QUESTION

Hard

Ancient History

Prelims 2025

With reference to ancient India (600–322 BC), consider the following pairs:

Territorial region – River flowing in the region I. Asmaka : Godavari II. Kamboja : Vipas III. Avanti : Mahanadi IV. Kosala : Sarayu

How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

Select an option to attempt

Explanation

Pair 1 is correct: Asmaka (or Assaka) was the southernmost Mahajanapada, located in the Deccan region on the banks of the Godavari river.

Pair 2 is incorrect: Kamboja was located in the extreme north-west (modern-day Afghanistan and Kashmir). The Vipas (Beas) river flows through Punjab, which is geographically distinct and east of the Kamboja region.

Pair 3 is incorrect: Avanti was in western Madhya Pradesh (Malwa region). The main rivers flowing through it were the Kshipra and Vetravati, not the Mahanadi (which flows through Odisha and Chhattisgarh).

Pair 4 is correct: Kosala was a Mahajanapada in present-day eastern Uttar Pradesh. Its capital, Ayodhya, is situated on the banks of the Sarayu river.

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