Which of the following pairs of Mahajanapada and their capital is not correctly matched ?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 3:
The question asks for the pair that is *not* correctly matched. Option 3, "Ashmak - Rajpura," is the incorrect pairing because the capital of the Ashmak (or Assaka) Mahajanapada was **Potana** (or Potali), not Rajpura. The Ashmak Mahajanapada was geographically unique as it was the only major kingdom among the sixteen Mahajanapadas situated south of the Vindhya range, specifically on the banks of the river Godavari. Rajpura, on the other hand, is associated with the capital of the Kamboja Mahajanapada. Therefore, since the question asks which pair is mismatched, "Ashmak - Rajpura" is the correct answer.

The incorrect option is 1:
The pair "Vatsa-Kaushambi" is correctly matched. Vatsa was a prominent Mahajanapada known for its political and economic importance, and its capital city was Kaushambi (modern-day Kosam, near Allahabad). The power of Vatsa was centered on the Ganges River trade route.

The incorrect option is 2:
The pair "Avanti-Mahishmati" is correctly matched. Avanti was a powerful kingdom that was often divided into northern and southern parts. While Ujjayini was the capital of Northern Avanti, Mahishmati was the capital of Southern Avanti. Thus, the pairing is considered correct in the context of the region's historical capitals.

The incorrect option is 4:
The pair "Panchala - Kampilya" is correctly matched. Panchala was another republic, also split into two parts: Northern Panchala and Southern Panchala. The capital of Southern Panchala was Kampilya, while the capital of Northern Panchala was Ahichhatra. Since Kampilya was indeed a capital of Panchala, this pair is correctly matched.