Q. Consider the following:

1. Charvaka
2. Buddhism
3. Jainism
4. Ajñāna

Which of the following is the correct chronological order of the emergence of these philosophical schools from earliest to latest?
Answer: 1 4 3 2
Notes: The Charvaka school, known for its materialist and atheistic views, emerged in the 6th century BCE. Following this, Ajñāna, a school of thought that also embraced skepticism and denial of certain philosophical claims, developed around the same period. Jainism, founded by Mahavira, emerged in the 6th century BCE as well, but it is widely recognized as having a more structured tradition that solidified slightly later. Buddhism, founded by Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) around the 5th century BCE, is considered the most recent of the four. Thus, the correct order is: Charvaka (1), Ajñāna (4), Jainism (3), Buddhism (2).

This question is part of UPSC Daily 20 MCQ Series Course on GKToday Android app.