In which one of the following regions was Dhanyakataka, which flourished as a prominent Buddhist centre under the Mahasanghikas, located?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) Andhra
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). ·