With reference to ancient India (600-322 BC), consider the following pairs : I. Asmaka : Godavari II. Kamboja : Vipas III. Avanti : Mahanadi IV. Kosala : Sarayu How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

Gives the geographic extent and major tributaries of the Godavari basin, defining the physical region a kingdom 'on the Godavari' would occupy.

A student could use this basin map plus a historical map of kingdoms to see whether Asmaka's reported territory overlaps the Godavari drainage.

States that later polities (the Sātavāhanas) ruled the Godavari basin and identifies key locations (Prathistan/Paithan, Telangana) in the Deccan region.

Use the fact that the Deccan had continuous political activity around the Godavari to judge plausibility that an earlier kingdom (Asmaka) could have been located there.

Notes the economic importance of the Krishna–Godavari river system for agriculture and trade, implying major kingdoms often centered on such river systems.

Apply the general pattern that ancient kingdoms commonly occupied fertile river basins to assess whether Asmaka, if described as a regional kingdom, might plausibly have been based on the Godavari.

Shows that classical/ancient accounts (Greek in this example) identify and place named kingdoms/kingdoms’ rulers in specific geographic zones.

A student could look for comparable ancient textual references that place Asmaka in a named region or alongside other geographically located polities to infer its river-basin affiliation.

Explicitly identifies 'Beas (Vipasa or Argikiya)' and describes its course in the northwest (Kullu, Kangra, Punjab Plain).

A student could place the Beas/Vipasa on a map and see whether known locations attributed to Kamboja (from other sources) lie along or near this river.

Groups Vipasa (Beas) with Sutlej and Ravi as the Shatadru river group of north-western plains, giving a regional river-system context.

Use the river-group classification to delimit the broader northwestern zone; then check whether Kamboja is described elsewhere as inhabiting this river-group area.

Notes that the northwestern region hosted smaller kingdoms along an ancient route to the Mediterranean, implying a distinct geopolitical zone in the northwest.

Map the northwestern 'route' and kingdoms mentioned by classical accounts to see if Kamboja is repeatedly placed in the same northwest corridor as the Beas/Vipasa.

The Ṛg Veda names the northwest as 'Sapta Sindhava' — 'land of seven rivers' — indicating a long-standing conceptual region defined by river systems in the northwest.

Relate the 'seven rivers' region to the Beas/Vipasa as one of the rivers; then compare traditional attributions of Kamboja to the broader 'seven rivers' area to assess proximity.

Mentions Kambojas as 'northern rulers' defeated by Chandragupta II, confirming Kamboja as a polity located in the north (though later period).

Combine this northward identification with the geographical location of the Beas/Vipasa to evaluate the plausibility that Kamboja lay in the Beas river region.

Describes the Mahanadi's course and region (rises in Chhattisgarh basin, important for Odisha and Chhattisgarh).

Compare the historical location of Avanti (from a historical map or list of mahājanapadas) to the Chhattisgarh–Odisha Mahanadi corridor to see if they overlap.

Gives specific source area (near Sihawa in Raipur district) and basin distribution (large parts lie in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh/Chhattisgarh).

Use this basin map to check whether Avanti's territory (if placed in central India) would fall inside the Mahanadi basin.

Notes downstream geography (turn at Sambalpur, flows through Eastern Ghats to Bay of Bengal; Cuttack at the delta), showing the river's eastward drainage.

A student can contrast Avanti's reported political/urban centers with the Mahanadi's downstream and delta locations to assess plausibility of Avanti being 'on' the Mahanadi.

States the general historical pattern that early civilizations and major polities developed along river valleys (Indus, Nile, Tigris-Euphrates).

Apply the general rule that kingdoms often sit on major rivers: if Avanti were a major kingdom, check which major river valley (if any) it is historically associated with.

Mentions the sixteen mahājanapadas and locates Magadha in eastern/central subcontinent, situating the political geography of 6th–4th century BCE India.

Locate the list/map of mahājanapadas (external basic source) and see whether Avanti is placed in the same region as the Mahanadi or elsewhere.

States that around 1000 BCE Vedic Aryans moved to the Kosala region in eastern Uttar Pradesh, locating Kosala in the Upper Ganga valley area.

A student can combine this with a modern map of eastern Uttar Pradesh to see which rivers flow through that region (e.g., Sarayu) to judge whether Kosala overlapped the Sarayu basin.

Lists Ayodhya among major cities during the period of the Aryans; Ayodhya is historically associated with the kingdom of Kosala in many traditions.

A student can locate Ayodhya on a map and check which river it lies on (the modern Sarayu) to infer whether Kosala's principal city sat on the Sarayu.

Describes broad patterns of river course changes and capture into the Ganga system, showing that river identity and courses in northern India have shifted over time.

A student should consider that ancient river courses may differ from modern ones and compare historical/archaeological maps with modern hydrography to assess whether Kosala's boundaries matched the ancient Sarayu.

Notes the Rig Veda names the northwest as the land of seven rivers, indicating Vedic texts use river-based regional labels and that rivers were key geographic markers for ancient polities.

A student could use this pattern—ancient kingdoms being described relative to rivers—to consult Vedic/ancient sources or maps to see whether Kosala is described in relation to the Sarayu.