Which one of the following is the seventh part of the State according to Saptang Theory of State ?

The correct answer is C) Mitra. Kautilya's Arthashastra lists the seven limbs (saptanga) of the state in a fixed order: Swami (king), Amatya (ministers), Janapada (territory and people), Durg (fortified capital), Kosha (treasury), Danda (army) and Mitra (allies). Mitra is the seventh.

• A) Janapada is the third limb, the territory and population the state governs.
• B) Durga is the fourth, the fortified capital and frontier forts that give defensive strength.
• D) Kosha is the fifth, the treasury, which Kautilya treats as the state's sinews for running war and administration.

The core concept is that the saptanga theory presents the state as an organic whole, where each limb depends on the others and a weak limb weakens the entire state. For Mains, this links to ancient political thought in GS-I and to the Mandala theory in the same text, where allies shape foreign policy.

Trap: Candidates often misplace Durga and Kosha because they are mentioned together in memory aids. Keep the sequence fixed: Swami, Amatya, Janapada, Durg, Kosha, Danda, Mitra.