धान्यकटक, जो महासांघिकों के अधीन एक प्रमुख बौद्ध केन्द्र के रूप में समृद्ध हुआ, निम्नलिखित में से किस एक क्षेत्र में अवस्थित था?
Read this question in English
In which one of the following regions was Dhanyakataka, which flourished as a prominent Buddhist centre under the Mahasanghikas, located?
(a) Andhra · (b) Gandhara · (c) Kalinga · (d) Magadha
उत्तर और व्याख्या · explanation in English
Answer: (a) आंध्र
Dhanyakataka is the old name of Amaravati, in the Andhra region (present-day Andhra Pradesh). It was the site of the great Amaravati stupa and served as a capital of the Satavahanas.
- ✓ (a) The Andhra Pradesh government's own history of Amaravati says Dhanyakataka–Amaravati was the capital city of the Satavahanas, and NCERT shows Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh) as a major Buddhist site with a famous sculpted stupa.
- ✗ (b) Gandhara lay in the north-west, around Taxila and Peshawar (NCERT), far from Amaravati; it is known for Buddha images based on Greek models.
- ✗ (c) Kalinga is modern-day Odisha (NCERT); it is linked with Ashoka's war, not with Dhanyakataka.
- ✗ (d) Magadha, in present-day Bihar (NCERT), had Rajgir as its early capital; it is not the region of Dhanyakataka.
Remember · Dhanyakataka = Amaravati (Andhra): great Buddhist stupa and Satavahana capital.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part I, Ch 4 (practise this chapter) · Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part I, Ch 4 (practise this chapter) · Class 7 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1), Ch 5 (practise this chapter) · Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part I, Ch 2 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- Historical timeline of Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority) ↗ “It is a fact that Dhanyakataka – Amaravati served as the Capital City of the Satyavahanas.”
- NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part I, Chapter 4 “Fig. 4.7 A sculpture (c. 200 CE) from Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh), depicting the departure of the Buddha from his palace”
- NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part I, Chapter 4 “These were, more often than not, found in the northwest, in cities such as Taxila and Peshawar, where Indo-Greek rulers had established kingdoms in the second century BCE.”
- NCERT Class 7 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1), Chapter 5 “According to one of his edicts he once marched on Kalinga (modern-day Odisha), where he waged a ferocious war.”
- NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part I, Chapter 2 “Magadha (in present-day Bihar) became the most powerful mahajanapada.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·