History Quiz: Early Janpaths |3 May, 2021

Agricultural surplus, the growth of crafts and trade, and the growing population led to the emergence of towns in the Gangetic plains. This is called the second urbanisation in Indian history after the first urbanisation evident in the Harappan Civilization. Different types of towns came into being:

(i) Political and administrative centres such as Rajgriha, Shravasti, Kaushambi and Champa

(ii) Centres of trade and commerce such as Ujjain and Taxila

(iii) Holy centres such as Vaishali.

Source: Tamil Nadu state board class 11.

The proto-states of the Gangetic region were known as janapadas and comprised chiefdoms, republics and small kingdoms. Sixteen mahajanapadas find mention in the early texts.

• There were also ganasanghas or oligarchies, which were centred on clans. The Vrijjis were one of the best known of the gana-sanghas, and Vaishali was their capital in the Mithila region.

• These kingdoms did not come under the single decision-making authority of a king but decisions were taken on a collective basis by the heads of the different clans together.
• There were also smaller kingdoms such as Kosala and Kasi. It is interesting to note that the names of the clans, such as Ikshvaku and Vrishni, as well as these early kingdoms, are all mentioned in the two epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Source: Tamil Nadu state board class 11.

The mahajanapadas on the Gangetic plains were all monarchies. Vedic orthodoxy was an established practice in these kingdoms. The kingship was hereditary and the succession was in most cases based on the law of primogeniture.

• The king was assisted by councils called parishad and sabha. The councils were advisory in nature. The king appropriated the agricultural surplus through land revenue apart from a few other taxes.
• Bali was a tax imposed based on the area of cultivable land. Bhaga was obtained as a share of the produce. Kara and Shulka were some of the other taxes collected during this period.
• Thus, the king raised revenue through taxes to maintain an elaborate administrative structure and an army.

Source: Tamil Nadu state board class 11.

Between the sixth and the fourth centuries BCE, Magadha (in present-day Bihar) became the most powerful mahajanapada.

Modern historians explain this development in a variety of ways:

• Magadha was a region where agriculture was especially productive.
• Besides, iron mines (in present-day Jharkhand) were accessible and provided resources for tools and weapons.

• Elephants, an important component of the army, were found in forests in the region.
• Also, the Ganga and its tributaries provided a means of cheap and convenient communication.
• However, early Buddhist and Jaina writers who wrote about Magadha attributed its power to the policies of individuals: ruthlessly ambitious kings of whom Bimbisara, Ajatasattu and Mahapadma Nanda are the best known, and their ministers, who helped implement their policies.

Source: Themes in Indian History Part.

Bimbisara, who was a contemporary of Buddha, started the process of empire building. It was strengthened by his son Ajatashatru and then by the Nandas.

Source: Tamil Nadu state board class.

Among the 16 mahajanapadas, Kasi was initially powerful. However, Kosala became dominant later.

• A power struggle broke out between Magadha, Kosala, Vrijji and Avanti. Eventually Magadha emerged as the dominant mahajanapada and established the first Indian empire.

• The first known ruler of Magadha was Bimbisara of the Haryanka dynasty. The Haryanka dynasty was succeeded by the Shishunaga dynasty.
• The Shishunagas ruled for fifty years before the throne was usurped by Mahapadma Nanda.
• Chandragupta Maurya Founded the Mauryan Empire after winning over Nanda Dynasty.

Source: Tamil Nadu state board class.

The word “Hindu” appears for the first time in an inscription of Darius I at Persepolis, Iran.

• Darius lists “Hindu” as part of his empire. The word “Sindhu”, denoting a river in general and Indus in particular, became “Hindu” in Persian.
• The Greeks dropped the S and called it Indu, which eventually came to be called Hindu and later India.

Source: Tamil Nadu state board class.

When Siddhartha was riding on his chariot with his charioteer one day outside the palace, he saw an old man, a sick man, a corpse and finally a religious mendicant.

Overcome by remorse at the misery of people, he left his palace in the dead of night in search of eternal truth.

He rode in his chariot pulled by his favourite horse Kanthaka and driven by his charioteer Channa far away from the city.

He cut his hair and sent it along with his discarded garments and jewellery to his father. This is known as Mahabhiraskramana or the Great Going Forth.

Source: Tamil Nadu state board class 11, page 51.

Agricultural activities increased during the Late Vedic period. The Satapatha Brahmana mentions rituals related to ploughing undertaken by the kings.

• This suggests the importance given to cultivation by the rulers, and the shift to agriculture to support the increasing population.
• The god Balarama is depicted with a plough, which suggests the importance of cultivation. The Vedic people cultivated barley and rice, and wheat.
• Wheat was the staple food of Punjab region. The Vedic people began to use rice in the Ganga-Yamuna doab. The use of rice, rather than wheat, is noticed in the Vedic rituals.

Source: Tamil Nadu state board class.

Dara Shikoh, the Mughal prince, translated the Upanishads into Persian in 1657, much before the colonial scholars developed any interest in ancient Indian literature.

Source: Tamil Nadu state board class.