During the Mauryan period, Suvarnagiri, the capital of the southern province and a centre of gold mining, was located in present-day:

Suvarnagiri ("golden mountain"), the headquarters of the southern province of the Mauryan empire, was located in present-day Karnataka.

About Suvarnagiri:

• It is mentioned in Ashoka's minor rock edict at Brahmagiri (Karnataka) as the seat of the "Aryaputra" (a prince or viceroy).
• Its name suggests that it was linked with gold, as the region was rich in gold deposits.
• Scholars have identified it with Kanakagiri, in the Koppal district of Karnataka, near the ancient gold-mining areas.
• Gold mining in the region has a very long history; ancient gold workings have been found in the Hutti and Kolar areas.
• NCERT notes that Suvarnagiri was important for tapping the gold mines of Karnataka.

Provinces of the Mauryan empire:

• NCERT explains that the empire had several provincial centres, which were administered by princes or governors.
• The capital, Pataliputra, was the main centre.

The other provincial centres included:

• Taxila: in the north-west.
• Ujjayini: in the west.
• Suvarnagiri: in the south.
• A fourth provincial capital in the east.

Ashokan inscriptions in Karnataka:

• Karnataka has the largest number of Ashokan minor rock edicts.
• Important sites include Maski, Brahmagiri, Siddapura, Jatinga-Rameshwara, Gavimath, Palkigundu, Nittur, Udegolam and Sannati.
• The inscriptions at Maski, Nittur and Udegolam mention Ashoka by name.

Importance:

• The Mauryan presence in Karnataka shows how far south the empire extended.
• The far south (the lands of the Cholas, Pandyas, Keralaputras and Satiyaputras) remained outside the empire, but friendly.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Andhra Pradesh had Ashokan sites such as Erragudi and Amaravati.
• ✗Odisha had the Kalinga region.
• ✗Madhya Pradesh had Ujjayini and Sanchi.