Question

The capital of Kashi was ______.
1. Pataliputra
2. Varanasi
3. Taxila
4. Kaushambi

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 2 : Varanasi

The correct answer is Varanasi.

• The capital of Kashi (Mahajanapada) was Varanasi.
• This city got its name from rivers Varuna and Asi as cited in the Matsya Purana.
• Kingdoms that rose to fame from the 6th Century BC onward were called Mahajanapdas.
• The Mahajanapadas signify the tribes that came together to form different groups and later gave rise to a permanent area of settlements called ‘states’ or ‘Janapadas.’

Mahajanapada	Capital	Present Location
Kasi	Varanasi	Varanasi
Kosala	Sravasti	Uttar Pradesh East
Anga	Champa	Bhagalpur and Munger
Magadha	Rajagriha	Gaya and Patna
Vajji	Vaishali	Bihar
Malla	Kusinara	Deoria and Uttar Pradesh
Chedi	Sothivati	Bundelkhand, MP
Vatsa	Kusambi	Prayagraj
Kuru	Indraprastha	Meerut and Haryana
Panchala	Kampliya	Uttar Pradesh West
Matsya	Viratnagar	Jaipur
Surasena	Mathura	Uttar Pradesh West
Assaka	Paithan	Bank of Godavari
Avanti	Ujjaini	Madhya Pradesh/Malwa
Gandhara	Taxila	Rawalpindi
Kamboja	Pooncha	Kashmir and Hindukush