Class 6 History – Chapter 6

Kingdoms, Kings and an Early Republic | NCERT Notes

STAGE 0: Let Us Begin (Foundation)

Long ago, people began to live together in large groups. To manage people and land, kingdoms were formed.

This chapter tells us about early kingdoms, kings, and an early form of republic.

STAGE 1: Chapter Explanation (Story Style)

What is a Kingdom?

A kingdom is an area ruled by a king. The king protected people and maintained order.

How Did Kings Become Powerful?

Kings became powerful by:

• Collecting taxes
• Keeping soldiers
• Building forts

Janapadas and Mahajanapadas

Small kingdoms were called Janapadas. Later, bigger kingdoms called Mahajanapadas were formed.

There were sixteen Mahajanapadas.

Important Kingdoms

Some important Mahajanapadas were:

• Magadha
• Kosala
• Vajji

Magadha

Magadha became very powerful because:

• It had fertile land
• It had iron mines
• It had good rulers

An Early Republic

Not all states were ruled by kings. Some were ruled by groups of people.

The Vajji kingdom was an early republic. Important decisions were taken together.

STAGE 2: NCERT Textbook Questions & Answers

Q1. What is a kingdom?
Answer: A kingdom is an area ruled by a king.

Q2. What were Mahajanapadas?
Answer: Mahajanapadas were large and powerful kingdoms.

Q3. Name one powerful kingdom.
Answer: Magadha.

Q4. What was special about the Vajji kingdom?
Answer: It was ruled by a group of people.

STAGE 3: Exam Questions (Easy)

Question:
Why did Magadha become powerful?

Answer:
Magadha became powerful because it had fertile land, iron resources, and good rulers.

Exam Tip:
Write answers in points.

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🧠 Quick Revision
• Kingdoms were ruled by kings
• Mahajanapadas were big kingdoms
• Vajji was an early republic

Different types of rule helped shape early society.