Q. Which of the following statements with regard to the political systems of the 6th Century BCE is/are correct?
1.In Gana-Sanghas like Vajji and Malla, sovereign power was exercised by a collective assembly comprising clan heads rather than an absolute monarch.
2.Decision-making in republican assemblies was driven by voting through voting sticks collected by a designated official when consensus failed.
3.All Mahajanapadas operated under centralized, hereditary monarchical dynasties where popular assemblies held absolute veto power.
Select the answer using the code given below:
Answer: A
Notes:
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is correct: Gana-Sanghas were non-monarchical oligarchies governed by collective assemblies of clan leaders who held the title Raja.
- Statement 2 is correct: Buddhist texts (such as the Vinaya Pitaka) document democratic procedural mechanisms within assemblies, including voting using colored wooden sticks (Salakas) supervised by a Salaka-Gahapaka.
- Statement 3 is incorrect: The 16 Mahajanapadas consisted of both monarchies (e.g., Magadha, Kosala, Vatsa, Avanti) and non-monarchical Gana-Sanghas (e.g., Vajji, Malla). In monarchies, popular assemblies had lost their veto power to hereditary rulers.
