Bimbisara, a contemporary of the Buddha, belonged to which dynasty?
- A.Shishunaga dynasty
- B.Nanda dynasty
- C.Maurya dynasty
- D.Haryanka dynasty
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is D, Haryanka dynasty. Bimbisara was the first great ruler of the Haryanka line of Magadha, traditionally dated from about 544 BCE, with his capital at Girivraja, also called Rajgriha. He annexed Anga with its river port of Champa and strengthened Magadha through marriage alliances with Kosala, the Licchavis of Vaishali and Madra in the Punjab. He was a contemporary and patron of both the Buddha and Mahavira.
Option A, the Shishunaga dynasty, came later and is remembered for annexing Avanti. Option B, the Nanda dynasty, ruled immediately before the Mauryas and was founded by Mahapadma Nanda. Option C, the Maurya dynasty, was founded by Chandragupta Maurya about 321 BCE after he overthrew the last Nanda, so it is two dynasties removed from Bimbisara. The correct order to memorise for Magadha is Haryanka, Shishunaga, Nanda, Maurya.
Read the full article: Mahajanapadas and Rise of Magadha: Capitals and Dynasties
Practice Questions
View allThe list of sixteen mahajanapadas of the sixth century BCE is found in which of the following texts?
- A.Arthashastra
- B.Anguttara Nikaya
- C.Mahabhashya
- D.Ashtadhyayi
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It is a text of the Sutta Pitaka of the Buddhist canon and it names the sixteen great states of the age of the Buddha, from Magadha and Kosala in the east to Gandhara and Kamboja in the north-west.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following mahajanapadas was situated south of the Vindhyas?
- A.Assaka
- B.Chedi
- C.Matsya
- D.Surasena
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Of the sixteen mahajanapadas only Assaka lay in the Deccan, on the banks of the Godavari, with its capital at Potana, also written Potali.
Read the full explanation →Ujjain was the capital of which mahajanapada?
- A.Vatsa
- B.Kosala
- C.Avanti
- D.Panchala
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Avanti covered the Malwa region and had two capitals: Ujjain in its northern half and Mahishmati on the Narmada in its southern half.
Read the full explanation →The First Buddhist Council was held at Rajgriha under the patronage of which ruler?
- A.Ajatashatru
- B.Kalashoka
- C.Ashoka
- D.Kanishka
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The First Buddhist Council met at Rajgriha soon after the death of the Buddha, with Ajatashatru of the Haryanka dynasty as its patron and Mahakassapa presiding, and it settled the Vinaya Pitaka and the Sutta Pitaka as recited by Upali and Ananda.
Read the full explanation →Which mahajanapada was a gana-sangha with its centre at Vaishali?
- A.Anga
- B.Vajji
- C.Kasi
- D.Kuru
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The Vajji confederacy had its centre at Vaishali in north Bihar and was the best known gana-sangha, a state governed not by a single king but by an assembly of the heads of ruling families.
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