Which one among the following rulers established Pataliputra as the capital of the Magadhan Empire?
- (a)Bimbisara
- (b)Bindusara
- (c)Ajatashatru
- (d)Ashoka
Correct — C, Ajatashatru. The Haryanka king Ajatashatru raised a fort at Pataligrama on the Ganga as a base against the Licchavis of Vaishali; this settlement grew into Pataliputra, the great Magadhan capital. Among the four rulers offered, he is the one linked to founding the capital.
- (a)Bimbisara — Bimbisara, founder of Magadhan greatness, ruled from Rajagriha (Girivraja), not Pataliputra.
- (b)Bindusara — The Mauryan Bindusara inherited an empire already centred on Pataliputra; he did not establish it as the capital.
- (d)Ashoka — Ashoka ruled the mature Mauryan empire from Pataliputra but did not found it as the capital; that happened generations earlier.
Magadha's capital shifted over time: Bimbisara and Ajatashatru ruled from Rajagriha, but Ajatashatru fortified Pataligrama (later Pataliputra) at the confluence of the Ganga and Son. His successor Udayin is traditionally credited with formally moving the capital from Rajagriha to Pataliputra, which then remained the seat of the Nandas and Mauryas.
The four choices span the Haryanka and Mauryan lines. Bimbisara/Bindusara/Ashoka do not fit, so Ajatashatru — who founded the Pataligrama fort that became Pataliputra — is the intended answer. Note the historical subtlety below.
- Ajatashatru built the fort at Pataligrama, the nucleus of Pataliputra.
- Bimbisara and Ajatashatru ruled from Rajagriha (Girivraja).
- Ajatashatru's son Udayin is often credited with formally shifting the capital to Pataliputra.
- Pataliputra later served as capital of the Nandas and the Mauryas.
- Historical nuance: Ajatashatru founded the fort, but his son Udayin is usually credited with actually shifting the capital to Pataliputra; since Udayin is not an option, Ajatashatru is the intended answer here.
- Assuming Ashoka or Bindusara established it — they inherited an already-established Pataliputra.
Asked as who founded/established Pataliputra, or the shifting capitals of Magadha.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The early capital of Magadha under Bimbisara and Ajatashatru was
- (a)Pataliputra
- (b)Rajagriha
- (c)Vaishali
- (d)Ujjain
Answer(b) Rajagriha (Girivraja).
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which Haryanka ruler is traditionally credited with shifting the capital to Pataliputra?
- (a)Bimbisara
- (b)Ajatashatru
- (c)Udayin
- (d)Ashoka
Answer(c) Udayin.