During the time of Saisunaga, King Kalasoka and Nanda kings, Pataliputra was still the Magadhan capital.
In 322 BC, Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Maurya Empire, successfully seized control of Magadha. He rapidly expanded his power westward across central and western India, taking advantage of the disruptions of local powers in the wake of the withdrawal westward by Alexander the Great’s Greek armies. By 320 BCE, the empire had fully occupied Northwestern India.
His son, Samudragupta (often called Samudragupta the Great) made Pataliputra new a capital city and began a conquest of the entire subcontinent. Pataliputra became the capital of one of the largest empires in Indian history. Chandragupta ruled from 324 to 297 BCE before voluntarily giving the throne up to his son, Bindusara, who ruled from 297 BCE until his death in 272 BCE.
As the empire was so large, different parts were ruled differently. The area around Pataliputra was under the direct control of the emperor. This meant that officials were appointed to collect taxes from farmers, herders, crafts persons and traders, who lived in villages and towns in the area.
City of Pataliputra
