Pataliputra - Wikipedia Pataliputra Pataliputra Plan of Pataliputra compared to present - day Patna Shown within Bihar Pataliputra ( India ) Show map of Bihar Show map of India Show all Alternate name Pātaliputtā ( Pāli ) Location Patna district, Bihar, India Region South Asia Coordinates 25 ° 36 ′ 45 '' N 85 ° 7 ′ 42 '' E ﻿ / ﻿ 25.61250 ° N 85.12833 ° E ﻿ / 25.61250 ; 85.12833 Coordinates : 25 ° 36 ′ 45 '' N 85 ° 7 ′ 42 '' E ﻿ / ﻿ 25.61250 ° N 85.12833 ° E ﻿ / 25.61250 ; 85.12833 Altitude 53 m ( 174 ft ) Length 14.5 km ( 9.0 mi ) Width 2.4 km ( 1.5 mi ) History Builder Ajatashatru Founded 490 BCE Abandoned Became modern Patna Associated with Haryankas, Nandas, Mauryans, Shungas, Guptas, Palas, Sher Shah Suri Management Archaeological Survey of India Pataliputra ( IAST : Pāṭaliputra ), adjacent to modern - day Patna, was a city in ancient India, originally built by Magadha ruler Udayin in 490 BCE as a small fort ( Pāṭaligrāma ) near the Ganges river. Pilgrimage to Buddha 's Holy Sites The Four Main Sites Bodh Gaya Kushinagar Lumbini Sarnath Four Additional Sites Rajgir Sankassa Shravasti Vaishali Other Sites Amaravathi Chandavaram Devadaha Gaya Kapilavastu Kesaria Kosambi Nalanda Pataliputra Pava Varanasi Later Sites Ajanta Caves Barabar Caves Bharhut Ellora Caves Lalitgiri Mathura Pandavleni Caves Piprahwa Ratnagiri Sanchi Udayagiri Vikramashila It became the capital of major powers in ancient India, such as the Nanda Empire ( 345 - 320 BCE ), the Maurya Empire ( 320 - 180 BCE ), and the Gupta Empire ( 320 - 550 CE ). During the Maurya period ( see below ), it became one of the largest cities in the world. Extensive archaeological excavations have been made in the vicinity of modern Patna. Excavations early in the 20th century around Patna revealed clear evidence of large fortification walls, including reinforcing wooden trusses. Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2.1 Capital of the Maurya Empire 2.2 Capital of later dynasties 3 Structure 3.1 Excavated sites of Pataliputra 4 Main recovered artifacts 5 See also 6 References 7 Sources 8 Further reading Etymology The etymology of Pataliputra is unclear. `` Putra '' means son, and `` pāţali '' is a species of rice or the plant Bignonia suaveolens. One traditional etymology holds that the city was named after the plant. Another tradition says that Pāṭaliputra means the son of Pāṭali, who was the daughter of Raja Sudarshan. As it was known as Pāṭali - grāma ( `` Pāṭali village '' ) originally, some scholars believe that Pāṭaliputra is a transformation of Pāṭalipura, `` Pāṭali town ''. History There is no mention of Pataliputra in written sources prior to the early Jain and Buddhist texts ( the Pali Canon and Āgamas ), where it appears as the village of Pataligrama and is omitted from a list of major cities in the region. Early Buddhist sources report a city being built in the vicinity of the village towards the end of the Buddha 's life ; this generally agrees with archaeological evidence showing urban development occurring in the area no earlier than the 3rd or 4th Century BCE. In 303 BCE, Greek historian and ambassador Megasthenes mentioned Pataliputra as a city in his work Indika. The city of Pataliputra was formed by fortification of a village by Haryanka ruler Ajatashatru, son of Bimbisara. Its central location in north eastern India led rulers of successive dynasties to base their administrative capital here, from the Nandas, Mauryans, Shungas and the Guptas down to the Palas. Situated at the confluence of the Ganges, Gandhaka and Son rivers, Pataliputra formed a `` water fort, or jaldurga ''. Its position helped it dominate the riverine trade of the Indo - Gangetic plains during Magadha 's early imperial period. It was