NCERT Class 6 Social Science Chapter 6 Kingdoms, Kings and an Early Republic

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NCERT Class 6 Social Science Chapter 6 Kingdoms, Kings and an Early Republic

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Kingdoms, Kings and an Early Republic

Chapter: 6

OUR PASTS – I [HISTORY]

NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS

LET’S RECALL

Q. 1. State whether true or false: 

(a) Rajas who let the Ashvamedha Horse pass through their lands were the sacrifice. 

Ans. True.

(b) The charioteer sprinkled sacred water on the king.

Ans. False.

(e) Archaeologists have found palaces in the settlements of the janapadas.

Ans. False. 

(d) Pots to store grain were made out of Printed Grey Ware.

Ans. False.

(e) Many cities in Mahajanapadas were fortified.

Ans. True. 

Q.2. Fill in the chart given below with the terms: 

hunter-gatherers, farmers, traders, crafts persons, herders.

THOSE WHO PAID TAXES

Ans. Those who paid the Taxes:

Q. 3 Who were the groups who could not participate in the assemblies of the ganas?

Ans. The groups who could not participate in the assemblies of the ganas are: 

(i) Women. 

(ii) Dasas. and 

(iii) Kammakaras (or so called Shudras).

LET’S DISCUSS

Q. 4. Why did the rajas of Mahajanapadas build forts? 

Ans. The rajas of Mahajanapadas build forts because:

(a) People were afraid of attacks from other kings and needed protection.

(b) The land around the people living inside the fortified area could be controlled more easily by the king. 

(c) Some rulers wanted to show how rich and powerful they were.

Q. 5. In what ways are present-day elections different from the ways in which rulers were choosen in janapadas? 

Ans. Present-day elections are different from the ways in which rulers were choosen in Janapadas:

(a) Some of the rajas were choosen by jana, the people.

(b) Around 3000 years ago, some men became recognised as rajas by performing very big sacrifices.

(c) The rulers were only of Kshatriya class. 

Present Day Election

(a) Presently leaders are elected democratically. 

(b) Their position is not hereditary and can belong to any caste or tribe. 

(c) Today, each adult citizen has the right to cast his vote and the government is decided through elections in which each citizen cast his vote.

LET’S DO

Q. 6. Find the state in which you live in the political map on page 136. Were there any janapadas in your state? If yes, name them. If not, name the janapadas that would have been the closest to your state, and mention whether they were to the east, west, north or south.

Ans. Map of Mahajanapadas.

Students mark their own state and then find out the Janapadas in their state. For example The Janapads in the present day U.P. are-Panchala, Kosala.

Q. 7. Find out whether any of the groups mentioned in answer 2 pay taxes today.

Ans. The groups mentioned in answer 2 pay taxes today are traders. 

Q. 8. Find out whether the groups mentioned in answer 3 have voting rights a present. 

Ans. The groups mentioned in answer 3 have voting rights at present because today voting rights are not decided by gender or profession. Women, Kammakaras and Dasas all are eligible to cast their vote.

SOME OTHER IMPORTANT QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION

VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q. 1. Who was recognised as the most powerful ruler? 

Ans. Raja was recognised as the most powerful ruler.

Q. 2. How did priest perform the rituals?

Ans. Priests performed the rituals by sprinkling of sacred water on the king. 

Q. 3. Name the several different groups in society.

Ans. The different groups in society were priest, warriors, farmers, herders, crafts persons, labourers, fishing folk and forest people. 

Q. 4. What did the word janapada literally means?

Ans. The word janapada literally means the land where the jana set its foot and settled down. 

Q. 5. Name the crops grown at janapadas.

Ans. The crops grown at janapadas are rice, wheat, barley, pulses, sugarcane, sesame and mustard. 

Q. 6. Name three powerful kings of Magadha. 

Ans. Three powerful kings of Magadha were: Bimbisara, Ajatahatru and Mahapadma Nanda.

Q. 7. What was the capital of Magadha?

Ans. Hajguha (present day Rajgir) was the capital of Magadha. Later it was shifted Putiliputra.

