Page 7 - apr-Jun 2020

VOL. 17 No. 2

Pride of India – Pataliputra

DID YOU KNOW?
Pataliputra is the ancient name of the city that is today known as Patna. It rose
to prominence under Chandragupta Maurya. Under Emperor Ashoka, it became Pataliputra, the capital of
one of the world’s largest cities. It was originally built by Ajatashatru as a small Magadha, was strategically
fort known as Pataligrama, in 490 BCE. positioned on the banks of

Megasthenes, the Greek historian, wrote a description of the city. He wrote the Ganga and surrounded
by the Son, Punpun, and
about a moat, timber, bazaars, 2 to 3 storeyed houses, the royal palace. He
describes the palace as situated at the heart of the city within a walled park, Gandak, helping the city
fl ourish to great heights
which had ornamental trees, with peacocks, pheasants, and beautiful lakes.
and it became the most
prosperous of the
GATES 16 mahajanapadas.

WOODEN WALL On the fortifi cation
around the city, there
The city was fortifi ed were 64 gates. TOWERS
and had a wooden
wall around it. The fortifi cation around
the city had 570 towers.

MOAT

The outer wall was ASSEMBLY HALL
surrounded by a ditch 46
feet deep. This was perhaps This hall had 80 polished
the moat for protection pillars. It was perhaps from
from enemies and also for the Mauryan Empire where
drainage purposes. the Third Buddhist council
was held.

ASHOKA’S STUPA
ASHOKA’S PALACE
At the southern side of
the city, there lies a stupa, MONASTERY The city reached its height
under Ashoka. There is a royal
which might have been Beyond the southern
built by Ashoka. wall, a Buddhist palace in the heart of the
city, which could have been
monastery was found.
associated with him.
ACTIVITY: A VISIT FROM THE PAST!

Farmers working in the area stumbled ACTIVITY: THE CITY OF
upon large timber pillars around 16 MANY NAMES!
feet deep, leading to the discovery of Ashoka's might.
The city of Pataliputra has City at its
Pataliputra. height!
been known by many names
Imagine you are playing in a park over the years – Pataligram,
close to your house, and stumble Palibothra, Kusumpur,
upon an artefact from the past. Write a Pushpapura, Azimabad, etc.
story of how you found it, what period
it belonged to, and the story of the Can you name any other Indian
city with many names?
object or structure.

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