Matching Mahajanapadas and Their Capitals

The question asks us to match the ancient Indian Mahajanapadas listed in List I with their respective capital cities listed in List II. Understanding the political geography of the 6th century BCE is important for this type of question.

Let's examine each Mahajanapada and its correct capital:

• Asmaka: The Asmaka Mahajanapada was located in the Godavari river valley, in present-day Maharashtra. Its capital was Potana (or Potali).
• Chedi: The Chedi Mahajanapada was located in the Bundelkhand area, near the Yamuna river. Its capital was Suktimati.
• Dakshina Panchala: The Panchala Mahajanapada was divided into two parts: Uttara Panchala and Dakshina Panchala. Dakshina Panchala was located south of the Ganga river, with its capital at Kampilya (or Kampil).
• Surasena: The Surasena Mahajanapada was located in the region around modern Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. Its capital was Mathura.

Based on these matches, we can create the correct pairs:

Now let's compare these matches with the given options:

• Option 1: (A) - (I), (B) - (II), (C) - (III), (D) - (IV) - Incorrect
• Option 2: (A) - (IV), (B) - (III), (C) - (I), (D) - (II) - Incorrect
• Option 3: (A) - (III), (B) - (IV), (C) - (I), (D) - (II) - Correct
• Option 4: (A) - (II), (B) - (I), (C) - (IV), (D) - (III) - Incorrect

The matches (A) - (III), (B) - (IV), (C) - (I), and (D) - (II) correspond to Option 3.

Revision Table: Mahajanapadas and Capitals

Additional Information about Mahajanapadas

The Mahajanapadas were sixteen powerful kingdoms and republics that existed in ancient India, primarily in the northern and north-western regions, during the 6th century BCE. This period is often considered a major turning point in early Indian history, witnessing significant urbanisation, the rise of powerful states, and the emergence of new religious and philosophical ideas, including Buddhism and Jainism.

• The list of sixteen Mahajanapadas is often found in ancient Buddhist texts like the Anguttara Nikaya and Jain texts like the Bhagavati Sutra. Although the lists sometimes vary slightly, certain Mahajanapadas are consistently mentioned.
• These states represented a shift from tribal organisations to more centralised political structures.
• Some Mahajanapadas were monarchies (ruled by kings), while others were republics or oligarchies (ruled by a group of people), known as Gana-Sanghas.
• Magadha eventually emerged as the most powerful Mahajanapada, leading to the formation of the first major empire in ancient India, the Mauryan Empire.