With reference to ancient India (600-322 BC), consider the following pairs : Territorial region : River flowing in the region 1. Asmaka : Godavari 2. Kamboja : Vipas 3. Avanti : Mahanadi 4. Kosala : Sarayu How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

Pairs 1 and 4 are correct because Asmaka was the only Mahajanapada located south of the Vindhyas on the banks of the Godavari, and Kosala was situated in modern-day Uttar Pradesh with the Sarayu river flowing through it. Pairs 2 and 3 are incorrect as Kamboja was located in the far northwest (Hindukush region) rather than near the Vipas (Beas), and Avanti was centered in the Malwa region (associated with the Shipra or Vetravati) far from the Mahanadi. The core concept tested is the historical geography of the sixteen Mahajanapadas and their spatial relationship with major river systems in ancient India.