SSC
During the age of the Mahajanapadas, the capital of the Matsya kingdom was:
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Answer: Option D — Viratanagara
Detailed Solution
The capital of the Matsya Mahajanapada was Viratanagara (Viratnagar), which is identified with present-day Bairat, in the Kotputli-Behror (earlier Jaipur) district of Rajasthan.
About the Matsya kingdom:
- It was one of the 16 Mahajanapadas of the 6th century BCE.
- It was located in the region of present-day Jaipur, Alwar and Bharatpur in Rajasthan.
- It is mentioned in the Rigveda and later texts.
- In the Mahabharata, the Pandavas spent the 13th year of their exile in disguise (agyatavasa) at the court of King Virata of Matsya, in Viratanagara.
- The "Virata Parva" of the Mahabharata describes this period.
- King Virata's daughter Uttara married Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna.
Viratanagara (Bairat) in later history:
- Ashokan inscriptions have been found in the area.
- Remains of a circular brick Buddhist temple (chaitya) of the Mauryan period have been found on the Bijak-ki-Pahari hill.
- It was excavated by Daya Ram Sahni in the 1930s.
The 16 Mahajanapadas:
- Anga, Magadha, Kashi, Kosala, Vajji, Malla, Chedi, Vatsa, Kuru, Panchala, Matsya, Surasena, Assaka, Avanti, Gandhara and Kamboja.
- They are listed in Buddhist texts such as the "Anguttara Nikaya", and in the Jain text "Bhagavati Sutra" (with some differences).
Neighbours of Matsya:
Kuru (to the north), Surasena (to the east), and Panchala.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Indraprastha was the capital of the Kurus (in the Mahabharata).
- ✗Mathura was the capital of Surasena.
- ✗Ahichchhatra was a city of the Panchala region.
Quick tip
Remember: Matsya = capital Viratanagara (Bairat, Rajasthan); Pandavas' year of disguise at King Virata's court; Bairat has Ashokan edicts and a Mauryan circular chaitya.
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Mahajanapadas & Mauryan Empire — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Mahajanapadas & Mauryan Empire, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the sixteen Mahajanapadas, the rise of Magadha under the Haryanka, Shishunaga and Nanda dynasties, Alexander's invasion, and the Mauryan Empire under Chandragupta Maurya, Bindusara and Ashoka, including Mauryan administration, Ashoka's dhamma and his edicts. Questions often ask about the capital of a Mahajanapada, the founder of a dynasty, or details of Ashoka's rule, such as the Kalinga war and his rock and pillar edicts. Key sources include Kautilya's Arthashastra and Megasthenes' Indica. James Prinsep first deciphered Ashoka's Brahmi inscriptions in 1837. Practise the Mahajanapadas and Mauryan Empire questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.