Class 6 Social Studies Notes Chapter 6 (Kingdoms; Kings and an Early Republic) – History - Our Past Book

Detailed Notes with MCQs of Chapter 6, 'Kingdoms, Kings and an Early Republic'. This period, roughly starting around 3000 years ago (or 1000 BCE, extending towards 600 BCE and beyond), marks significant changes in the political and social landscape of the Indian subcontinent compared to the earlier Rigvedic period we studied. Understanding these changes is crucial for your exams.

Key Concepts and Detailed Notes:

1. Rise of Kings and Kingdoms:

• Shift in Kingship: Unlike the rajas of the Rigvedic period (Chapter 5) chosen for bravery, the later rajas became more powerful and hereditary. Their position wasn't solely based on popular assembly choice.
• Performance of Rituals: Kings asserted their power through elaborate rituals.
  • Ashvamedha (Horse Sacrifice): This was a major ritual.
    • A special horse was let loose to wander for a year, guarded by the king's soldiers.
    • If the horse entered another kingdom and was stopped, the king who owned the horse had to fight.
    • If allowed to pass, it meant the other king accepted the supremacy of the one performing the sacrifice.
    • Invited kings were spectators who brought gifts.
    • The performing raja was considered exceptionally powerful.
    • Priests (brahmanas) performed the rituals and received rewards. The chief priest often sprinkled sacred water on the king.
• Role of Different Groups in Rituals:
  • The raja held a central, powerful position.
  • His charioteer was a companion who chanted tales of his glory.
  • Relatives, especially wives and sons, had minor rituals to perform.
  • Other invited rajas were spectators.
  • Priests performed the main rituals.
  • Ordinary people (vish or vaishyas) brought gifts.
  • Shudras were often excluded from many rituals by the priests.

2. The Varna System:

• Around this time, priests divided society into four groups called varnas. This division was claimed to be based on birth.
• The Four Varnas:
  • Brahmanas: Expected to study and teach the Vedas, perform sacrifices, and receive gifts. Considered the highest varna.
  • Kshatriyas: Expected to fight battles and protect people. Rulers belonged to this varna.
  • Vaishyas: Expected to be farmers, herders, and traders. Both Kshatriyas and Vaishyas could perform sacrifices.
  • Shudras: Expected to serve the other three groups. Could not perform rituals, and women were often grouped with them.
• Untouchables: Priests also classified some people as 'untouchable'. These groups performed tasks considered 'polluting' (like burials, handling dead animals). Contact with them was believed to be impure.
• Social Hierarchy & Opposition:
  • This system created sharp social differences and was based on birth, not occupation or ability.
  • Many people did not accept this system imposed by the priests.
  • Some kings felt they were superior to priests.
  • Others felt birth shouldn't determine varna.
  • Some argued for no differences based on occupation.
  • Some felt everyone should be able to perform rituals.
  • The system faced strong opposition, especially in areas like the northeast where priestly influence was weaker.

3. Janapadas (Around 1000 BCE):

• Literally means "the land where the jana (people) set its foot and settled down".
• These were settlements/territories established by the rajas who performed big sacrifices.
• Archaeological Evidence: Excavations found settlements like:
  • Purana Qila (Delhi)
  • Hastinapur (near Meerut, UP)
  • Atranjikhera (near Etah, UP)
• Life in Janapadas:
  • People lived in huts.
  • Kept cattle and other animals.
  • Cultivated crops: Rice, wheat, barley, pulses, sugarcane, sesame, and mustard.
  • Used earthen pots, some grey, some red.
  • Painted Grey Ware (PGW): A special type of pottery found at these sites. Grey pots with painted designs (simple lines, geometric patterns). These were likely used on special occasions or by important people.

