CLASS 6TH | RISE OF KINGDOMS AND REPUBLICS | REVISION NOTES

How some men became rulers?

Around 3000 years ago, we found some changes had taken place in the ways in which rajas were chosen. Some men were then recognized as rajas by performing very big sacrifices. 

• Ashvamedha or horse sacrifice was one such ritual in which a horse was let loose to wander freely and it was guarded by the raja’s men. 
• If the horse wandered into the kingdoms of other rajas and they stopped it, they had to fight. 
• If they allowed the horse to pass, it meant that they accepted that the raja who wanted to perform the sacrifice was stronger than them. These rajas were then invited to the sacrifice. 
• The raja who organized the sacrifice was recognized as being very powerful and all those who came brought gifts for him.    

Varnas

• The priests divided people into four groups called Varnas.
• According to them, each Varna had a different set of functions.
• These groups were decided on the basis of birth.

Brahmin: They were expected to study and teach the Vedas, perform sacrifices and receive gifts. 

Kshatriyas: They were the rulers and were expected to fight battles and protect people.

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

Shudras: They had to serve the other three groups and could not perform any rituals. Often, women were also grouped with them. They were not allowed to study the Vedas.

What is Janapada?

• The term Janapada is a compound composed of ‘Jana’ meaning tribe and ‘pada’ meaning foot. Its literal meaning, thus, is realm and subject population.  
• Early Vedic texts reveal several Janas or tribes of the Aryans living in semi-nomadic tribal states.  
• In due course of time, these early Indian Iron Age Rigveda Janas coalesced into geographically fixed Janapadas.  
• They were governed by rulers or rajas each having its own army and capital.  
• The kings maintained large armies who were paid regular salaries by using punch-marked coins

What is Mahajanapadas?

• Each Mahajanapadas was ruled by a king.  
• Villagers were controlled by a village headman called Gramini.  
• About 2500 years ago, some Janapadas became more important than others and were known as Mahajanapadas.
• Most mahajanapadas had a capital city, many of these were fortified which means that huge walls of wood, brick, or stone were built around them.

Political Organisation  

• The political organization of the mahajanpadas was organized into two forms- monarchy and republican system.  
• In a monarchy, the king was the head of the state. Magadha was its example.  
• In a republican system, the state was ruled by an elected chief called Ganpat. Mallas was its example.  

Taxes

• As Mahajanapadas needed a huge amount of money, they imposed taxes. 
• The one-sixth tax was fixed on crops; tax on craftspersons, herders, goods bought and sold through the trade.  
• Further hunters and gathers had to give forest produce to the raja. 

Changes in agriculture

There were two major changes in agriculture around mahajanapadas time.

• The growing use of iron ploughshares: This means heavy, clayey soil could be turned over better than with a wooden ploughshare so that more grain could be produced.
• People began transplanting paddy: This meant that instead of scattering seeds on the ground, saplings were grown and then planted in the fields.

A closer look: Magadha

• Magadha became the most important mahajanapada in about two hundred years.
• Many rivers such as the Ganga and Son flowed through Magadha which helped in transport, water supplies, and making the land fertile.
• Two powerful rulers of Magadha were Bimbisara and Ajatasattu.
• The first capital of Magadha was Rajagriha in Bihar and the second was Pataliputra.

A closer look: Vajji

• Vajji, with its capital at Vaishali (Bihar), was under a different form of government, known as Gana or Sangha.
• In a Gana or a Sangha, there were many rulers, each one was known as a raja.
• The rajas performed rituals together and met in assemblies.
• Women, dasas and kammakaras could not participate in these assemblies.
• Both the Buddha and the Mahavira belonged to ganas or sanghas.
• The last of the sanghas were conquered by Gupta rulers around 1500 years ago.