Q. 8. Name any two Republics which flourished during the Buddha’s time.

Ans. Videhas of Mithila and Lichchhavia of Vaishali are the two Republics which flourished during the Buddha’s time. 

Q. 9. What led to a war between Kosala and Magadha soon after Ajatashatru succession to kingship?

Ans. Ajatashatru was the ruler of Magadha from about 492 BC to 460 BC. After Kosaladen death, her brother confiscated the town of Kashi. This led to a war between Kosala and Magadha. 

Q. 10. Name some of the cities that flourished in the Mahajanapadas.

Ans. Cities such as Ujjain, Vaishali, Kaushambi, Champa and Ayodhya flourished in the Mahajanapadas. 

Q. 11. Bimbisara and Ajatashatru were followers of two religious leaders. Name them.

Ans. Bimbisara and Ajatashatru were followers of Buddha and Mahavira.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q. 1. What was the religion practiced during Mahajanapadas? 

Ans. During Janapadas the Brahmins or the priest class became very powerful. Religion became very complicated. Great stress was laid on rituals and sacrifices. Sanskrit was the language used by Brahmins to preach and this language was however, not understood by the mon man. In the sixth century BC. people in larger number followed Mahavira and Buddha they preached in simple languages.

Q. 2. How was ‘raja’ considered as a central figure in rituals? 

Ans. The raja was considered as a central figure in rituals because: 

(a) He often had a special seat, a throne or a tiger skin.

(b) His charioteer, who was his companion in the battlefield and witnessed his exploits, chanted tales of his glory.

Q. 3. Why many people were against the system of Varna?

Ans. Many people were against the Varna system because of the following reasons: 

(a) Varna system was laid down by the brahmins. Some kings thought they were superior to the priests.

(b) Others felt that birth could not be a basis for deciding which Varna people belonged to.

(c) Some people felt that there should be no differences amongst people based on occupations. 

(d) Others felt that every body should be able to perform rituals and others condemned the practice of untouchability.

(e) There were many areas in the sub-continent, such as the north-east, where social and economic differences were not very sharp and where the influence of the priests was limited.

Q. 4. Name the settlements excavated by archaeologists in the janapadas. 

Ans. Archaeologists have excavated a number of settlements in janapadas, such as Purana la in Delhi, Hastinapur near Meerut, and Atranjikhera, near Etah. They found that people bed in huts, and kept cattle as well as other animals.

Q. 5. Write about the Painted Greyware pots of Janapadas?

Ans. Painted Greyware pots of Janapadas had following features: 

(a) People at that time made earthen pots. Some of these were gray in colour, others were red. 

(b) One special type of pottery found at these sites is known as Painted Grey Ware. 

(c) These gray pots had painted designs, usually simple lines and geometric patterns.

Q. 6. Mention the different stages of ashramas. 

Ans. The different stages of Ashramas were as follows:

(a) The Brahmacharya stage, a period devoted to education. 

(b) The Grihastha stage, when man got married and had a family. The Vanaprastha Ashram was spent in meditation and prayer. 

(d) The last stage or sanyasi which meant giving up worldly pleasures and leading life of a hermit or a sanyasi. 

Q. 7. Who was Mahapadma Nanda 7 Till where did he extend his rule? 

Ans. He was an important ruler of Magadha He extended his control upto the north-west part of India. 

Q. 8. Why did the rulers of Mahajanapadas maintain standing armies?

Ans. Rulers of Mahajanapadas maintained armies to enable them to control the Gangetic plain which most of the rulers of the Mahajanapada wanted to control.

Q. 9. Mention the features of the monarchical rule in Mahajanapadas.

Ans. The features of the monarchical rule in Mahajanapadas are as follows:

(a) The head of the state was a monarchy or a king.

(b) He was a hereditary ruler with the throne passing from father to son. 

(c) The king’s position was made strong because he had a large army and diverse sources of revenue. 

Q. 10. Name two literary sources of information that tell us about the janapadas of ancient India.

Ans. Two literary sources that tell us about the janapadas of ancient India are:

(a) Vedic texts such as Brahmanas and Upanishads. 

