The sixth century BCE is often regarded as a major turning point in I…

The sixth century BCE is often regarded as a major turning point in Indian history. Identify the correct statements.

A. It is an era associated with early states/mahajanapadas.
B. It is an era associated with development of coinage.
C. It witnessed the growth of temple architecture and idol worship.
D. It is regarded as the golden period of Indian painting.
E. It is an era associated with growing use of iron.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 4

The correct answer is Option (4) → A, B, E only

A. It is an era associated with early states/mahajanapadas. Correct. The sixth century BCE is an era associated with early states; early Buddhist and Jaina texts mention sixteen states known as mahajanapadas.

B. It is an era associated with development of coinage. Correct. The era is associated with the development of coinage.

C. It witnessed the growth of temple architecture and idol worship. Incorrect. Temples came much later: the earliest temples date to about the third century CE.

D. It is regarded as the golden period of Indian painting. Incorrect. Painting is not what marks this era. It is known for early states, cities, iron and coinage, and for the growth of new systems of thought such as Buddhism and Jainism.

E. It is an era associated with growing use of iron. Correct. The era is associated with the growing use of iron.

NCERT (2026-27): “2.1 The sixteen mahajanapadas … The sixth century BCE is often regarded as a major turning point in early Indian history. It is an era associated with early states, cities, the growing use of iron, the development of coinage, etc. It also witnessed the growth of diverse systems of thought, including Buddhism and Jainism. Early Buddhist and Jaina texts (see also Chapter 4) mention, amongst other things, sixteen states known as mahajanapadas. Although the lists vary, some names such as Vajji, Magadha, Koshala, Kuru, Panchala, Gandhara and Avanti occur frequently. Clearly, these were amongst the most important mahajanapadas.…”