UPSC Prelims 2014 · Question 5 of 100
UPSC Prelims 2014 question on Buddha Associated Kingdoms
- ExamUPSC CSE
- Year2014
- PaperGeneral Studies Paper I
- SubjectArt and Culture
- TopicBuddhism and Jainism
- DifficultyHard
- TypeStatement
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.
Show answer
Answer: D. 1, 3 and 4
Verdict
The answer is 1, 3 and 4, that is Avanti, Kosala and Magadha. Gandhara is the odd one out because Buddhism reached it only later.
Analysis
Statement 3 is CORRECT. Kosala, with Shravasti, was one of the two kingdoms where the Buddha spent the largest share of his teaching life. Statement 4 is CORRECT. Magadha under Bimbisara and Ajatashatru was the Buddha's other principal base, with Rajagriha as its centre. Statement 1 is CORRECT. Pali tradition records that Pajjota of Avanti sent his chaplain's son Kaccana with seven others to invite the Buddha, and the Buddhavamsa records that the Buddha's mat and rug were deposited in Avanti after his death. Statement 2 is INCORRECT. Gandhara became a major Buddhist centre only in and after Ashoka's reign, which is well after the Buddha's lifetime.
Source
A. L. Basham, The Wonder That Was India, chapter on ancient and medieval empires and the age of the Buddha, supplemented by Pali canon references.
How to crack it
Every option here contains at least two of the four names, so pure guessing gains nothing. Instead find the single name you can confidently date. Gandhara is firmly an Ashokan and post Ashokan Buddhist region, roughly two centuries after the Buddha. Ruling out Gandhara alone eliminates the first two options and leaves a two way choice. Anchoring on the one datable item is the standard route through associated with the life of questions.