4. Mahajanapadas (Around 600 BCE / 2500 years ago):

• Some janapadas became more important than others and were known as Mahajanapadas (Maha = Great).
• Most Mahajanapadas had a capital city.
• Fortification: Many capitals were fortified with huge walls of wood, brick, or stone.
  • Reasons for Fortification:
    • Protection from attacks by other kings.
    • Show of power and wealth.
    • Easier control over the city and its people by the rulers.
• Standing Armies: Kings started maintaining regular armies.
  • Soldiers were paid regular salaries throughout the year.
  • Payments were likely made using punch-marked coins (earliest coins in India).
• Need for Resources: Building forts and maintaining large armies required significant resources.

5. Taxes (Systematised Collection):

• Instead of relying on occasional gifts (like in Janapada times), rulers of Mahajanapadas started collecting regular taxes.
• Types of Taxes:
  • On Crops: Most important tax. Usually fixed at 1/6th of the produce, known as bhaga (share). Collected from farmers.
  • On Craftspersons: Often in the form of labour (e.g., a weaver or smith working for the king one day a month).
  • On Herders: Paid taxes in the form of animals or animal produce.
  • On Trade: Taxes on goods bought and sold.
  • On Hunter-gatherers: Had to provide forest produce (like elephants, timber, honey) to the raja.

6. Changes in Agriculture:

• Two crucial changes boosted agricultural production:
  • Use of Iron Ploughshares: Replacing wooden ploughshares with heavier iron ones allowed farmers to turn over heavy, clayey soil more effectively, leading to increased grain production.
  • Transplantation of Paddy (Rice): Instead of scattering seeds, saplings were grown and then planted in the fields. This led to higher yields but required back-breaking work. Generally, slaves (dasa/dasi) and landless agricultural labourers (kammakaras) did this work.

7. A Closer Look - Magadha:

• Became the most powerful Mahajanapada in about 200 years (around 400 BCE).
• Geographical Advantages:
  • Rivers: Ganga and Son flowed through Magadha, providing:
    • Water transport.
    • Water supply for agriculture.
    • Fertile alluvial soil.
  • Forests: Parts of Magadha were forested.
    • Elephants were captured and trained for the army.
    • Wood was available for building houses, carts, and chariots.
  • Iron Ore Mines: Located in the region (present-day Jharkhand), providing iron for strong tools and weapons.
• Powerful Rulers:
  • Bimbisara and Ajatasattu used all possible means to conquer other janapadas.
  • Mahapadma Nanda was another crucial ruler who extended control up to the north-west part of the subcontinent.
• Capitals:
  • Rajagriha (present-day Rajgir, Bihar) was the capital for many years. It was strategically located amongst hills.
  • Later, the capital was shifted to Pataliputra (present-day Patna), situated at the confluence of Ganga, Gandak and Son rivers, making it a vital communication and military hub.
• Alexander's Invasion: When Alexander of Macedon reached the Beas river intending to march eastwards (around 326 BCE), his soldiers refused, reportedly scared by the vast armies (foot soldiers, chariots, elephants) of the rulers of Magadha (the Nandas at that time).

8. A Closer Look - Vajji:

• While Magadha was a powerful monarchy, Vajji, with its capital at Vaishali (Bihar), had a different form of government known as a gana or sangha.
• Gana/Sangha Characteristics:
  • Not one, but many rulers, sometimes even thousands, each called a raja.
  • These rajas performed rituals together.
  • They met frequently in assemblies to discuss and decide on actions through debate and discussion.
  • Exclusion: Women, dasas (slaves), and kammakaras (landless labourers) could not participate in these assemblies.
• Famous Connections: Both Gautama Buddha (founder of Buddhism) and Vardhamana Mahavira (founder of Jainism) belonged to ganas or sanghas (Sakya gana and Licchavi gana respectively). Buddhist books contain vivid descriptions of life in the sanghas.
• Longevity and Conquest: Ganas or sanghas lasted for a very long time (till about 1500 years ago / 4th Century CE). Powerful kings tried to conquer them. The Gupta rulers eventually conquered the last of the ganas/sanghas.
• Ajatasattu and Vajji: There's an account in the Buddhist text Digha Nikaya about Ajatasattu wanting to attack the Vajjis. He sent his minister Vassakara to the Buddha for advice. Buddha implied that the Vajjis would prosper as long as they held full and frequent assemblies, met and acted together, followed established rules, respected elders, did not forcibly hold Vajji women, and maintained shrines (chaityas). This suggests unity and adherence to tradition were key strengths of the Vajjis.

