RAS question
Which Mauryan-era site in Rajasthan was identified with the ancient Mahajanapada of Matsya?
Correct answer: (B) Bairat (Viratnagar).
Bairat, also known as Viratnagar, was identified with the ancient Matsya Mahajanapada in Rajasthan.
Explanation
Bairat is the right answer because Rajasthan Foundation, District - Jaipur links the site with Viratnagar and identifies Viratnagar as the capital of the Matsya Mahajanapada. Bairat, in Jaipur district, is treated as ancient Viratnagar, the Matsya capital. The name is also connected with the Mahabharata tradition, where the Pandavas spent their year of agyatvas in King Virata's kingdom. For an RAS question, the key is not merely that Bairat is a Mauryan-era site; it is that its older identity, Viratnagar, anchors it to Matsya, making option B the historically specific match.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Nagari is linked with Madhyamika and the Shibi Janapada, so it does not match the Matsya Mahajanapada identification asked here.
- (C) Rairh is noted as an ancient trading centre, but it is not identified as the capital of Matsya.
- (D) Kalibangan belongs to the Harappan context, whereas the question asks for a Mahajanapada-linked Mauryan-era site.
Concept
This tests the Rajasthan history theme of mapping ancient janapadas and literary traditions to archaeological or historical sites. It recurs in RAS because place-identification questions often combine polity names, old place names and present-day Rajasthan locations.