Previous Year Question

The correct answer is Kuru and Panchala.

During the Rig Vedic period, the main geographical area of Vedic culture was the Sapta-Sindhu and north-western India. During the Later Vedic period, its centre gradually shifted eastward, and the Ganga-Yamuna Doab, particularly the Kuru-Panchala region, became the major centre of Vedic culture.

Kuru and Panchala were among the major political and cultural units of the Later Vedic period. According to IGNOU, during the Later Vedic period the Doab became the principal centre of Vedic culture and territorial states such as Kuru and Panchala developed.

The importance of this region was not merely political. The composition and compilation of much of the Later Vedic literature, particularly several Brahmana texts, was closely associated with the Kuru-Panchala region. This made the region an important centre of Vedic ritualism, sacrificial traditions and Brahmanical culture.

The formation of the Kuru polity is associated with the integration of earlier groups such as the Bharatas and Purus. The Panchala region was associated with the eastern part of the Ganga-Yamuna Doab. Together, these two regions provided a strong foundation for the political and cultural system of the Later Vedic period.

Vedic culture later also expanded into Kosala and Videha, and the court of King Janaka of Videha became an important centre of philosophical and Vedic discussions. Nevertheless, for the principal Aryan cultural centre of the Later Vedic period asked in the question, Kuru-Panchala is the appropriate answer.