9. Elsewhere - Greece and Athens (Around 2500 years ago):

• Around the same time Mahajanapadas flourished, Athens in Greece established a form of government called democracy, which lasted for about 200 years.
• Athenian Democracy:
  • All free men over 30 were recognized as full citizens.
  • An assembly met at least 40 times a year to decide important matters.
  • Citizens could attend.
  • Appointments for many positions were made through lottery.
  • Citizens were expected to serve in the army and navy.
• Exclusions: Women were not considered citizens. Foreigners, merchants, and craftspersons living in Athens couldn't become citizens. Thousands of slaves worked in mines, fields, homes, and workshops and had no rights.
• Comparison: While both Vajji (gana/sangha) and Athens (democracy) involved rule by many and assemblies, the definition of who could participate was restricted in both cases, though perhaps more broadly in Athens among 'free men' compared to the likely aristocratic nature of the rajas in the Vajji sangha.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

1. The performance of the Ashvamedha or horse sacrifice was primarily intended to:
   a) Ensure good rainfall for crops.
   b) Establish the raja's undisputed authority over a territory.
   c) Appease the gods for victory in a specific battle.
   d) Choose the strongest warrior in the kingdom.

2. According to the varna system defined by the priests, which group was expected to primarily engage in farming, herding, and trade?
   a) Brahmanas
   b) Kshatriyas
   c) Vaishyas
   d) Shudras

3. Painted Grey Ware (PGW) is a type of distinctive pottery associated with which period/settlement type?
   a) Harappan cities

   • b) Janapadas*
     c) Megalithic burials
     d) Neolithic sites

4. Which of the following was a major reason for fortifying the capital cities of Mahajanapadas?
   a) To provide housing for the entire population.
   b) To protect against floods.
   c) To prevent wild animals from entering the city.
   d) To protect against attacks from other kings and display power.

5. The standard tax collected on agricultural produce during the Mahajanapada period, known as bhaga, was typically:
   a) One-third (1/3rd) of the produce.
   b) One-fourth (1/4th) of the produce.
   c) One-sixth (1/6th) of the produce.
   d) One-tenth (1/10th) of the produce.

6. Two significant changes that led to increased agricultural production around the time of the Mahajanapadas were:
   a) Introduction of canals and use of better seeds.
   b) Use of iron ploughshares and transplantation of paddy.
   c) Domestication of new animals and crop rotation.
   d) Building large granaries and using animal manure.

7. Which Mahajanapada became the most powerful, benefiting from rivers like Ganga and Son, forests, and iron ore mines?
   a) Koshala
   b) Avanti
   c) Vajji
   d) Magadha

8. The government system of the Vajji Mahajanapada, with its capital at Vaishali, is best described as:
   a) A hereditary monarchy like Magadha.
   b) A military dictatorship.
   c) A gana or sangha (rule by an assembly of many rajas).
   d) A direct democracy where all adults voted.

9. Who among the following were generally excluded from participating in the assemblies of the ganas or sanghas?
   a) Priests and merchants.
   b) Kshatriya warriors.
   c) Women, dasas, and kammakaras.
   d) Visiting kings and their ministers.

10. Pataliputra, the later capital of Magadha, was strategically important primarily because:
    a) It was surrounded by impenetrable hills.
    b) It had the largest iron ore deposits nearby.
    c) It was located at the confluence of major rivers, aiding transport and communication.
    d) It was the birthplace of both Buddha and Mahavira.

Answer Key for MCQs:

1. b
2. c
3. b
4. d
5. c
6. b
7. d
8. c
9. c
10. c

Study these notes carefully, focusing on the key terms, reasons behind changes, and the distinct features of Magadha and Vajji. Good luck with your preparation!