Which of the following factors was/were responsible for the rise of Magadha as the most powerful Mahajanapada during the 6th century BCE? 1. Region of productive agriculture 2. Accessibility to iron-mines 3. Availability of elephants in the region Select the answer using the codes given below :
- A.1 only
- B.1 and 2 only
- C.2 and 3 only
- D.1, 2 and 3
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is D, 1, 2 and 3. Fertile land, nearby iron ore and a supply of forest elephants together made Magadha the strongest of the sixteen Mahajanapadas.
Magadha lay in the middle Ganga plain of south Bihar, where rivers and heavy rainfall made the soil very productive and gave the kings a large surplus to tax. Iron ore from the hills to its south, in today's Jharkhand, gave it better tools for clearing forests and better weapons for its armies. The forests to the east supplied elephants, which Magadha was among the first to use on a large scale in war. Its early capital Rajagriha was ringed by hills, and the later capital Pataliputra stood where the Ganga, Son and Gandak meet. Able rulers such as Bimbisara, Ajatashatru and Mahapadma Nanda built on these advantages.
A is wrong because agriculture alone leaves out iron and elephants. B is wrong because it omits elephants. C is wrong because it leaves out the fertile land, the base of Magadha's wealth.
Exam tip: Magadha's rise = fertile Ganga soil + Chota Nagpur iron + war elephants + well protected capitals.
Practice Questions
View allWhich of the following statements about Saguna bhakti traditions is/are correct ? 1. Saguna bhakti traditions focus on the worship of specific deities such as Vishnu or his avatars. 2. In Saguna bhakti traditions, Gods and Goddesses are conceptualised in anthropomorphic forms. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- A.1 only
- B.2 only
- C.Both 1 and 2
- D.Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Saguna bhakti is devotion to God with attributes, so it centres on particular deities and imagines them in human-like forms.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements related to the Virashaiva tradition in Karnataka : 1. The Virashaiva movement was led by a Brahmana named Basavanna, a minister in the court of the Kalachuri ruler in the twelfth century. 2. The Virashaivas encouraged practices, approved by the Dharmashastras, like post-puberty marriages and remarriage of widows. Which of the statement/s given above is/are correct ?
- A.1 only
- B.2 only
- C.Both 1 and 2
- D.Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Basavanna did lead the Virashaiva movement, but the Virashaivas encouraged post-puberty marriage and widow remarriage precisely because the Dharmashastras disapproved of them.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following was not a part of the dhamma of King Ashoka ?
- A.Honouring the king
- B.Tolerance of religions other than one's own
- C.Respecting Brahmanas
- D.Promoting the welfare of his subjects
Show answer
Ashoka's dhamma was a moral code for all his subjects and never asked people to honour or worship the king himself.
Read the full explanation →Who among the following founded the Marathi newspaper 'Kesari'?
- A.Lokmanya Tilak
- B.Vallabhbhai Patel
- C.Lala Lajpat Rai
- D.Mahatma Gandhi
Show answer
Bal Gangadhar Tilak started Kesari in Marathi in 1881 from Pune, together with Gopal Ganesh Agarkar and Vishnushastri Chiplunkar. Alongside Kesari, the same group brought out Mahratta, its English counterpart.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following pairs of High Offices and concerned Departments in the Mauryan Administration :
1. Samahartri : Chief Collector of Revenue
2. Dauvarika : Chief of Army
3. Akshapatala : Records-cum-Audit Officer
4. Samnidhatri : Treasurer
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched ?
- A.1 and 2 only
- B.1, 3 and 4 only
- C.3 and 4 only
- D.1, 2, 3 and 4
Show answer
The Samahartri collected revenue, the Akshapatala kept records and accounts, and the Samnidhatri was the treasurer, but the Dauvarika was the chief of the royal palace and its attendants, not of the army.
Read the full explanation →