a great centre of trade and commerce and attracted merchants and intellectuals, such as the famed Chanakya, from all over India. Two important early Buddhist councils are recorded in early Buddhist texts as being held here, the First Buddhist council immediately following the death of the Buddha and the Second Buddhist council in the reign of Ashoka. Jain and Brahmanical sources identify Udayabhadra, son of Ajatashatru, as the king who first established Pataliputra as the capital of Magadha. Capital of the Maurya Empire Ruins of pillared hall at Kumrahar site at Pataliputra. The Pataliputra capital, discovered at the Bulandi Bagh site. 4th - 3rd c. BCE. Mauryan remains of a wooden palissade at Bulandi Bagh site. During the reign of Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE, it was one of the world 's largest cities, with a population of 150,000 -- 400,000. The city is estimated to have had a surface of 25.5 square kilometers, and a circumference of 33.8 kilometers, and was in the shape of a parallelogram and had 64 gates ( that is, approximately one gate every 500 meters ). Pataliputra reached the pinnacle of prosperity when it was the capital of the great Mauryan Emperors, Chandragupta Maurya and Ashoka. The city prospered under the Mauryas and a Greek ambassador, Megasthenes, resided there and left a detailed account of its splendour, referring to it as `` Palibothra '' : `` Megasthenes says that on one side where it is longest this city extends ten miles in length, and that its breadth is one and threequarters miles ; that the city has been surrounded with a ditch in breadth 600 feet, and in depth 45 feet ; and that its wall has 570 towers and 64 gates. '' Arrian, `` The Indica '' Mauryan remains of a wooden palisade discovered at the Bulandi Bagh site of Pataliputra. Fa - Hien at the ruins of Ashoka 's palace in Pataliputra in the 4th century CE ( artist impression ). Strabo in his Geographia adds that the city walls were made of wood. These are thought to be the wooden palisades identified during the excavation of Patna. `` At the confluence of the Ganges and of another river is situated Palibothra, in length 80, and in breadth 15 stadia. It is in the shape of a parallelogram, surrounded by a wooden wall pierced with openings through which arrows may be discharged. In front is a ditch, which serves the purpose of defence and of a sewer for the city. '' Strabo, `` Geographia '' Aelian, although not expressly quoting Megasthenes nor mentionning Pataliputra, described Indian palaces as superior in splendor to Persia 's Susa or Ectabana : `` In the royal residences in India where the greatest of the kings of that country live, there are so many objects for admiration that neither Memnon 's city of Susa with all its extravagance, nor the magnificence of Ectabana is to be compared with them. (... ) In the parks, tame peacocks and pheasants are kept. '' Aelian, `` Characteristics of animals '' Under Ashoka, most of wooden structure of Pataliputra palace may have been gradually replaced by stone. Ashoka was known to be a great builder, who may have even imported craftsmen from abroad to build royal monuments. Pataliputra palace shows decorative influences of the Achaemenid palaces and Persepolis and may have used the help of foreign craftmen. Which may be the result of the formative influence of craftsmen employed from Persia following the disintegration of the Achaemenid Empire after the conquests of Alexander the Great. Capital of later dynasties The city also became a flourishing Buddhist centre boasting a number of important monasteries. It remained the capital of the Gupta dynasty ( 3rd -- 6th centuries ) and the Pala Dynasty ( 8th - 12th centuries ). The city was largely in