Practicing Success

Target Exam

CUET

Subject

History

Chapter

Ancient India: Kings, Farmers and Towns

Question:

Which of the following statement is true in reference to Pataliputra, the capital of Magadha?

Options:

It commanded communication routes along the Ganga.

It commanded communication routes along the Brahmaputra.

It commanded communication routes along the Indus.

None of the above.

Correct Answer:

It commanded communication routes along the Ganga.

Explanation:

The correct answer is Option 1 - It commanded communication routes along the Ganga.

Initially, Rajagaha (the Prakrit name for present-day Rajgir in Bihar) was the capital of Magadha. Interestingly, the old name means “house of the king”. Rajagaha was a fortified settlement, located amongst hills. Later, in the fourth century BCE, the capital was shifted to Pataliputra, present-day Patna, commanding routes of communication along the Ganga.