KINGDOMS, KINGS AND AN EARLY REPUBLIC - Q & A
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Ashwamedha Yagna - A 19th century Painting depicting Pandavas performing this horse sacrifice ritual. (credits: wikipedia) |
Q1: What is meant by Janpada?
Answer: Janapada means the land where the jana set its foot and settled down.
Q2: What was Ashwamedha yagna?
Answer: Ashwamedha yagna was a horse sacrifice ritual performed by the kings to prove their sovereignty. A horse was let loose to wander freely and was guarded by the king's men. If other kings stopped it, they had to fight with the king. Otherwise they accepted the king as their leader and let the horse pass.
Q3: What are Varnas?
Answer: The priests divided the people of the society into four groups, called varnas and according to them; each varna had a different set of functions.
The four varnas were the Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras.