Which of the following statements are correct about Mahajanapadas ?

A. Mahajanapadas were ruled by the kings.
B. Some Mahajanapadas, known as ganas, were oligarchies.
C. Buddha and Mahavira did not belong to Mahajanapadas.
D. Each Mahajanapada had a capital city, which was often fortified.
E. Mahajanapadas were short-lived and none of them survived for more than 100 years.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

A, B, D only

The correct answer is Option (1) → A, B, D only

A. Mahajanapadas were ruled by the kings.
B. Some Mahajanapadas, known as ganas, were oligarchies.
C. Buddha and Mahavira did not belong to Mahajanapadas. (INCORRECT)
D. Each Mahajanapada had a capital city, which was often fortified.
E. Mahajanapadas were short-lived and none of them survived for more than 100 years.(INCORRECT)

Correction:

C. Buddha and Mahavira did not belong to Mahajanapadas: This statement is incorrect. Both Buddha and Mahavira were associated with regions that were part of the Mahajanapadas.

E. Mahajanapadas were short-lived and none of them survived for more than 100 years: This statement is incorrect. While some Mahajanapadas might have been relatively short-lived, others existed for more extended periods, and the duration varied among them.

The sixth century BCE is often regarded as a major turning point in early Indian history. 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. While most mahajanapadas were ruled by kings, some, known as ganas or sanghas, were oligarchies , where power was shared by a number of men, often collectively called rajas. Both Mahavira and the Buddha belonged to such ganas. In some instances, as in the case of the Vajji sangha, the rajas probably controlled resources such as land collectively. Although their histories are often difficult to reconstruct due to the lack of sources, some of these states lasted for nearly a thousand years. Each mahajanapada had a capital city, which was often fortified. Maintaining these fortified cities as well as providing for incipient armies and bureaucracies required resources. Between the sixth and the fourth centuries BCE, Magadha (in present-day Bihar) became the most powerful mahajanapada.