__________ is a form of government where power is exercised by a group of men.
(1) Monarchy
(2) Oligarchy
(3) Dyarchy
(4) Anarchy

2

Oligarchy refers to a form of government where power is exercised by a group of men. The Roman Republic, about which you read last year, was an oligarchy in spite of its name.

The governance of these mahajanapadas varied; while most were ruled by kings, some, known as ganas or sanghas, functioned as oligarchies, with power shared by multiple men, collectively referred to as rajas. Notably, both Mahavira and the Buddha belonged to such ganas.