
(d) The whole Mahajanapadas

Ans. (c)

5. The present name of Rajagriha is:
(a) Rajgir
(b) Rajmahal
(c) Rajgaon
(d) Patna

Ans. (a)

C. Fill in the blanks.

1. Some changes took place in the ways of choosing new rajas about 3000 years ago.

2. Purana Qilla was a settlement in janapada and is now located in New Delhi.

3. Archaeologists have discovered that people in Janapadas lived in huts.

4. Painted greyware is a type of pottery.

5. The taxes on crops were called Bhaga.

D. Matching skill.

Ans. 1. (c).     2. (b).    3. (d).    4. (e).   5. (a)

E. Short Answer Type Questions. 

Q.1. Write short note on the 'ashvamedha' ritual. 
Ans. The 'ashvamedha' was a ritual used to recognise men as 'rajas'. A horse was left to wander freely wandered into another kingdom and the king of that kingdom stopped it, he had to fight. The 'raja' who succeeded in the challenge was recognised as stronger.

Q.2. What is known about the 'Janapadas' and their people? 
Ans. Archaeologists have excavated a number of settlements in 'Janapadas' They have found that people lived in huts. The people kept cattle as well as other animals. They grew a variety of crops like rice, wheat, barley pulses etc. They made earthern pots, some of which were grey in colour and some red.

Q.3. What were the different roles of different persons in the sacrifice? 
Ans. The 'raja' was the central person in the sacrifice. He was given a special sent, like a throne. His character would tell others tales of the 'rajas' His wives and sons would perform several minor rituals.

F. Long Answer Type Questions. 

Q.1. What was an important feature of capital cities of "Mahajanapadas'? Why were they forfeited? How wo they forfeited? 
Ans. Capital cities of 'Mahajanapadas' were mostly forfeited by building huge walls of wood, bricks or s around them. There were various reasons for building forts. They were probably built because people were afraid of attacks from other kings and needed protection. Buildings forts required a great deal planning hundreds of thousands of bricks or stones had to be prepared. Enormous amount of labour resources were required.

Q. 2. What changes took place in agriculture around this time? 
Ans. There were two significant changes in agriculture around this time:

(i) Growing use of the iron ploughshares helped in yielding a better grain produce. Heavy, clayey soil could be turned over better with an iron ploughshare than with a wooden ploughshare.

(ii) People began transplanting paddy. This meant that instead of scattering seed, on the ground, from which plants would sprout, saplings were grown and then planted in the fields. Production developed due to this since many plants survived.