Historical Geography of Ancient India c8.396

c8.396

Pāṭaliputra was originally a Magadhan village, known as Pāṭaligrāma, which lay opposite to Koṭigrāma on the other side of the Ganges. The Magadhan village was one of the halting stations on the high road extending from Rājagṛha to Vaiśālī and other places. The fortification of Pāṭaligrāma which was undertaken in the Buddha's life-time by two Magadhan ministers, Sunidha and Varṣakāra, led to the foundation of the city of Pāṭaliputra (Dīgha, II, 86ff.; Sumaṅgalavilāsinī, II, p. 540). Thus it may be held that Ajātaśatru was the real founder of Pāṭaliputra.