RAS question
Kaushambi was the capital of which Mahajanapada?
Correct answer: (A) Vatsa.
Kaushambi was the capital of the Vatsa, or Vamsa, Mahajanapada in ancient India.
Explanation
Kaushambi is identified with Vatsa, also called Vamsa, because the official Kaushambi district account describes ancient Kaushambi as the capital of the Chedi-vatsa janapada. It was near modern Allahabad, now Prayagraj, and was important as a centre of trade and Buddhism. Kaushambi District Official Website describes Kaushambi as a major ancient city: during Buddha's time it was among the important and prosperous towns of India, with key communication routes meeting there and river traffic ending there. The famous Vatsa ruler linked with this capital was Udayana. Therefore, among the four options, Vatsa is the only Mahajanapada correctly connected with Kaushambi as its capital.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Kosala is wrong because the Kaushambi District Official Website links Kaushambi specifically with the Chedi-vatsa janapada, not with Kosala.
- (C) Avanti is wrong because Kaushambi is connected with Vatsa or Vamsa, not Avanti.
- (D) Magadha is wrong because Kaushambi is the capital of Vatsa, whereas Magadha is not tied to Kaushambi by the Kaushambi District Official Website.
Concept
This tests the ancient Indian polity and historical geography topic of Mahajanapadas and their capitals. It recurs in RAS because such capital-janapada pairings are compact, map-linked facts often used in Ancient History MCQs.