Match List I with List II:
| List I | List II | ||
| (A) | Bimbisara | (I) | Gana |
| (B) | Rajagaha | (II) | Provincial centre |
| (C) | Vajji | (III) | First capital of Magadha |
| (D) | Tosali | (IV) | Magadha |
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → (A)-(IV), (B)-(III), (C)-(I), (D)-(II)
(A) Bimbisara — this matches (IV) Magadha. Early Buddhist and Jaina writers explained the power of Magadha by the policies of its ruthlessly ambitious kings, of whom Bimbisara, Ajatasattu and Mahapadma Nanda are the best known.
(B) Rajagaha — this matches (III) First capital of Magadha. Initially, Rajagaha (present-day Rajgir in Bihar) was the capital of Magadha; in the fourth century BCE the capital was shifted to Pataliputra.
(C) Vajji — this matches (I) Gana. Some mahajanapadas, known as ganas or sanghas, were oligarchies where power was shared by a number of men called rajas; in the Vajji sangha the rajas probably controlled resources such as land collectively.
(D) Tosali — this matches (II) Provincial centre. The Mauryan empire had five major political centres: the capital Pataliputra and the provincial centres of Taxila, Ujjayini, Tosali and Suvarnagiri.
NCERT (2026-27): “2.1 The sixteen mahajanapadas … While most mahajanapadas were ruled by kings, some, known as ganas or sanghas, were oligarchies (p. 30), where power was shared by a number of men, often collectively called rajas. Both Mahavira and the Buddha (Chapter 4) belonged to such ganas. In some instances, as in the case of the Vajji sangha, the rajas probably controlled resources such as land collectively.… 2.2 First amongst the sixteen: Magadha … However, early Buddhist and Jaina writers who wrote about Magadha attributed its power to the policies of individuals: ruthlessly ambitious kings of whom Bimbisara, Ajatasattu and Mahapadma Nanda are the best known, and their ministers, who helped implement their policies. Initially, Rajagaha (the Prakrit name for presentday Rajgir in Bihar) was the capital of Magadha. Interestingly, the old name means ‘house of the king’. Rajagaha was a fortified settlement, located amongst hills. Later, in the fourth century BCE, the capital was shifted to Pataliputra, present-day Patna, commanding routes of communication along the Ganga.… 3.2 Administering the empire … There were five major political centres in the empire – the capital Pataliputra and the provincial centres of Taxila, Ujjayini, Tosali and Suvarnagiri, all mentioned in Asokan inscriptions.…” |