Identify the correct pair of Mahajanapadas.
(A) Vajji, Magadha, Avanti, Banawali
(B) Magadha, Koshala, Kuru, Panchala
(C) Gandhara, Afghan, Magadha, Koshala
(D) Matsya, Chola, Chera, Pandya
(E) Vatsa, Chedi, Gandhara, Avanti
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → (B), (E) Only
(A) Vajji, Magadha, Avanti, Banawali Incorrect. Vajji, Magadha and Avanti were mahajanapadas, but Banawali is a Harappan site, shown on the map of important Mature Harappan sites, and not a mahajanapada.
(B) Magadha, Koshala, Kuru, Panchala Correct. All four are among the names, such as Vajji, Magadha, Koshala, Kuru, Panchala, Gandhara and Avanti, that occur frequently in the lists of the sixteen mahajanapadas.
(C) Gandhara, Afghan, Magadha, Koshala Incorrect. Gandhara, Magadha and Koshala were mahajanapadas, but ‘Afghan’ is not the name of any mahajanapada; on the map of early states the north-west is held by Gandhara and Kamboja.
(D) Matsya, Chola, Chera, Pandya Incorrect. Matsya is marked among the early states, but the Cholas, Cheras and Pandyas were chiefdoms in Tamilakam, the ancient Tamil country in the far south, not mahajanapadas.
(E) Vatsa, Chedi, Gandhara, Avanti Correct. Gandhara and Avanti are named among the most important mahajanapadas, and Vatsa and Chedi are marked, with their neighbours, on the map of the early states of this period.
Note: The text of NCERT (2026-27) names only seven of the sixteen mahajanapadas. Vatsa and Chedi are shown on its Map 1, ‘Early states and their capitals’, and both are among the sixteen mahajanapadas listed in early Buddhist texts; this is explained here for the benefit of the students.
NCERT (2026-27): “2.2 First amongst the sixteen: Magadha … Early Buddhist and Jaina texts (see also Chapter 4) mention, amongst other things, sixteen states known as mahajanapadas. Although the lists vary, some names such as Vajji, Magadha, Koshala, Kuru, Panchala, Gandhara and Avanti occur frequently. Clearly, these were amongst the most important mahajanapadas.…”
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