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Indian HistoryEasyAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2020, Paper I

Which one of the following is NOT listed as one of the sixteen mahajanapadas in the pre-Mauryan period ?

  1. A.Kuru
  2. B.Vatsa
  3. C.Gandhara
  4. D.Kalinga

Correct answer

D. Kalinga

Explanation

The correct answer is D, Kalinga. Kalinga does not appear in the list of sixteen mahajanapadas given in the Buddhist text Anguttara Nikaya.

The sixteen mahajanapadas of the sixth century BCE were Anga, Magadha, Kashi, Kosala, Vajji, Malla, Chedi, Vatsa, Kuru, Panchala, Matsya, Surasena, Assaka, Avanti, Gandhara and Kamboja. Assaka, on the Godavari, was the only one south of the Vindhyas. Magadha later absorbed most of the others and grew into an empire. Kalinga, in present-day Odisha, became prominent later and is remembered for Ashoka's war of about 261 BCE.

A is wrong: Kuru, around Indraprastha, is one of the sixteen.

B is wrong: Vatsa, with its capital at Kaushambi, is one of them.

C is wrong: Gandhara, with its capital at Taxila, is one of them.

Exam tip: the 16 mahajanapadas come from the Anguttara Nikaya; Assaka is the only one in the south, and Kalinga is not on the list.

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Consider the following statements : 1. St. Francis Xavier was one of the founding members of the Jesuit Order. 2. St. Francis Xavier died in Goa and a church is dedicated to him there. 3. The Feast of St. Francis Xavier is celebrated in Goa each year. Which of the statements given above are correct?

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  3. C.1 and 3 only
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Correct answer: C. 1 and 3 only

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Correct answer: A. It promoted a systematic study of India's past in the Bengali language.

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