Balbharti Maharashtra State Board Class 11 History Important Questions Chapter 5 Janapadas and Republics Important Questions and Answers.
Maharashtra State Board 11th History Important Questions Chapter 5 Janapadas and Republics
1A. Choose the correct alternative and write the complete sentences.
Question 1.
__________ means the ruling class.
(a) Rashtra
(b) Rajya
(c) Gana
(d) Khanda
Answer:
(c) Gana
Question 2.
__________ was the highest decision making authority concerning all matters of the Ganasangha.
(a) Mantriparishad
(b) Sabha
(c) Samiti
(d) Ganaparisha
Answer:
(d) Ganaparishad
Question 3.
Regional Zones were called __________
(a) Sabha
(b) Sangharajya
(c) Khanda
(d) Mahajanpada
Answer:
(c) Khanda
1B. Find the incorrect pairs from set ‘B’ and write the correct ones.
Question 1.
| Set ‘A’ | Set ‘B’ |
| (a) Magadh | Atharvaveda |
| (b) Kikata | Rigveda and Atharvaveda |
| (c) Pundra | Mahabharata |
| (d) Yadu | Samaveda |
Answer:
Yadu – Rigveda
Question 2.
| Set ‘A’ | Set ‘B’ |
| (a) Shalva | Mahabharata |
| (b) Balhik | Atharvaveda |
| (c) Pulinda | Emperor Ashoka’s edits |
| (d) Ghandhara | Yajurveda |
Answer:
Ghandhara – Rigveda and Atharvaveda
Question 3.
| Set ‘A’ | Set ‘B’ |
| (a) ‘Praatichya’ | of the west |
| (b) ‘Udichya’ | of the north |
| (c) ‘Dakshina’ | of the south |
| (d) ‘Madhyadesha’ | of the east |
Answer:
‘Madhyadesha’ – The central region
1C. Find the odd one out.
Question 1.
Praachya:
(a) Anga
(b) Magadha
(c) Kikat
(d) Shalva
Answer:
(d) Shalva
Question 2.
Madhyadesha:
(a) Aja
(b) Bharata
(c) Vaikarna
(d) Matsya
Answer:
(c) Vaikarna
Question 3.
Praatichya:
(a) Anu
(b) Pundra
(c) Bhalan
(d) Parashu
Answer:
(b) Pundra
Question 4.
Terms of ancient states:
(a) Rajya
(b) Savaarajya
(c) Bhaujya
(d) Mahajanapad
Answer:
(d) Mahajanapad
2A. Write the names of historical places, persons, and events.
Question 1.
The region occupied by Janas
Answer:
Janapada
Question 2.
Settlement
Answer:
Grama
Question 3.
Extended family
Answer:
Kula
Question 4.
Two assemblies
Answer:
Sabha and Samiti
Question 5.
Chief of Janapada
Answer:
Raja
Question 6.
Ruling class
Answer:
Gana
Question 7.
Regional Zones
Answer:
Khanda
Question 8.
Elective representative of the respective regional zone.
Answer:
Ganamukhya
Question 9.
Trade and commerce
Answer:
Varta
Question 10.
Highest decision-making authority
Answer:
Ganaparishada
2B. Choose the correct reason and complete the sentence.
Question 1.
The Ganasangha of Kamboj and Saurashtra are mentioned in Varta-Shastropajivi. Because __________
(a) they were skilled in trade and commerce.
(b) they were created by more than one kula coming together.
(c) some of them were divided into regional zones.
(d) they were oligarchies
Answer:
(a) they were skilled in trade and commerce.
Question 2.
Sense of territoriality and the ensuing awareness of autonomy were the main factors responsible for the __________
(a) geographic boundaries among the Janas.
(b) administrative structures among the Janas.
(c) migration and spread from the Saptasindhu region to the delta region of the Ganga.
(d) formation of ancient janapadas in India.
Answer:
(d) formation of ancient janapadas in India.
Question 3.
The Later Vedic literature, Jaina, and Buddhist literature indicate that __________
(a) some of the janapadas were of oligarchic type.
(b) most of the janapadas were monarchic states.
(c) the state was not ruled by a monarch but the members of the janapada run the state collectively.
(d) more than one ganrajyas coming together to create a sangharajya.
Answer:
(b) most of the janapadas were monarchic states.
3. Complete the concept maps.
Question 1.
Answer:
Question 2.
Answer:
Question 3.
Answer:
4. Explain the statement with reasons.
Question 1.
The geographic boundaries of a Jana were not defined.
Answer:
- Vedic people used the term Jana to designate a group of people, united under a common bond of singular kinship structure.
- Their settlement was known as ‘Grama’. A cluster of gramas consisting of the same Jana was known by the name of that particular Jana.
