UPSC Civil Services Model Paper 7

Magadha ( in present-day Bihar ) became the most powerful Mahajanapada between the sixth and the fourth centuries BCE.
Factors :
Magadha was a region where agriculture was especially productive.
Hence, Statement 2 is correct.
Iron mines (in present-day Jharkhand ) were accessible.
Hence, Statement 1 is correct.
It provided resources for tools and weapons .
Elephants , an important component of the army , were found in forests in the region.
Also, the Ganga and its tributaries provided a means of cheap and convenient communication .
However, early Buddhist and Jaina writers who wrote about Magadha attributed its power to the policies of individuals: ruthlessly ambitious kings of whom Bimbisara, Ajatasattu, and Mahapadma Nanda are the bestknown, and their ministers, who helped implement their policies.
Hence, Statement 3 is correct.
Initially, Rajagraha (the Prakrit name for present-day Rajgir in Bihar ) was the capital of Magadha . Interestingly, the old name means “ house of the king”.
Rajagaha was a fortified settlement, located amongst hills.
Hence, Statement 4 is correct.
Later, in the fourth century BCE , the capital was shifted to Pataliputra, present-day Patna , commanding routes of communication along the Ganga.