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Q39 (IAS/2015) History & Culture › Ancient India › Mahajanapadas and Buddha Official Key

Which of the following kingdoms were associated with the life of the Buddha? 1. Avanti 2. Gandhara 3. Kosala 4. Magadha Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Result
Your answer: —  Âˇ  Correct: D
Explanation

There is not significant evidence linking the life of Buddha with the kingdom of Avanti, as it was not[1] directly related to the life of Buddha[2]. Similarly, Gandhara is not associated with Buddha's life - it was primarily connected with later developments in Buddhist art and was under Persian influence during Buddha's time.

In contrast, Kosala had direct involvement with Buddha's contemporary kingdoms, including military confrontations with Magadha[3]. More significantly, Magadha was the kingdom where King Ajātaśhatru ruled during the time of Buddha (Siddhārtha Gautama)[4], and King Bimbisara of Magadha patronised various religious sects and had an encounter with Buddha[3].

Therefore, only Kosala (3) and Magadha (4) were directly associated with the life of the Buddha, making option D the correct answer.

Sources
  1. [3] 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. 48
  2. [4] Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 5: The Rise of Empires > DON'T MISS OUT > p. 94
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Q. Which of the following kingdoms were associated with the life of the Buddha? 1. Avanti 2. Gandhara 3. Kosala 4. Magadha Select the correc…
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Moderate fairness Books / CA: 7.5/10 ¡ 2.5/10
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This question tests the distinction between 'Buddhism's history' and 'Buddha's biography'. While Gandhara and Avanti became Buddhist strongholds later, the question specifically asks about the *life* of the Buddha (his physical travels). It rewards precise reading of the 'Madhyadesha' (Middle Country) geography found in standard NCERTs.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Was the kingdom of Avanti associated with the life of the Buddha?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 4/5
"**Avanti**: There is not significant evidence linking the life of Buddha with the kingdom of Avanti. It does not play a notable role in the well-documented events of his life."
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states there is no significant evidence linking Avanti with the life of the Buddha.
  • Contrasts Avanti with kingdoms commonly associated with the Buddha (Kosala, Magadha, Gandhara).
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"Avanti: This was an ancient Indian kingdom ... It was not directly related to the life of Buddha as it rose to prominence a bit later than the period"
Why this source?
  • States Avanti was not directly related to the Buddha's life because it rose to prominence later.
  • Provides explicit exclusion of Avanti while discussing kingdoms associated with the Buddha.
Web source
Presence: 3/5
"Avanti was an important center of Buddhism and some of the leading theras and theris were born and resided there."
Why this source?
  • Notes Avanti was an important center of Buddhism and produced leading theras and theris.
  • Implicates Avanti's Buddhist importance but does not tie it directly to events in the Buddha's life, allowing nuance to the 'association' claim.

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART I, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings > 7. Stupas > p. 96
Strength: 4/5
“Buddha's life – where he was born (Lumbini), where he attained enlightenment (Bodh Gaya), where he gave his first sermon (Sarnath) and where he attained nibbana (Kusinagara). Gradually, each of these places came to be regarded as sacred. We know that about 200 years after the time of the Buddha, Asoka erected a pillar at Lumbini to mark the fact that he had visited the place.”
Why relevant

Lists specific geographic sites (Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, Kusinagara) as places associated with the Buddha’s life, showing that particular kingdoms/places are often tied to his biography.

How to extend

A student could consult a map of ancient Indian kingdoms to see whether Avanti controlled or neighboured any of these sacred sites or pilgrimage routes, which would suggest possible association.

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART I, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings > 4.The Buddha and the Quest for Enlightenment > p. 89
Strength: 4/5
“One of the most influential teachers of the time was the Buddha. Over the centuries, his message spread across the subcontinent and beyond – through Central Asia to China, Korea and Japan, and through Sri Lanka, across the seas to Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia. How do we know about the Buddha's teachings? These have been reconstructed by carefully editing, translating and analysing the Buddhist texts mentioned earlier. Historians have also tried to reconstruct details of his life from hagiographies. Many of these were written down at least a century after the time of the Buddha, in an attempt to preserve memories of the great teacher.”
Why relevant

Explains that details of the Buddha’s life were reconstructed from texts and hagiographies written later, implying that associations between regions/kingdoms and the Buddha are recorded in literary sources.

How to extend

A student could search those Buddhist hagiographies and chronicles for mentions of Avanti or its rulers to test whether later texts link Avanti to the Buddha.

History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 3: Rise of Territorial Kingdoms and New Religious Sects > T. Choose the correct answer > p. 44
Strength: 4/5
“• 1. Buddha delivered his first sermon in • (a) Sanchi (b) Benaras• (c) Saranath (d) Lumbini• 2. is the Buddhist text that makes a reference to Ajatashatru's meeting of Buddha • (a) Jivakasinthamani• (b) Acharrangasutra• (c) Kalpasutra• (d) Samannapha Sutta• 3. Bhagavatisutra is a ________ text• (a) Buddhist (b) Jaina (c) Ajivika (d) Vedic• 4. _________ played an important role in improving the method of cultivation. • (a) Iron (b) Bronze (c) Copper (d) Brass• 5”
Why relevant

Shows that Buddhist texts make references to meetings between the Buddha and specific kings (example: Ajatashatru), indicating a pattern where regional rulers are named in connection with the Buddha.

How to extend

Using that pattern, a student could check whether names of Avanti rulers or meetings in Avanti appear in comparable texts (e.g., Suttas, Jataka references) to infer association.

History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 8: Harsha and Rise of Regional Kingdoms > Administration of Justice > p. 108
Strength: 3/5
“Criminal law was more severe than that of the Gupta age. Mimamsakas were appointed to dispense justice. Banishment and the Harsha and Rise of Regional Kingdoms 108 √ Cutting of limbs of the body were the usual punishments. Trial by ordeal was in practice. Life imprisonment was the punishment for the violations of the laws and for plotting against the king. Hieun Tsang, the Chinese pilgrim, spent nearly 13 years in India (630-643 CE), collecting sacred texts and relics which he took back to China. He was known as the" prince of pilgrims" because he visited important pilgrimage centres associated with the life of Buddha.”
Why relevant

Notes pilgrims like Hieun Tsang visited 'important pilgrimage centres associated with the life of Buddha', implying a network of sites across kingdoms tied to his life.

How to extend

A student could map pilgrimage itineraries recorded by pilgrims to see if any centres within the territory of Avanti are included, suggesting an association.

History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 3: Rise of Territorial Kingdoms and New Religious Sects > The Starving Tigress: A Jataka Tale > p. 43
Strength: 3/5
“They contain popular works such as Theragatha and Therigatha (Hymns of the Elder Monks and Nuns) and Jataka tales (Buddha's deeds in previous births as Bodhisattva). Other important Buddhist works include Milinda Panha, a discussion between Greco-Bactrian king Menander and Buddhist monk Nagasena, and Ceylonese chronicles Dipavamsa (Island Chronicles), Mahavamsa (Great Chronicle) and Culavamsa (Lesser Chronicle).”
Why relevant

Mentions Jataka tales and other chronicles (Mahavamsa, Dipavamsa) as sources preserving episodes of the Buddha and interactions with rulers, establishing where to look for regional links.

How to extend

A student could examine these chronicles and Jataka tales for episodes set in or naming Avanti to evaluate a historical connection.

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Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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