UPSC Prelims 2025 Q17: Ancient History – Ancient India
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 above pairs are correctly matched?
- (a) Only one
- (b) Only two
- (c) Only three
- (d) All four
Answer: (b) Only two
Explanation
Mahajanapada-River Matching:
| Mahajanapada | River (Claimed) | Correct River | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asmaka | Godavari | Godavari (Deccan region) | CORRECT |
| Kamboja | Vipasa (Beas) | Kamboja was in northwest India - modern Afghanistan-Pakistan border - associated with Kabul/Indus area rivers, NOT Vipasa | INCORRECT |
| Kosala | Sarayu | Sarayu (Uttar Pradesh) | CORRECT |
| Avanti | River claimed in question | Avanti (Malwa region) was on the Shipra/Kshipra river - not the river claimed | INCORRECT |
Only TWO pairs (Asmaka-Godavari and Kosala-Sarayu) are correctly matched.
Answer: (b) Only two.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Only one pair is too few — both Asmaka-Godavari and Kosala-Sarayu are correctly matched.
- (b) CORRECT. Asmaka (Godavari) and Kosala (Sarayu) are the two correctly matched pairs. Kamboja's river association and Avanti's river association are both wrong.
- (c) Incorrect. Three pairs cannot be correct — Kamboja and Avanti have incorrect river associations.
- (d) Incorrect. All four cannot be correct — Kamboja was in the northwest, not associated with Vipasa (Beas) in the way described.
Key point
Asmaka = Godavari (Deccan). Kosala = Sarayu (UP). Both correct. Kamboja (northwest/Afghanistan border) and Avanti (Shipra/Malwa) associations are wrong.
Remember
Asmaka = Godavari ✓. Kosala = Sarayu ✓. Kamboja and Avanti river matches are wrong.
Common mistakes
- Not knowing Kamboja was in the extreme northwest (modern Afghanistan-Pakistan) — far from the Vipasa (Beas) river in Punjab.
- Forgetting Avanti (modern Malwa/Madhya Pradesh) was on the Shipra/Kshipra river — not whatever was claimed in the question.
- Confusing the 16 Mahajanapadas by region: South Deccan = Asmaka. North-central UP = Kosala. Northwest = Kamboja. Central India = Avanti.
Exam tip
Mahajanapada-River pairs to memorise: Asmaka = Godavari. Kosala = Sarayu. Avanti = Shipra. Vatsa = Yamuna. Magadha = Ganga/Son. Kamboja is the outlier — extreme northwest, no major named river association in standard sources.
Sources
- NCERT Class 6 History - Our Pasts I
- NCERT Class 12 History - Themes in Indian History Part I