UPSSSC PET 2026 (30 Oct Shift 1)
What was the capital city of the Mauryan Empire ?
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Answer: Option A — Pataliputra
Detailed Solution
The capital of the Mauryan Empire was Pataliputra, located near present-day Patna at the confluence of the Ganga and the Son. In the time of Chandragupta Maurya and Ashoka this large city was the centre of administration, and the Greek ambassador Megasthenes described it as Palibothra in his book Indica. Rajagriha was the older capital of Magadha, used in the time of the Haryanka dynasty, after which the capital shifted to Pataliputra. Taxila was the provincial centre of the north-west and a famous seat of learning, and Ujjain was the provincial centre of the Avanti region where Ashoka had served as viceroy.
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Ask a doubtMore Mahajanapadas & Mauryan Empire Questions
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Mahajanapadas & Mauryan Empire — UPSSSC PET Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Mahajanapadas & Mauryan Empire, a key topic in the UPSSSC PET General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the sixteen Mahajanapadas, the rise of Magadha under the Haryanka, Shishunaga and Nanda dynasties, Alexander's invasion, and the Mauryan Empire under Chandragupta Maurya, Bindusara and Ashoka, including Mauryan administration, Ashoka's dhamma and his edicts. Questions often ask about the capital of a Mahajanapada, the founder of a dynasty, or details of Ashoka's rule, such as the Kalinga war and his rock and pillar edicts. Key sources include Kautilya's Arthashastra and Megasthenes' Indica. James Prinsep first deciphered Ashoka's Brahmi inscriptions in 1837. Practise the Mahajanapadas and Mauryan Empire questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.