Question

The History of Pataliputra

Each city had a history of its own. Pataliputra, for instance, began as a village known as Pataligrama. Then, in the fifth century BCE, the Magadhan rulers decided to shift their capital from Rajagaha to this settlement and renamed it. By the fourth century BCE, it was the capital of the Mauryan Empire and one of the largest cities in Asia. Subsequently, its importance apparently declined. 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.

What message did Xuan Zang wish to convey about Pataliputra?

Hint:

Xuan Zang's account reflects how once-great cities can decline due to changing political and economic conditions.

Answer 1

Xuan Zang documented Pataliputra's considerable decline by the seventh century CE. Previously the grand Mauryan capital, it was observed as a ruin with a minimal population, underscoring its diminished political and economic significance.