Question

In what ways are present-day elections different from the ways in which rulers were chosen in " Janapadas".

Answer 1

Hint: Aryans were the most influential tribes and were called ‘janas’. The term Janapada where Jana means ‘people’ and Pada means ‘foot’ i.e. foothold of the people. The lands were taken by the 'Jana' people for a settled way of life.

Complete answer: In Contemporary times the democratic form of government is exercised where the rulers are chosen through popular vote and the government is for the people, by the people and from the people. But in the sixth century in janapadas, a ruler was not chosen, rather a person was supposed to show his supremacy to become the ruler. To do so, the raja had to perform the Ashwamedha yajna ( Horse sacrifice ritual), so that other rajas ( head) in the mahajanapada would accept his supremacy. There were two types of states: Monarchical wherein an individual ruler serves as the head of state and acquired their position from heredity and Republican is a form of rule wherein there is no hereditary aristocracy, no king the decision making is a public thing.
Magadha, Kosala, Vatsa, Aanti, Anga, Kashi, Gandhara, Shursena, Chedi and Matsya were monarchical in nature. While Mahajanapadas of Malla, Vajji, Kamboja and Kuru were Republican in nature.

Note: In the sixth century B.C. Janapadas meant the major kingdoms of Vedic India. There were twenty-two different Janapadas, wherein Magadha was the largest Mahajanapada.