In early ancient India, which was "the largest urban centre?
Close to modern-day Patna, Patliputra was one of the most famous and significant cities in ancient India. Udayin, the Magadha ruler, built the city in 490 CE. Near the Ganga river, it was built as a small fort also known as Pataligrama. The Shishunaga Empire, the Nanda Empire, the Mauryan Empire, the Gupta Empire, and the Pala Empire made Pataliputra the capital of their respective Empires. Pataliputra became one of the largest cities in the world during the Mauryan Empire (c. 320-180 BCE). Megasthenes, the Greek ambassador and historian, wrote in his account that Patliputra was one of the first cities to have a highly efficient form of local self-government during the Mauryan Empire. Hence, the largest urban centre in ancient India had been Patliputra.
