Question

Fill in the blank with the appropriate option given below:
In the ancient period, each city had a history of its own, ________ began as a village but in fifth century B.C.E the Magadhan rulers shifted their capital from Rajagaha to this settlement.

• A. Vidisha
• B. Taxila
• C. Ujjain
• D. Patliputra

Hint:

The shift from Rajagaha (meaning “home of the king”) to Patliputra represents a structural shift from hilly, land-locked isolation to river-based, imperial trade connectivity.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Historical Capital Shifts of Magadha:
Origilly, the capital of the powerful Mahajapada of Magadha was Rajagaha (modern Rajgir in Bihar), a fortified city turally protected by hills.

Step 2: Shifting to Patliputra:
In the $5^{\text{th}}$ century BCE, Magadhan rulers (specifically Udayin, the successor of King Ajatashatru) strategically relocated the capital to Patliputra. It was located along the banks of the Ganges and Son rivers, providing exceptiol riverine trade and military transit advantages.

Step 3: Evaluating the Origin:
Patliputra origilly origited as a modest fortified village called Pataligrama. After the capital shift, it evolved into one of the largest and most prosperous imperial cities in the ancient world, eventually becoming the capital of both the nda and Maurya Empires.

Step 4: Rejecting Other Cities:

• (A) Vidisha was a prominent trading city in central India but was not the capital of Magadha during this phase.
• (B) Taxila was a premier educatiol and administrative seat in the far northwest.
• (C) Ujjain was the capital of Avanti, located along crucial trade routes in central-western India.