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?
Show answer
Answer: B. Pair I is correct: Asmaka (Assaka) lay on the Godavari, the only Mahajanapada in the south. Pair II is wrong: Kamboja was in the far north-west (towards Afghanistan), while the Vipas (Beas) flows in Punjab. Pair III is wrong: Avanti (Ujjain/Mahishmati) lay on the Narmada and Shipra, not the Mahanadi. Pair IV is correct: Kosala lay on the Sarayu, with Ayodhya on it. So two pairs.
Watch for: The Mahanadi flows in Odisha and Chhattisgarh; Avanti was in western Madhya Pradesh on the Narmada.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Wrong because two pairs (Asmaka and Kosala) are correct.
- C. Wrong because Kamboja–Vipas and Avanti–Mahanadi are wrong.
- D. Wrong because two pairs are incorrect.
Source to check: NCERT Class 6 History, Our Pasts I, chapter 'Kingdoms, Kings and an Early Republic'; R.S. Sharma, India's Ancient Past
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.