ruins when visited by Xuanzang, and suffered further damage at the hands of Muslim raiders in the 12th century. Afterwards, Sher Shah Suri made Pataliputra his capital and changed the name to modern Patna. Structure Ruins of Pataliputra at Kumhrar. Though parts of the ancient city have been excavated, much of it still lies buried beneath modern Patna. Various locations have been excavated, including Kumhrar, and Bulandi Bagh. During the Mauryan period, the city was described as being shaped as parallelogram, approximately 1.5 miles wide and 9 miles long. Its wooden walls were pierced by 64 gates. Archaeological research has found remaining portions of the wooden palisade over several kilometers, but stone fortifications have not been found. Excavated sites of Pataliputra Kumhrar Bulandi Bagh Agam Kuan Main recovered artifacts The Masarh lion, 3rd century BCE. Lohanipur torso. Portion of pillar, found in Pataliputra. Pataliputra griffin statuette. Winged griffin. Pataliputra Yakshas, with Mauryan inscriptions. Kumrahar coping stone with vines. Pataliputra lotus motifs. Polished pillar from Pataliputra. Mason marks at the base of a pillar. Charriot wheel, Bulandi Bagh, Mauryan period. Bulandi Bagh female statuette, Sunga period. Buddhist railing, Sunga period. See also India portal Azimabad Magadh Names of Patna History of Patna References Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pataliputra. Jump up ^ Kulke, Hermann ; Rothermund, Dietmar ( 2004 ), A History of India, 4th edition. Routledge, Pp. xii, 448, ISBN 0 - 415 - 32920 - 5, archived from the original on 10 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` Patna ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 13 Dec. 2013 < `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 30 November 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2011. >. Jump up ^ `` Heritage wall for Metro corridor plan ''. Archived from the original on 22 November 2016. Jump up ^ `` A relic of Mauryan era ''. Archived from the original on 27 November 2017. Jump up ^ Valerie Hansen Voyages in World History, Volume 1 to 1600, 2e, Volume 1 pp. 69 Cengage Learning, 2012 Jump up ^ Monier - Williams Sanskrit - English Dictionary : Pāṭali, `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 20 July 2009. ( a junior synonym of Stereospermum colais `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 20 July 2009. ) Jump up ^ Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, p. 677 Jump up ^ Folklore, Vol. 19, No. 3 ( 30 September 1908 ), pp. 349 -- 350 Archived 10 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ The Calcutta Review Vol LXXVI ( 1883 ), p. 218 Jump up ^ Language, Vol. 4, No. 2 ( June, 1928 ), pp. 101 -- 105 Archived 10 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine. ^ Jump up to : Sujato, Bhikkhu ; Bhikkhu, Brahmali, `` 1.1. 5 '', The Authenticity of the Early Buddhist Texts ( PDF ), Oxford Center for Buddhist Studies, Archived from the original on 20 November 2017 CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown ( link ). Jump up ^ Tripathi, Piyush Kumar ( 16 July 2015 ). `` Realty to broaden horizon ''. The Telegraph. Calcutta. Archived from the original on 16 July 2015. Jump up ^ Sastri 1988, p. 11. Jump up ^ Thapar, Romilak ( 1990 ), A History of India, Volume 1, New Delhi and London : Penguin Books. Pp. 384, ISBN 0 - 14 - 013835 - 8. Jump up ^ The Pearson Indian History Manual, Pearson Education India, A94. Jump up ^ The Rise of Man in the Gardens of Sumeria : A Biography of L.A. Waddell, Christine Preston, Sussex Academic Press, 2009, p. 49 ( 1 ) Jump up ^ Fortified Cities of Ancient India : A Comparative Study, Dieter Schlingloff, Anthem Press, 2014, p. 49 ( 2 ) Jump up ^ Arrian, `` The