With reference to ancient India (600-322 BC), consider the following pairs:

How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) All the four

Based on the pairs provided, the correct answer is (b) Only two.

Here is an analysis of each pair:

I. Asmaka : Godavari This pair is correct. The Asmaka Mahajanapada was the only one of the 16 Mahajanapadas located south of the Vindhya mountains, in the region of Dakshinapatha. Its territory was in present-day Telangana and Maharashtra, firmly in the basin of the Godavari River.
II. Kamboja : Vipas This pair is incorrect. The Kamboja Mahajanapada was located in the extreme north-west of the subcontinent, in the region of Gandhara (parts of modern-day Afghanistan and Pakistan). The Vipas is the ancient name for the Beas River, which flows through the Punjab region, far to the southeast of Kamboja.
III. Avanti : Mahanadi This pair is incorrect. The Avanti kingdom was in central India (modern Malwa region). Its main cities, Ujjain and Mahishmati, were located on the banks of the Kshipra and Narmada rivers, respectively. The Mahanadi River flows much farther east, through Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
IV. Kosala : Sarayu This pair is correct. The Kosala kingdom was a major power in the Gangetic plains (modern Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh). Its capital city, Ayodhya, was famously situated on the banks of the Sarayu River (modern Saryu).