RAS question
Ahichhatra and Kampilya were associated with which Mahajanapada?
Correct answer: (B) Panchala.
Ahichhatra and Kampilya were associated with the Panchala Mahajanapada, with Ahichhatra linked to North Panchala and Kampilya to Southern Panchala.
Explanation
Panchala is the right answer because the two places mark its internal division. Ahichhatra was the capital of North Panchala, and Kampilya was the capital of South Panchala, covering areas of present-day Bareilly, Budaun and Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh. The official Farrukhabad district page gives the useful cross-check: Kampil, historically known as Kampilya, served as the capital of King Drupada and Southern Panchala. Once Kampilya is tied to Southern Panchala and Ahichhatra to North Panchala, the pair clearly points to Panchala rather than to a neighbouring Mahajanapada.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Matsya is wrong because the Ahichhatra-Kampilya pairing belongs to the North and South divisions of Panchala, not to Matsya.
- (C) Kosala is wrong because Kampilya is connected with Panchala, not with Kosala.
- (D) Kuru is wrong because Kampilya was a Panchala capital, while Kuru is a separate Mahajanapada option here.
Concept
This tests the Mahajanapada map through capital-town associations, a frequent RAS pattern because ancient polity questions often turn on matching places with states. Panchala recurs because its North-South division makes Ahichhatra and Kampilya easy traps in option-based questions.