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RAS question

Which Mahajanapada had Vaishali as its capital?

Correct answer: (D) Vajji.

Vajji, also called Vriji, was the Mahajanapada whose capital was Vaishali.

  1. (A)

    Kashi

  2. (B)

    Kosala

  3. (C)

    Magadha

  4. (D)

    Vajji

Explanation

Vajji is the right answer because it was a confederacy of eight clans, or Ashtakula, with Vaishali as its capital. That political form matters: Vajji was not described as a standard monarchy but as an early republic or Gana-Sangha, with the Lichchhavis as its most prominent clan. The Official Website of Vaishali District describes Vaishali as the seat of the Republic of Vajji and an important ancient republic, and also links Vaishali with ancient Jain and Buddhist traditions. The reference to Buddha’s last sermon further fixes Vaishali as a major ancient centre, not merely a modern district name.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (A) Kashi is wrong because its capital was Varanasi, not Vaishali.
  • (B) Kosala is wrong because its capital was Shravasti, so it does not match the Vaishali clue.
  • (C) Magadha is wrong because its capital is identified as Rajagriha or Pataliputra, not Vaishali.

Concept

This tests the Mahajanapadas and early republican polities of ancient India. It recurs in RAS because capital-centre matching and Gana-Sangha features are standard factual anchors in ancient history.

Source

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