SSC
The capital of the Vatsa (Vamsa) Mahajanapada was:
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Answer: Option A — Kaushambi
Detailed Solution
The capital of the Vatsa (Vamsa) Mahajanapada was Kaushambi (Kosam), located on the banks of the Yamuna river, about 50 km south-west of Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh.
About the Vatsa kingdom:
- It was one of the 16 Mahajanapadas of the 6th century BCE.
- It was located in the region around present-day Prayagraj (Allahabad).
- Its most famous king was Udayana, a contemporary of the Buddha.
- Udayana is the hero of many romantic stories and Sanskrit plays.
Udayana in literature:
- "Svapnavasavadattam" (attributed to Bhasa): about Udayana and Queen Vasavadatta, the daughter of King Pradyota of Avanti.
- "Ratnavali" and "Priyadarshika": plays about Udayana's love stories, attributed to a later king.
- According to legend, Udayana was captured by Pradyota and later escaped with Vasavadatta.
About Kaushambi:
- It was one of the largest cities of ancient India.
- It was an important centre of trade, on the route connecting the north-west with the east.
- It was a centre of Buddhism; the Buddha visited it several times, and the Ghoshitarama monastery was built there by a rich merchant named Ghoshita.
Excavations by G. R. Sharma of the University of Allahabad revealed massive fortifications, a palace and other remains.
According to the Puranas, after Hastinapura was destroyed by a flood, the Kuru king Nichakshu shifted his capital to Kaushambi.
Kaushambi today:
It is now the headquarters of the Kaushambi district of Uttar Pradesh.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Ujjayini was the capital of Avanti.
- ✗Champa was the capital of Anga.
- ✗Taxila was the capital of Gandhara.
Quick tip
Remember: Vatsa = capital Kaushambi (on the Yamuna, near Prayagraj); king Udayana (Vasavadatta); Ghoshitarama monastery.
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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.