(b) Buddhist texts such as Jataka tales.

Q. 11. Why did the rulers of Janapadas and Mahajanapadas started collecting taxes?

Ans. As the rulers of the Mahajanapadas were building huge forts and maintaining large armies, they needed more resources. So, instead of depending on occasional gifts brought by people, they started collecting regular taxes.

Q. 12. Describe the life of the people in Janapadas.

Ans. Life of the people in Janapadas can be explained as follows: 

(a) People lived in huts and kept cattles as well as other animals. 

(b) They also grew a variety of crops such as wheat, barley, pulses, sugarcane sesame mustard.

(c) They made earthan pots and a special type of pottery known as the painted Grey has been found from many sites.

Q. 13. Define the following terms: 

(a) Janapada. 

(b) Mahajanapada. 

(c) Gana and Sangha. 

(d) Varna System.

Ans. (a) Janapada: The word Janapada literally means the land where the jana set its foot and settled down.

(b) Mahajanapada: Janapadas which became more important than others came to be known as Mahajanapadas.

(c) Gana and Sangha: Gana is a term used for a group that has many members. Sangha means organization or association.

(d) Varna System: Four fold division of society on the basis of birth. 

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q. 1. What were forts probably built for? 

Ans. Forts were probably built because:

(a) People were afraid of attacks from other kings and needed protection.

(b) It is also likely that some rulers wanted to show how rich and powerful they were by building really larger, tall and impressive walls around their cities. 

(c) The land and the people living inside the fortified area could be controlled more easily by the king.

Q. 2. Mention the four Varnas that the priests divided the people. 

Ans. The priests divided people into four groups called Varnas. According to them each Varna has a different set of function.

(a) The first Varna was that of Brahmin. Brahmins were expected to study (and teach) the Vedas, performing sacrifices and receive gifts. 

(b) In the second place were the rulers, also known as Kshatriyas. They were expected to fight in battles and protect people.

(c) Third were the Vish or the Vaishyas. They were expected to be farmers, herders and traders. Both the Kshatriyas and the Vaishyas could perform sacrifices. 

(d) Last were the Shudras, who had to serve the other three groups and could not perform any rituals. Often, women were also grouped with the Shudras. Both women and Shudras were not allowed to study the Vedas, 

Q.3. Write about some of the achievements of Alexander. 

Ans. More than 2300 years ago, a ruler named Alexander, who lived in Macedonia in Europe, wanted to become a world conqueror. He didn’t conquer the world, but did conquer parts of Egypt and West Asia and came to the Indian subcontinent, reaching upto the banks of the Beast. When he wanted to march further eastwards, his soldiers refused. They were scared, as they had heard that the rulers of India had vast armies of foot soldier’s chariots and elephants

Q. 4. What were the different types of Mahajanapadas that emerged by 6 century BCE?

Ans. The different types of Mahajanapadas that emerged by 6 century BCE are:

(a) Anga-Bhagalpur and Munger in Bihar. 

(b) Magadha-Patna and Ganga in Bihar.

(c) Kashi-Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.

(d) Kosala-Avadh-Lucknow region of Uttar Pradesh 

(e) Vrijji or Vajji-Region of North Bihar.

(f) Malla-Gorakhpur.

(g) Chedi-Eastern parts of Bundelkhand.

(h) Vatsa-Region of Allahabad.

(i) Kuru-Delhi.

(j) Panchala-Region of Bareilly.

(k) Mataya-Region of Jaipur. 

(l) Surasena-Mathura in Uttar Pradesh.

(m) Asmaka-Godavari Valley.

(n) Avanti-Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh.

(o)  Gandhara-Region of Rawalpindi and Kabul (now in Pakistan).

(p) Kamboja-Afghanistan. 

HIGH ORDER THINKING SKILLS

Q. 1. Why did Magadha become the most important Mahajanapada in about hundred years?

Ans. Magadha became the most important Mahajanapada in about two hundred years because of the following reasons: 

(a) Many rivers such as the Ganga and Sone flowed through Magadha.

