Palibothra
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Palibothra was the famed capital of the powerful kingdom of the Prasii about which many ancient writers have left their accounts. Megasthenes (350-290 BCE), in his book Indika wrote that the city of Palibothra was situated on the confluence of the rivers Ganges and Arennovoas and was 9 miles long and 1.75 miles wide.
Palibothra is usually identified with Pataliputra in modern day Patna (24° 19’N, 80° 04’E), and although parts of the city have been excavated, it is thought that much of it is still buried beneath modern Patna.[1]
However, this is not beyond doubt. The eminent archaeologist A. Ghosh categorically states that 'Facts about Pataliputra are mainly known from non-arcaheological sources".[2] Sir William Jones identified Arennovoas with Hiranyawahu in the eighteenth century but today this does not appear to be quite satisfactory. The most serious difficulty is that no archaeological relics of the Mauryas or the Nandas have been found here.[3]
According to Sir Mortimer Wheeler the urbanisation of Patna does not go beyond the fourth century B.C. On the other hand Patali in Iran (28° 19' 58" North, 57° 52' 16" East) near Kohnouj is a city which dates back to the fourth millennium B.C.[1] It was near the centre of activity of Moeris who may be Maurya Chandragupta. Thus Patali in Iran may have been Palibothra.[2]
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Keown, Damien. (2003). A Dictionary of Buddhism, p. 213. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-860560-9.
- ^ A. Ghosh, "The City in Early Historical India", Shimla, 1972, p.76
- ^ See Ranajit Pal, "Non-Jonesian Indology and Alexander" New Delhi, 2002
