[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Architecture and art](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art) › [Town Planning in Ancient India](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.dutt-1925) › c17.s3 # Town Planning in Ancient India c17.s3: Pāṭaliputra Town Planning in Ancient India c17.s3 - **Language:** English ### Pāṭaliputra ### [c17.s3.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.dutt-1925.c17.s3.1) Pāṭaliputra, the capital of the Mauryya Empire, was planned on a magnificent scale. Megasthenes informs us: " The greatest city in India is that which is called Palimbothra, in the dominions of the Prasians, where the streams of the Erannoboas (this is Greek corruption for Hirannavati, modern Sone) and the Ganges unite....This city stretched in the inhabited quarters to an extreme length on each side of 80 stadia (nearly ten miles), and its breadth was fifteen stadia (nearly two miles), and a ditch encompassed it all round, 600 feet in breadth and 30 cubits in depth, and the wall was crowned with 570 towers and four-andsixty gates.”¹ There were smaller doors between the main gates and there were really three brick-lined moats in quick succession. The walls of the capital were made of timber. “The royal palace which occupied a central position and placed in a fine wooden park laid out with fountains and fish ponds, was described by Megasthenes as being more splendid than those of Susa and Ecbatana. Its pillars were plated with gold, and it was magnificently furnished with thrones and chairs of state, and great vessels of gold, silver, and copper set with precious stones.” Mr. Havell supplements this picture with details given in Kauṭilya’s summary of Indo-Aryan polity. This can be done only on the presumption that Kauṭilya’s discourse on fort-planning was not based on what he considered to be sound principles of efficient fortification, but that he faithfully recorded what he found in his own favourite metropolis. Howbeit I do not append here extracts from his Arthaśāstra inasmuch as I have utilised his discourse on town-planning in more appropriate chapters. ### [c17.s3.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.dutt-1925.c17.s3.2) ¹ Arrian, Ind., Ch. X. ## Linked texts (2) - [Kauṭilīya Arthaśāstra](https://indike.org/pramana/in.niti.artha.kautilya) — Kauṭilya, Sanskrit - [Ἰνδική](https://indike.org/pramana/inf.gr.roman.arrian.indica) — Λούκιος Φλάουιος Ἀρριανός, Ancient Greek --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.dutt-1925.c17.s3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.dutt-1925.c17.s3) · Pramāṇa