When the Chinese pilgrim Xuan Zang visited the city in the seventh-century CE, he found it in ruins, and with a very small population. Identify the historic city?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Pataliputra
Pataliputra began as a village called Pataligrama. In the fifth century BCE the Magadhan rulers shifted their capital here from Rajagaha, and by the fourth century BCE it was the capital of the Mauryan Empire and one of the largest cities in Asia. Its importance declined later, and when Xuan Zang came in the seventh century CE he found it in ruins, with a very small population.
Note: A same/similar question was asked in CUET (UG) in the papers below.
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
| 21-05 S2 | – | – | 05-06 S3* | – |
* A similar question.
NCERT: Themes in Indian History Part I — Chapter 2: Kings, Farmers and Towns (2025-26)
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