Defence
Gautama Buddha's mother, Queen Maya, belonged to which clan?
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Answer: Option C — Koliya clan
Detailed Solution
Queen Maya (Mahamaya), the mother of Gautama Buddha, belonged to the Koliya clan.
About the Koliyas:
- They were a clan (gana) of the 6th century BCE, living to the east of the Shakyas.
- Their capital was Devadaha (or Ramagama), in the present-day Rupandehi district of Nepal.
- They were neighbours and relatives of the Shakyas; the two clans often married each other.
- The river Rohini formed the boundary between the lands of the Shakyas and the Koliyas.
According to a Buddhist story, the two clans once quarrelled over the waters of the Rohini river for irrigation, and were about to go to war, but the Buddha intervened and made peace, saying that human life was more precious than water.
After the Buddha's death, the Koliyas received a share of his relics and built a stupa at Ramagama.
About Queen Maya:
- She was the daughter of the Koliya chief Anjana (or Suppabuddha in some accounts).
- She was married to Suddhodana.
- According to tradition, before the birth, she dreamt that a white elephant with six tusks entered her side.
- She died seven days after the Buddha's birth, and her younger sister took on the role of raising the child.
The Buddha's wife:
According to tradition, the Buddha's wife Yashodhara was also from the Koliya clan, the daughter of Suppabuddha.
Ganas of the Buddha's time:
Many clans, such as the Shakyas, Koliyas, Mallas, Lichchhavis, Videhas, Moriyas and Bhaggas, had republican forms of government.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The Shakya clan was a neighbouring clan.
- ✗The Malla clan ruled Kushinara and Pava.
- ✗The Lichchhavi clan ruled Vaishali.
Quick tip
Remember: Buddha's mother Maya = Koliya clan (capital Devadaha; dispute over the Rohini river); wife Yashodhara = Koliya.
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Buddhism & Jainism — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Buddhism & Jainism, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
Buddhism and Jainism arose in the 6th century BCE as reform movements. This topic covers the lives and teachings of Gautama Buddha and Mahavira, the Jain tirthankaras, the Buddhist councils, the sects of both religions, their sacred texts and the places linked to them. Common questions cover the four great events of the Buddha's life and their places (birth at Lumbini, enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, first sermon at Sarnath, death at Kushinagar), the four Buddhist councils with their kings and venues, and the Jain sects Digambara and Shvetambara. Learning the councils as a table of place, king and president is the fastest way to revise. Practise the Buddhism and Jainism questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.