- In the beginning, however, the concept of Jana included only an extended family (kul), its settlement (grama), and the cattle pen (goshtha-gotra-gaulivada).
- The concept of Jana was not yet inclusive of the concept of territoriality.
- Hence, the geographic boundaries of a Jana were not defined.
Question 2.
Independent Janapada came into existence.
Answer:
- Vedic Janas gradually began to settle in the new region.
- The concept of Jana increasingly acquired a sense of territoriality.
- The sense of territoriality instilled the sense of geographic boundaries among the Janas.
- It resulted in the emergence of informal local administrative structures among the Janas.
- Thus, independent Janapada came into existence.
5. State your opinion.
Question 1.
Some of the Ganasanghas were divided into regional zones called ‘Khanda’.
Answer:
- The regional zones were known as Khandas.
- They functioned through a group of elected individuals who were found capable.
- Each of the elected members represented his respective Khanda.
- These elected members were installed with collective authority for the smooth running of the Ganasangha.
- This was a democratic system.
- Such Ganasanghas existed in Punjab and Sindh at the time of Alexander’s invasion.
Question 2.
The period of Janapadas saw the rise of the warrior class.
Answer:
- The warrior class people were well-trained in warfare.
- This class of warriors played a major role in the shift of the primary organisation of the janapadas to a more complex state organisation.
- Janapadin is a term mentioned in Panini’s Ashtadhyayi, used to indicate the warrior class.
- Thus, the period of Janapadas saw the rise of the warrior class.
Question 3.
Uttara Kuru and Uttara Madra were of‘Vairajya’ type.
Answer:
- This means that the state was not ruled by a monarch but the members of the Janapada run the state collectively.
- The ancient literature mentions types of states such as ‘Ganasangha’ or ‘Sangharajya’ (oligarchy/republic).
- Thus, Uttar Kuru and Uttar Madra were of the ‘Vairajya’ type.
6. Answer the following questions in detail.
Question 1.
Write in detail about the expansion and development of the Janapadas.
Answer:
The expansion and development of the Janapadas seem to have occurred in three different ways:
- Expansion and development of a society formed into a Jana by uniting of a number of generations of a singular kula (family). For example, the Janapadas namely, Matsya, Chedi, Gandhara, Kashi, Kosala, etc.
- Janapadas rising out of the union of more than one kula. For example, the Panchala janapada. Who were the five Janas united under the name of Panchalas, is not exactly known? According to the renowned historian, Hemchandra Raychaudhuri the following were the Janas who merged together as Panchalas: Krivi, Turvasha, Keshi, Shrinajaya, and Somaka.
- The more powerful Janapadas conquered the less powerful ones.
7. Answer the following questions with help of given points.
Question 1.
Write about:
(a) Janapada
(b) Territoriality and Autonomous Functioning
Answer:
(a) Janapada:
- The term ‘Janapada’ occurs in the Brahmana texts for the first time.
- Thereafter, it is frequently used in the Vedic literature and the epics – Mahabharata and Ramayana, as also in the Jain and the Buddhist literature.
- Considering the ancient Indian geographic perception with reference to the Janapadas, the said literature seems to divide the Indian subcontinent into five sections:
- ‘Praachya’ – of the east
- ‘Praatichya’ – of the west
- ‘Udichya’ – of the north
- ‘Dakshina’ – of the south
- ‘Madhyadesha’ – The central region
(b) Territoriality and Autonomous Functioning:
- It may be noted, that the sense of territoriality and the ensuing awareness of autonomy were the main factors responsible for the formation of ancient Janapadas in India.
- However, their administrative system was not much different from that of the Janas in Rigveda.
- The chief of the Janapada was known as ‘Raj an’.
- Two assemblies are known as ‘Sabha’ and ‘Samiti’ were at the apex of all administrative decision-making processes, since the very beginning of the Vedic period.
Question 2.
Write about some of the ancient Janapadas and the literary texts that mention their names.
Answer:
Some of the ancient Janapadas and the literary texts that mention their names are as follows:
- Praachya: Anga, Magadh (Atharvaveda): Kikata (Rigveda and Atharvaveda) Pundra (Mahabharata)
- Praatichya: Anu, Alin, Bhalan, Druhyu, Parashu, Pakhta, Puru, Turvasha, Yadu (Rigveda), Gandhara (Rigveda and Athrvaveda), Shalva (Mahabharata)
- Udichya: Krivi, Vaikarna (Rigveda) Balhik (Atharvaveda)
- Dakshina: Andhra (Mahabharata) Pulinda (Emperor Ashoka’s edicts)
- Madhyadesha: Aja, Chedi, Bharata, Matsya, Shigru, Trutsu, Ushinara, Yakshu (Rigveda), Kuru, Shrinjaya (Rigveda and Atharvaveda).