Indica '' Archived 25 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Kosmin 2014, p. 42. Jump up ^ Strabo Geographia Vol 3 Paragraph 36 Archived 16 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Aelian, Characteristics of animals, book XIII, Chapter 18, also quoted in The Cambridge History of India, Volume 1, p411 Jump up ^ Asoka Mookerji Radhakumud, Motilal Banarsidass Publishing, 1995 p. 96 ( 3 ) Jump up ^ Monuments, Power and Poverty in India : From Ashoka to the Raj, A.S. Bhalla, I.B. Tauris, 2015 p. 18 ( 4 ) Jump up ^ The Analysis of Indian Muria Empire affected from Achaemenid 's architecture art Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine... In : Journal of Subcontinent Researches. Article 8, Volume 6, Issue 19, Summer 2014, Page 149 - 174. Jump up ^ `` The Archaeology of South Asia : From the Indus to Asoka, c. 6500 BCE - 200 CE '' Robin Coningham, Ruth Young Cambridge University Press, 31 aout 2015, p. 414 ( 5 ) Jump up ^ Report on the excavations at Pātaliputra ( Patna ) ; the Palibothra of the Greeks by Waddell, L.A. ( Laurence Austine ) Jump up ^ Scott, David ( May 1995 ). `` Buddhism and Islam : Past to Present Encounters and Interfaith Lessons ''. Numen. 42 ( 2 ) : 141 -- 155. doi : 10.1163 / 1568527952598657. JSTOR 32701721. Jump up ^ Excavation sites in Bihar, Archaeological Survey of India, archived from the original on 28 October 2009, retrieved 13 September 2009. Jump up ^ Foreign Influence on Ancient India, de Krishna Chandra Sagar p. 41 Sources Kosmin, Paul J. ( 2014 ), The Land of the Elephant Kings : Space, Territory, and Ideology in Seleucid Empire, Harvard University Press, ISBN 978 - 0 - 674 - 72882 - 0 Sastri, Kallidaikurichi Aiyah Nilakanta, ed. ( 1988 ) ( 1967 ), Age of the Nandas and Mauryas ( Second ed. ), Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81 - 208 - 0465 - 1 Further reading Bernstein, Richard ( 2001 ). Ultimate Journey : Retracing the Path of an Ancient Buddhist Monk ( Xuanzang ) who crossed Asia in Search of Enlightenment. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. ISBN 0 - 375 - 40009 - 5 Patna topics Patna, Bihar, India History of Patna History of Patna Pataliputra Azimabad Ajatashatru Chanakya Chandragupta Maurya Ashoka Aryabhata Magadha Mauryan Empire Haryanka dynasty Nanda Empire Sur Empire Nalanda Mṛcchakatika Bankipur Central Jail Alliance Air Flight 7412 2013 Patna bombings 2014 Patna stampede Siege of Arrah Civic Government Legislative Assembly Patna Municipal Corporation Patna Police Patna High Court Patna Regional Development Authority Economy Bihar State Power Holding Company Limited Magadh Stock Exchange Patna rice Satellite town Danapur Bihta Fatuha Punpun Localities / neighbourhoods Neighbourhoods in Patna Buildings and landmarks Patna Collectorate Shaheed Smarak Patna Sabhyata Dwar Patna Secretariat Samrat Ashok International Convention Centre Raj Bhavan Kargil Chowk Bihar Museum Srikrishna Science Centre Sadaqat Ashram Nagholkothi Patna Museum Golghar Maurya Lok Wheeler Senate Hall Patna Planetarium Shri Krishna Memorial Hall List of tallest buildings in Patna Transport Air Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport Bihta Air Force Station Rail Patna Junction Rajendra Nagar Terminal Patliputra Junction Patna Saheb Gulzarbagh Station Phulwari Sharif railway station Danapur Station Fatuha Junction railway station Patna Metro Patna Monorail Road Loknayak Ganga Path Mahatma Gandhi Setu Digha -- Sonpur bridge Hospitals PMCH NMCH AIIMS Mahavir Cancer Institute & Research Centre Ford Hospital and Research Centre Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences Education Universities & Colleges Patna University Aryabhatta Knowledge University Chanakya National Law University