Pataliputra capital
Pataliputra palace capital (front and left-side view), early Maurya Empire period, 3rd century BCE. A modern photograph of the capital.
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| Material | Unpolished buff sandstone |
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| Size |
Height: 85 cm |
| Period/culture | 3rd Century BCE |
| Discovered | 25°36′07″N 85°10′48″E |
| Place | Bulandi Bagh, Pataliputra, India. |
| Present location | Patna Museum, India |
Height: 85 cm
The Pataliputra capital is a monumental rectangular capital with volutes and Classical designs, that was discovered in the palace ruins of the ancient Mauryan Empire capital city of Pataliputra (modern Patna, northeastern India). It is dated to the 3rd century BCE.
The monumental capital was discovered in 1895 at the royal palace in Pataliputra, India, in the area of Bulandi Bagh in Patna, by archaeologist L.A. Waddell in 1895. It was found at a depth of around 12 feet (4 meters), and dated to the reign of Ashoka or soon after, to the 3rd century BCE. The discovery was first reported in Waddell's book "Report on the excavations at Pataliputra (Patna)". "The capital is currently in the Patna Museum.
The capital is made of unpolished buff sandstone. It is quite massive, with a length of 49 inches (1.23 meters), and a height of 33.5 inches (0.85 meters). It weighs approximately 1,800 lbs (900 kg). During the excavations it was found next to a thick ancient wall and a brick pavement.
The Pataliputra capital is generally dated to the early Maurya Empire period, 3rd century BCE. This would correspond to the reign of Chandragupta, his son Bindusara or his grandson Ashoka, who are all known to have welcomed Greek ambassadors at their court (respectively Megasthenes, Deimachus and Dionysius), who may well have come to Pataliputra with presents and craftsmen as suggested by classical sources. The Indo-Greeks again possibly had a very direct presence in Pataliputra about a century later, circa 185 BCE, when they may have captured the city, although briefly, from the Sungas after the fall of the Maurya Empire.
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