How many Mahajanapadas were there during the age of Buddha?

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  1. 15
  2. 26
  3. 16
  4. 9

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 3 : 16
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Detailed Solution

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The correct answer is 16.

Key Points

  • During the lifetime of Lord Gautam Buddha, 16 great powers (Mahajanpadas) existed in the 7th and early 6th centuries BC.
  • These were Kasi, Kosala, Anga, Magadha, Vajji, Malla, Chedi, Vatsa, Kuru, Panchala, Machcha, Surasena, Assaka, Avanti, Gandhara and Kamboja.​

Additional Information

  • Buddha was born in BC 563 in Lumbini (near the Indo-Nepal Border) and died at the age of eighty in BC 483 at Kushinagar in UP.
  • At the age of 29, Gautama left home and rejected his life of riches and embraced a lifestyle of asceticism.
  • After 49 consecutive days of meditation, Gautama attained enlightenment under a pipal tree (Bodhi Tree) at Bodhgaya a village in Bihar.
  • Buddha gave his first sermon in the village of Sarnath in UP. This event is known as Dharma-Chakra-Pravartana.
  • Buddhist Councils marked important turning points in early Buddhism, In total, 4 major Buddhist councils were convened- 
    • The First Council was held soon after the Mahaparinirvan of the Buddha, around 483 BC in the Sattapani cave at Rajgriha.  
    • The second Council was held in Vaishali.
    • The third council was held in 250 BC in Patliputra.
    • The fourth Council was held in 72 AD at Kundalvana, Kashmir.
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