Why is the sixth century BCE regarded as a turning point in early Indian history? Identify the correct statements from the following:

(A) It was the era associated with early states.
(B) The growing use of iron.
(C) Growth of Buddhism and Jainism.
(D) Growth of single system of thought.
(E) The development of coinage.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

(A), (B), (C), (E) Only

The correct answer is Option (1) → (A), (B), (C), (E) Only

Given statements:

(A) It was the era associated with early states.
(B) The growing use of iron.
(C) Growth of Buddhism and Jainism.
(D) Growth of single system of thought. (INCORRECT)
(E) The development of coinage.

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 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.