On the banks of which one of the following rivers was the ancient Mahishmati located?

The correct answer is C, Narmada. Mahishmati, an important city of ancient central India, stood on the Narmada and is usually identified with Maheshwar in present-day Madhya Pradesh, though some scholars place it at Mandhata (Omkareshwar).

Mahishmati was the capital of the southern part of the Avanti mahajanapada, while Ujjain was the capital of the northern part. The city lay on the trade route that linked the Gangetic plain with the Deccan and the western ports, and it is mentioned in the epics, the Puranas and Buddhist texts. In later times Maheshwar became the capital of the Holkar queen Ahilyabai, who built its famous ghats and temples.

A is wrong because the Sarayu flows past Ayodhya, the capital of Kosala. B is wrong because the Son joins the Ganga near Patna and is linked with the Magadha region, not Mahishmati. D is wrong because the Godavari is linked with Pratishthana (Paithan), the Satavahana capital.

Exam tip: Avanti had two capitals, Ujjain in the north and Mahishmati on the Narmada in the south.