UPSC CSE Prelims
Sixteen Mahajanapadas Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Practice solved questions for Sixteen Mahajanapadas with detailed step-by-step solutions, key insights, and trend analysis for UPSC CSE PRELIMS.
Solved Previous Year Questions
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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?
Detailed Explanation:
Pair I — Correct. Asmaka (also called Assaka) — southernmost Mahajanapada, in the Deccan region, on the banks of the Godavari river.
Pair II — Incorrect. Kamboja was in the extreme north-west (modern Afghanistan/Kashmir area). The Vipas (Beas) river flows through Punjab — a different region, further east.
Pair III — Incorrect. Avanti was in western Madhya Pradesh (Malwa region). Its main rivers were Kshipra and Vetravati, NOT Mahanadi (which flows through Odisha/Chhattisgarh).
Pair IV — Correct. Kosala — Mahajanapada in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Its capital Ayodhya sits on the banks of the Sarayu river.
So only 2 pairs (I and IV) are correct.
Mahajanapadas and Their Rivers
| Mahajanapada | Region | Main River(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Asmaka | Deccan (south) | Godavari |
| Kamboja | NW Frontier (Afghanistan/Kashmir) | Not Vipas — different region entirely |
| Avanti | Western MP (Malwa) | Kshipra, Vetravati |
| Kosala | Eastern UP | Sarayu (capital: Ayodhya) |
| Magadha | Bihar | Ganga, Son |
| Vatsa | Allahabad region | Yamuna (capital: Kaushambi) |
| Kashi | Varanasi region | Ganga |
| Vajji | North Bihar | Gandak |
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