(b) This was important for 

(i) transport 

(i) water supplies 

(i) making the land fertile. 

(c) Parts of Magadha were forested.

(d) Elephants which lived in the forest could be captured and trained for the army. 

(e) Forests also provided wood for building houses, carts and chariots.

(f) There were iron ore mines in the region that could be tapped to make strong tools and weapons.

Q. 2. What were factors listed as essential by Buddha, for the Vajji kingdom to prosper?

Ans. According to Buddha, Vajji kingdom could prosper if it followed the following rules:

(a) They held full and frequent public assemblies.

(b) They met and acted together.

(c) They followed established rules. 

(d) They respected, supported and listened to elders.

Q. 3. Why was Ashvamedha ceremony so important?

Ans. The Ashvamedha ceremony was performed by a powerful king. In this a horse was set free to wander around the kingdoms of other rajas under the protection of an army. The other rajas allowed the horse to pass through their kingdoms, it meant that they accepted the overlordship of the king. They wanted to perform Ashvamedha ceremony. They recognized him as the ‘King of Kings’. They gave him many gifts at the time of Ashvamedha (horse sacrifice) Ceremony, 

Q. 4. How did the rulers of the Mahajanapadas maintain big armies?

Ans. The rulers of the Mahajanapadas maintain big armies through taxes like: 

(a) Taxes from hunters and gatherers to provide forest produce.

(b) Taxes on the goods that were bought and sold through trade. 

(c) Herders pay taxes in the form of animals and animal produce.

(d) Crafts person pay taxes in the form of labour.

(e) Taxes on crops.

VALUE BASED QUESTIONS

Q. 1. Why Vaiji was a good example of a republican kingdom? 

Ans. Vajji was a good example of a republican kingdom. It was known as gana or sangha of eight smaller kingdoms of which Lichhavis, Janatrikas and Videhas were also members. In a Gana or Sangha there were many rulers, all of whom were called rajas. Each of these rulers represented their own group of people and met together in assemblies to reach a common decision through debate and discussions.

Q. 2. Why were the coins produced in India called Punch Marked coins? 

Ans. Trade and commerce were flourished in this period due to the introduction of money. Metal coins made of silver and copper were introduced. These are called as Punch Marked Coins because these metals were punched with images such as tree, fish, bull, elephant, etc The introduction of money led to the growth of trade and commerce.

Q. 3. How did the kings at Mahajanapadas administer their kingdoms? 

Ans. In the Mahajanapadas the kings were becoming powerful. The king had a large army which he used to protect people and expand his territory. He was advised by the priests of purohit as and assisted by the ministers or amartyas. In matter of war and defense he was assisted by the army commander or Senapati.

Q. 4. Why were forts constructed during the 6th century BC? 

Ans. Forts were constructed because of the following reasons: 

(a) Forts were built because people were afraid of attacks from other kings and needed protection.

(b) Some rulers also wanted to show how rich and powerful they were by building large, tall and impressive walls around their cities.

(c) Also in this way, the land and the people living inside the fortified area could be controlled more easily by the king.

Q. 5. Give one difference between the political system of Magadha and Vajji. 

Ans. Magadha was a monarchinal kingdom. Vajji on the other hand had a republican form of government.

Q. 6. Write a note on the caste system prevalent during this period. 

Ans. The emergence of settlements meant that there was a clear divide between the ruler and the ruled, the Brahmins and the Kshatriyas enjoyed the status of the upper class. The lower classes were exploited. The Vaishyas build their economy through trade and crafts. The Shudras and landless peasants had no rights and had to serve the upper castes. 

Q. 7. Explain two important changes in the field of agriculture which increased agricultural produce. 

Ans. Two important changes in the field of agriculture which increased agricultural production were as follows: 

(a) Iron ploughshares were introduced as farming implement. This helped to plough dense day soils as compared to the wooden ploughs.

(b) The second change in the farming system was that the system of growing paddy saplings at one place and then transplanting it into fields. This helped to increase survivability of saplings. 

