RAS question
Which Mahajanapada had a republican form of government with the Lichchhavi clan as the ruling class?
Correct answer: (D) Vajji.
The Vajji Mahajanapada had a republican form of government, and the Lichchhavis of Vaishali were a leading ruling clan within the Vajji union.
Explanation
Vajji is the right answer because it was an eight-state republic north of the Ganga that extended towards the Nepalese hills. Its important constituent states included the Lichchhavis, Videhas and Jnatrikas. Vaishali was the capital of both the Lichchhavis and the Vajji union. The Lichchhavis were its most powerful clan, and their assembly met at Vaishali. The Buddha praised their system of government. These details match the clue's republican, or gana-rajya, structure and its link to the Lichchhavi clan. Vajji was later annexed by Ajatashatru of Magadha after Vassakara used diplomacy to create divisions among the Lichchhavis, enabling Ajatashatru to defeat the Vajji sangha.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Kamboja does not fit the clue. It was in the north-west and had a monarchy in the Mahabharata era before a later republican phase, but it had no connection to the Lichchhavis of Vaishali or the Vajji union.
- (B) Kuru does not fit the Lichchhavi clue. It was initially monarchical and became republican only later, with no connection to the Vaishali-based Lichchhavis.
- (C) Malla was also a republic, but it was a separate Mahajanapada near Kushinagar, with branches at Kushinara and Pava, not the Lichchhavi-led Vajji union.
Concept
This question tests the distinction between monarchies and gana-sanghas among the sixteen Mahajanapadas of the sixth century BCE. RAS revisits this topic because ancient polity questions often require matching republics, ruling clans and capitals rather than merely memorising the list. The links among Vajji, the Lichchhavis, Vaishali, Magadha and Ajatashatru are therefore important for understanding the political structure of ancient India.