From among the following Mahajanapadas, identify the gana/sangha (oligarchy):

Among the sixteen Mahajanapadas, Vajji (or Vrijji) was a prominent gana-sangha or oligarchy [1]. Unlike monarchies where power was hereditary, gana-sanghas were centered on clans and practiced collective decision-making [1]. The Vajji mahajanapada, particularly the Lichchhavi clan, functioned as an early republic where leaders were chosen based on merit and representatives met in assemblies to address state issues. In contrast, Magadha, Kosala, and Avanti were monarchical states [4]. Magadha was ruled by dynasties like the Haryanka under Bimbisara [2]. Kosala was a monarchy ruled by kings such as Prasenjit [4], and Avanti was governed by rulers like Chanda Pradyota. While these monarchies engaged in power struggles for dominance, the Vajji confederacy maintained a republican structure until its eventual absorption into the Magadhan empire [2].

Sources

1. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 3: Rise of Territorial Kingdoms and New Religious Sects > Gana-Sanghas > p. 35
2. [2] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Emergence of State and Empire > 4.1 Rise of Magadha under the Haryanka Dynasty > p. 47
3. [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosala_(Mahajanapada)