Q. 8. Why kings became very powerful as the kingdoms grew? Explain giving reasons.

Ans. Kings became very powerful as the kingdoms grew because:

(a) The king had a larger army which is used to protect his people and expand his territory. 

(b) He was advised by the priests or purohita. 

(c) He was assisted by the ministers or amatyas.

(d) In the matters of war and defense he was assisted by the army commander or Senapati.

PICTURE BASED QUESTIONS

Look at the picture carefully and answer the questions that follow: 

(a) Identify the picture above.

Ans. The picture is of Rajgir where Ashes had been state.

(b) Who was being killed by Ajatashatru?

Ans. Bimbisara was killed by Ajatashatru.

(c) Name the kingdoms he annexed. 

Ans. The kingdoms he annexed were Kosala and Kashi.

MAP BASED QUESTIONS

On the political map of India mark the important Janapadas, Mahajanapada and Cities. 

Ans.

OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS

I. MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS 

Tick (✓) the correct option:

(a) Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras were the four: 

(i) Monarchy.

(ii) Republics.

(iii) Varnas.

Ans. (iii) Varnas.

(b) The first important ruler of Magadha was ___________.

(i) Ajatashatru.

(ii) Bimbisara.

(iii) Prasenjit.

Ans. (i) Ajatashatru.

(c) Present day Patna was also known as:

(i) Vaishali.

(ii) Pataliputra. 

(iii) Anga.

Ans. (ii) Pataliputra.

(d) The king’s council of ministers, during the period 600 BC to 400 BC, include mainly:

(i) The Vaishyas.

(ii) Rajpurohita and Senapati

(iii) Artisans and Merchants.

Ans. (ii) Rajpurohita and Senapati

(e) The most powerful Mahajanapada was ___________.

(i) Magadha.

(ii) Vatsa.

(iii) Kashi.

Ans. (i) Magadha.

(f) Capital of Magadha was shifted from Rajguha to __________.

(i) Pataliputra.

(ii) Mathura.

(iii) Avanti.

(iv) Agra.

Ans. (i) Pataliputra. 

(g) Vajji consisted of _________clans to form a confederation.

(i) 8 

(ii) 10

(iii) 9

(iv) 12

Ans. (i) 8 clans.

(h) The age of Mahajanapadas coincided with the coming of the _________Age.

(i) Copper.

(ii) Bronge.

(iii) Iron.

(iv) Gold.

Ans. (ii) Iron.

(i) The Mahajanapadas had large standing armies and collected taxes from the _________to support themselves.

(i) people.

(ii) slaves.

(iii) farmers.

(iv) Gold.

Ans. (i) people.

II. FILL IN THE BLANKS:

(a) There were _________Mahajanapadas in India.

Ans. 16

(b) The Vaishyas were _________. 

Ans. Farmers and traders.

(c) The Kingdoms of Magadha in the 6th century BC comprised the territories which are now included in __________.

Ans. Bihar.

(d) The jain texts refer to __________of a large army.

Ans. Bimbisara.

(e) _________of powerful kingdoms tried to conquer the sanghas.

Ans. Rajas.

(f) The rajas who performed big sacrifices were now recognised as big rajas of _________rather than janas.

Ans. Janapadas.

(g) Forts were probably built because people were afraid _________from other of kings and needed protection.

Ans. attacks.

(h) More than 2300 years ago, a ruler named _________who lived in Macedonia in Europe wanted to become world conqueror.

Ans. Alexander.

(i) Capital of the kingdom of Vajji was _________.

Ans. Vaishali.

III. WRITE TRUE OR FALSE:

(a) Two powerful rulers of Vajji were Bimbisara and Ajatashatru.

Ans. False.

(b) Magadha had a system of gana sanghas. 

Ans. False.

(c) The Ashvamedha Ceremony was performed by a powerful king.

Ans. True.

(d) Yadavas are an example of single tribe Republic.

Ans. True. 

(e) The first capital of Magadha was at Pataliputra.

Ans. False.

IV. MATCH THE FOLLOWING:

Ans.