Vedic & Mahajanapadas — Set 4
Indian History · वैदिक और महाजनपद · Questions 31–40 of 60
Who was the first non-Kshatriya king to establish a powerful empire in Magadha?
Correct Answer: D. Mahapadma Nanda
• **Mahapadma Nanda** = first non-Kshatriya (son of a Shudra mother) to build a pan-India empire. • Called **'Sarvakshatrantaka'** (destroyer of all Kshatriyas) — overthrew many Kshatriya rulers. • Also called **'Ekarat'** (sole sovereign); established highly centralized bureaucratic administration. • 💡 Kalashoka = Shishunaga dynasty (Kshatriya); Shishunaga = also Kshatriya; Chandragupta Maurya = also of low-caste origin but came after Nanda — Mahapadma Nanda was the first.
In which year did Alexander the Great invade India?
Correct Answer: C. 326 BC
• **326 BC** = year Alexander invaded India; entered via **Khyber Pass** into Punjab. • Fought **King Porus** (Puru) at **Battle of Hydaspes** (Jhelum river) — defeated Porus but reinstated him. • His troops refused to cross **Beas (Vipasha)** river; Alexander died in **323 BC** in Babylon. • 💡 323 BC = Alexander's death year; 320 BC = Chandragupta's rise; 321 BC = no major event — 326 BC is the invasion year.
The Rigvedic river 'Vitasta' is identified with which modern river?
Correct Answer: C. Jhelum
• **Vitasta** = ancient Rigvedic name of **Jhelum** river; Greek name was **Hydaspes**. • Battle of **Hydaspes (326 BC)** was fought on its banks — Alexander vs. King Porus. • Full Rigvedic river map: Vitasta=Jhelum, Asikni=Chenab, Parushni=Ravi, Vipasha=Beas, Shutudri=Sutlej. • 💡 Beas = Vipasha (not Vitasta); Ravi = Parushni; Sutlej = Shutudri — Vitasta is specifically Jhelum.
What was the primary occupation of the people during the Rigvedic period?
Correct Answer: C. Cattle Rearing
• **Cattle rearing (pastoralism)** = primary occupation of Rigvedic Aryans; cows = measure of wealth. • The word for 'war' in Rigveda — **'Gavisti'** — literally means 'desire for cattle', showing its importance. • Agriculture came to prominence only in the **Later Vedic period** with iron tools. • 💡 Fishing = not mentioned as major Rigvedic activity; Trade = minor/later; Agriculture = secondary in Rigveda — cattle rearing was primary.
What was the smallest basic unit of society in the Vedic period?
Correct Answer: B. Kula (Family)
• **Kula (family)** = smallest unit of Vedic society; headed by **Kulapa** (eldest male). • Social hierarchy: **Kula → Grama (village) → Vis (clan) → Jana (tribe) → Rashtra (kingdom)**. • The king was called **'Gopati'** (lord of cattle) or **'Gopa'** at the Jana/tribal level. • 💡 Grama = village (several families together); Vis = clan; Jana = tribe — Kula/family is the smallest, not these larger units.
Who among the following was a famous female scholar of the Vedic age?
Correct Answer: B. Gargi
• **Gargi Vachaknavi** = famous female philosopher of Vedic age; challenged sage **Yajnavalkya** in debate. • Her dialogue appears in **Brihadaranyaka Upanishad** at the court of King **Janaka** of Videha. • Another famous female scholar: **Maitreyi** (also in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, also wife of Yajnavalkya). • 💡 Draupadi = Mahabharata character, not a philosopher; Sita = Ramayana character; Savitri = mythological — only Gargi was a Vedic-age intellectual debater.
Champa was the capital of which ancient Mahajanapada?
Correct Answer: B. Anga
• **Champa** = capital of **Anga** Mahajanapada; located in modern Bhagalpur district, Bihar. • Anga was a major maritime trade center — ships sailed from Champa to Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka. • Anga was annexed by **Bimbisara** of Magadha after killing king **Brahmadatta** of Anga. • 💡 Magadha capital = Rajgriha; Vatsa capital = Kaushambi; Kashi capital = Varanasi — Champa is specifically Anga's capital.
The dialogue between Nachiketa and Yama concerning the secret of death is found in:
Correct Answer: B. Katha Upanishad
• **Katha Upanishad** = contains dialogue between boy **Nachiketa** and **Yama** (god of death). • Yama teaches Nachiketa the secret of **Atman, Brahman, and immortality** — core Vedanta concepts. • Katha Upanishad belongs to **Krishna Yajurveda** tradition — frequently asked in. • 💡 Ken Upanishad = 'Who moves the mind?'; Mundaka = Satyameva Jayate; Prashna = six questions on Prana — Nachiketa-Yama dialogue is exclusively Katha Upanishad.
Which king is known for killing his father to ascend the throne of Magadha?
Correct Answer: C. Ajatshatru
• **Ajatshatru** = killed father **Bimbisara** to become king; ruled Magadha ~492–460 BC. • Fought long wars against **Kosala** and **Vajji (Vaishali)**; used the **Mahashilakantaka** (catapult) and **Rathamushala** (war chariot with blades). • Ajatshatru was patron of the **1st Buddhist Council** at Rajgriha (483 BC). • 💡 Naga Dasaka = much later Haryanka ruler; Udayin = Ajatshatru's son (not the patricide); Bimbisara = the victim, not the killer.
According to the Ashram system, what is the final stage of life?
Correct Answer: A. Sannyasa
• **Sannyasa** = 4th and final stage of the Ashrama system; complete renunciation for **Moksha** (liberation). • 4 Ashrams in order: **Brahmacharya** (student) → **Grihastha** (householder) → **Vanaprastha** (forest dweller) → **Sannyasa** (renunciant). • The Ashrama system is fully described in **Dharmashastra** literature (post-Vedic). • 💡 Brahmacharya = 1st stage (student life); Grihastha = 2nd (family life); Vanaprastha = 3rd (retirement to forest) — Sannyasa is the final, 4th stage.