Chand-prodhyot was ruler of which ancient republic ?
- (a)Kasi
- (b)Anga
- (c)Avanti
- (d)Vajji
Correct — C, Avanti. Chanda Pradyota Mahasena (the 'Chand-prodhyot' of the paper) was the powerful ruler of Avanti, one of the sixteen mahajanapadas, with its northern capital at Ujjayini (Ujjain). He was a contemporary of the Buddha, of Bimbisara of Magadha and of Udayana of Vatsa. (The stem calls Avanti a 'republic', but Avanti was in fact a monarchy/kingdom — the genuine gana-sangha republics of that age were the Vajji and Malla confederacies.)
- (a)Kasi — Kashi (capital Varanasi) was a separate mahajanapada that was eventually absorbed by Kosala; it was not Pradyota's kingdom.
- (b)Anga — Anga (capital Champa, in eastern Bihar) was annexed by Magadha under Bimbisara; it was never ruled by Pradyota.
- (d)Vajji — Vajji was itself a confederacy of republics (led by the Licchhavis of Vaishali), governed by an assembly rather than by a single monarch such as Pradyota — so it fits the word 'republic' but not the ruler.
By the 6th century BCE north India was organised into sixteen mahajanapadas — most were monarchies, a few were republics (gana-sanghas). Avanti, in western/central India, was one of the four most powerful monarchies; its northern capital was Ujjayini (Ujjain) and its southern capital Mahishmati. Its king Chanda Pradyota Mahasena was a leading political figure of the Buddha's time.
The odd spelling 'Chand-prodhyot' is simply Chanda Pradyota. Lock the chain Pradyota -> Avanti -> Ujjain. Do not let the word 'republic' in the stem push you toward Vajji: here it is used loosely, and the answer being asked for is Pradyota's kingdom, which was Avanti.
- Chanda Pradyota Mahasena ruled Avanti (northern capital Ujjayini/Ujjain).
- Avanti was one of the four dominant mahajanapadas, alongside Magadha, Kosala and Vatsa.
- Pradyota was a contemporary of Bimbisara (Magadha) and Udayana (Vatsa).
- Vajji (Vaishali) — not Avanti — was the celebrated republic (gana-sangha) of the age.
Pradyota ruled Avanti, a monarchy; Vajji was the era's true republic.
- Being misled by the word 'republic' — Avanti was a monarchy, not a gana-sangha
- Confusing Avanti (capital Ujjain) with Vatsa (capital Kaushambi)
Usually as 'match ruler-mahajanapada-capital' or 'which of these was a republic'. Fix Pradyota-Avanti-Ujjain, and keep Vajji as the republic.
The following map shows four of the sixteen mahajanapadas that existed in ancient India. The places marked A, B, C and D respectively are
- (a) Matsya, Cedi, Kosala, Anga
- (b) Surasena, Avanti, Vatsa, Magadha
- (c) Matsya, Avanti, Vatsa, Anga
- (d) Surasena, Cedi, Kosala, Magadha
Answer(c) Matsya, Avanti, Vatsa, Anga
Same era and concept — locating the sixteen mahajanapadas, including Avanti and Vatsa.
Which of the following Kingdoms were associated with the life of the Buddha? 1. Avanti 2. Gandhara 3. Kosala 4. Magadha
- (a) 1, 2 and 3
- (b) 2 and 4
- (c) 3 and 4 only
- (d) 1, 3 and 4
Answer(c) 3 and 4 only
Tests Avanti among the mahajanapada-era kingdoms of the Buddha's time (here it is not one of the Buddha-linked ones).
- practice — not a real PYQ
The northern capital of the Avanti mahajanapada was:
- (a)Ujjayini (Ujjain)
- (b)Champa
- (c)Kaushambi
- (d)Rajgir
Answer(a) Ujjayini (Ujjain) — Mahishmati was its southern capital.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which of the following mahajanapadas was organised as a gana-sangha (republic) rather than a monarchy?
- (a)Avanti
- (b)Magadha
- (c)Vajji
- (d)Kosala
Answer(c) Vajji — a confederacy of republics led by the Licchhavis of Vaishali.