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Mahavira's father, Siddhartha, was the chief of which Kshatriya clan?
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Answer: Option B — Jnatrika (Nata) clan
Detailed Solution
Mahavira's father, Siddhartha, was the chief of the Jnatrika (Jnatri or Nata) clan of Kshatriyas, a part of the Vajji confederacy.
About the Jnatrikas:
- They were a Kshatriya clan who lived near Vaishali, in present-day Bihar.
- They were part of the Vajji (Vrijji) confederacy, a group of clans that formed a republic (gana-sangha), whose most powerful members were the Lichchhavis.
- Because of his clan, Mahavira was also known as "Jnatriputra" (son of the Jnatrikas).
- In Buddhist texts, Mahavira is called "Nigantha Nataputta", meaning "the free one (Nigantha) of the Nata clan".
Mahavira's family:
- Father: Siddhartha, chief of the Jnatrikas.
- Mother: Trishala, a Lichchhavi princess, sister of the Lichchhavi chief Chetaka.
- Elder brother: Nandivardhana.
- According to the Shvetambaras: wife Yashoda and daughter Priyadarshana.
- His son-in-law, Jamali, became his disciple but later started a separate sect.
- Through his mother, Mahavira was related to the royal families of Magadha and Anga.
Clans of the 6th century BCE:
- "Bhaggas": a clan of the Sumsumara hill region.
- "Moriyas": a clan of Pipphalivana.
- "Lichchhavis": the leading clan of the Vajji confederacy, with their capital at Vaishali.
Gana-sanghas (republics):
- These were states governed by assemblies of clan chiefs (rajas), rather than by a single king.
- The Buddha and Mahavira both belonged to clans from such republics.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The Bhagga, Videha and Moriya clans were other groups of the period, but Mahavira's father belonged to the Jnatrikas.
Quick tip
Remember: Mahavira's father Siddhartha = chief of the Jnatrika clan (Vajji confederacy); Buddhist name of Mahavira = "Nigantha Nataputta"; mother Trishala = Lichchhavi.
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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.