Sixth century B.C.E – Political Condition

11. The ancient city of Taxila is situated in which one among the followin

The ancient city of Taxila is situated in which one among the following provinces of Pakistan ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Baluchistan” option2=”Khyber Pakhtunkhwa” option3=”Punjab” option4=”Sindh” correct=”option3″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC Geoscientist – 2024
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The ancient city of Taxila is located in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is situated near Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Taxila is an ancient city located in the Punjab province of Pakistan.
Taxila was an important Buddhist centre from the 5th century BCE to the 5th century CE and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was strategically located on the trade routes connecting Central Asia and India.

12. On the banks of which one of the following rivers was the ancient Mahi

On the banks of which one of the following rivers was the ancient Mahishmati located?

[amp_mcq option1=”Sarayu” option2=”Son” option3=”Narmada” option4=”Godavari” correct=”option3″]

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UPSC CDS-2 – 2022
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The ancient city of Mahishmati is widely believed to be located on the banks of the Narmada River. Modern Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh is generally identified as the site of ancient Mahishmati.
Mahishmati was a significant city in ancient India, mentioned in various texts like the Mahabharata, Ramayana, and Puranas, often associated with the Haihaya dynasty.
The Sarayu River flows through Ayodhya. The Son River is a tributary of the Ganges, flowing through parts of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Bihar. The Godavari River flows across south-central India, originating in Maharashtra and flowing east to the Bay of Bengal.

13. Which of the following statements with regard to the heterodox sect be

Which of the following statements with regard to the heterodox sect between sixth and fourth century BC are correct?
1. The Jain ideas were already being circulated in the seventh century BC by Parshva.
2. Although Buddhism, and to a lesser extent Jainism, took account of the changes in material life and reacted against orthodoxy, neither of these sought to abolish the caste system.
3. The first female disciple of Mahavira is said to have been a captured slave woman.
4. Buddha held that nuns could attain spiritual liberation just like a monk and granted them an equal status in the mendicant order.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

[amp_mcq option1=”1, 2, 3 and 4″ option2=”1, 2 and 3 only” option3=”1, 2 and 4 only” option4=”3 and 4 only” correct=”option2″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-2 – 2017
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Statements 1, 2, and 3 are correct with regard to the heterodox sects between the sixth and fourth centuries BC.
1. Jain traditions acknowledge a lineage of Tirthankaras preceding Mahavira; Parshvanatha is accepted as the 23rd Tirthankara who lived in the 7th century BC.
2. While both Buddhism and Jainism challenged Brahmanical dominance and offered alternative paths to liberation accessible to all social strata within their monastic orders, they did not attempt to abolish the caste system entirely for the lay society, which continued to exist.
3. According to Jain texts, Chandana (or Chandanbala), who became the first female disciple (Sadhvi), was a princess who had been captured and enslaved.
4. While Buddha allowed women into the monastic order (Bhikkhuni Sangha), he instituted additional rules and conditions for nuns that placed them in a subordinate position to monks, indicating that they were not granted an equal status in the mendicant order’s hierarchy and governance compared to monks.
Both Jainism and Buddhism emerged in a period of significant social and economic change, challenging the established Vedic order and the dominance of the Brahmanical class. They offered paths to spiritual liberation outside the traditional rituals and sacrifices.

14. From among the following Mahajanapadas, identify the gana/sangha

From among the following Mahajanapadas, identify the gana/sangha (oligarchy):

[amp_mcq option1=”Magadha” option2=”Vajji” option3=”Avanti” option4=”Kosala” correct=”option2″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2022
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The Mahajanapadas of ancient India (around 6th century BCE) were either monarchies or republics (known as *gana-sanghas* or oligarchies). Among the options provided, Magadha, Avanti, and Kosala were powerful monarchical kingdoms. Vajji (or Vriji), with its capital at Vaishali, was a confederacy of several clans, including the Lichhavis, and is a prominent example of a *gana-sangha*, where rule was not by a single monarch but by an assembly of rulers or representatives.
Vajji was one of the major *gana-sanghas* (republican/oligarchic states) among the sixteen Mahajanapadas.
Other *gana-sanghas* included the Malla (capital Kushinagar and Pava). The rise of powerful monarchies like Magadha eventually led to the decline and absorption of these republican states.
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