Which of the following statements are correct about the ‘ganas’ or ‘sanghas’ of ancient India?

A. They had no single hereditary monarch
B. They were exactly similar to modern democracies
C. A permanent standing army was their greatest asset
D. The procedures of Buddhist monastic organization imbibed the ‘ganas’
E. In Licchavi there were 7,707 kings

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:​

Correct option is A

The correct answer is A, D, and E Only.

• A. "They had no single hereditary monarch" – This is correct. The ‘ganas’ or ‘sanghas’ were republican states, and they did not have a single hereditary monarch. Instead, they had a system where several members or elected individuals shared the authority.

• D. "The procedures of Buddhist monastic organization imbibed the ‘ganas’" – This is also correct. The Buddhist monastic organizations, like the sanghas, had democratic principles of decision-making, which were similar to the way ‘ganas’ or ‘sanghas’ were structured in ancient India.

• E. "In Licchavi there were 7,707 kings" – This statement is true as well. The Licchavi republic is known to have had a large number of rulers (7,707), which indicates the decentralized, collective leadership in their political structure.

The statements B and C are not correct:

• B. "They were exactly similar to modern democracies" – This is an overstatement. While there were elements of democracy, the ‘ganas’ were not exactly similar to modern democracies. There were no universal suffrage or equal rights as seen in modern democracies.

• C. "A permanent standing army was their greatest asset" – This is incorrect. The ‘ganas’ were not particularly known for a strong permanent standing army. Their strength lay in their decentralized structure and collective governance.

Information Booster

• The ‘ganas’ were ancient republican states where decision-making was collective, and power was not centralized in a single monarch.

• The Licchavis, one of the famous republican states, had a vast number of rulers (7,707), which reflected the non-monarchical nature of the system.

• Buddhist monastic organizations, with their democratic decision-making, had similarities with the political organization of the ‘ganas’.

• Unlike monarchies, ‘ganas’ and ‘sanghas’ were based on collective leadership and often had a system of elected representatives.

• Ancient India’s republican states, like the ‘ganas’, emphasized the participation of multiple members in the governance process.

• The term ‘ganas’ refers to groups or republics that were governed by councils and did not follow hereditary monarchies.

Additional Knowledge:

• B: The comparison between ‘ganas’ and modern democracies is not fully accurate because the political system in the ‘ganas’ was based on a combination of aristocratic families and collective decision-making, which differed from the concept of modern democracy.

• C: While military strength was essential for the survival of these republics, a standing army was not their main asset. Instead, their governance model based on consensus and collective leadership was their defining feature.