Nalanda Open University Maulana Mazharul Haque Arabic and Persian University Magadh University Central University of South Bihar Indian Institute of Technology Patna ( IIT - P ) National Institute of Technology, Patna ( NIT - P ) National Institute of Fashion Technology ( NIFT Patna ) All India Institute of Medical Sciences Patna Chandragupt Institute of Management Patna Women 's College Patna Dental College Patna College Bihar National College St. Xavier 's College, Patna AN College Birla Institute of Technology, Patna R.P. Sharma Institute of Technology Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences Magadh Mahila College Maulana Azad College of Engineering and Technology Schools St. Xavier 's High School Don Bosco Academy St. Michael 's High School Loyola High School Delhi Public School, Patna DAV BSEB Sports complex Moin - ul - Haq Stadium Patna Golf Club Patliputra Sports Complex Shopping complex Maurya Lok P&M Mall The Mall List of shopping malls in Patna Clubs Patna Golf Club Bankipore Club Rotary Club Lions Club Culture 350th Prakash Parv Patliputra Natya Mahotsav Patna Sahib Mahotsav Bhartiya Nritya Kala Mandir Kalidas Rangalaya Premchand Rangshala Rabindra Parishad Culture of Magadh Region Parks & grounds Eco Park Patna Zoo Buddha Smriti Park Funtasia Water Park Gandhi Maidan Hardinge Park Constituencies Lok Sabha Patna Sahib Pataliputra Vidhan Sabha Kumhrar Digha Bankipur Danapur Patna Sahib Other topics Patna Film Festival Patna Book Fair People from Patna Tourism in Patna Bihar Regiment Media in Bihar Tarumitra Super 30 Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Patna See also Rajgir Bodh Gaya Nalanda University Rajgir Mahotsav Sonepur Cattle Fair Portal WikiProject Patna division topics General Azimabad Battle of Buxar Kaimur Range Nalanda Pataliputra Takht Sri Patna Sahib Tourism in Patna Districts Bhojpur Buxar Kaimur Nalanda Patna Rohtas Rivers Ganges Durgavati Karmanasa Punpun Son Dams, barrages Indrapuri Barrage Transport NH 2 NH 30 NH 31 NH 82 NH 83 NH 84 NH 110 Ganga rail -- road bridge Koilwar Bridge Howrah -- Delhi main line Grand Chord Gaya -- Mughalsarai section Bakhtiyarpur -- Tilaiya line Mahatma Gandhi Setu Mokama -- Barauni section Nehru Setu Jawahar Setu Rajendra Setu Railway stations Bakhtiyarpur Junction Barh Bhabua Road Danapur Terminal Dehri - on - Sone Fatuha Junction Gulzarbagh Hathidah Junction Harnaut Khusropur Mokama Junction Patliputra Junction Patna Junction Patna Sahib Rajendra Nagar Terminal Rajgir Lok Sabha constituencies Arrah Buxar Jahanabad Karakat Nalanda Pataliputra Patna Sahib Sasaram See also People from Patna People from Rhotas district Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pataliputra&oldid=852499807 '' Categories : History of Patna Patna Buddhist pilgrimages Former populated places in India Former capital cities in India Neighbourhoods in Patna Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown Use Indian English from September 2015 All Wikipedia articles written in Indian English Use dmy dates from February 2011 Coordinates on Wikidata Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from August 2016 Talk Contents About Wikipedia বাংলা भोजपुरी Deutsch Español Esperanto فارسی Français ગુજરાતી हिन्दी Bahasa Indonesia ಕನ್ನಡ Magyar मराठी Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk ଓଡ଼ିଆ Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Polski Русский संस्कृतम् Shqip Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски தமிழ் తెలుగు Türkçe اردو Winaray 中文 21 more Edit links This page was last edited on 29 July 2018, at 11 : 55 ( UTC ). 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Question: who made patliputra the first capital of magadh
Answer: Udayabhadra, son of Ajatashatru