Magadha (in present-day Bihar) became the most powerful Mahajanapada between the sixth and the fourth centuries BCE. The reasons for this can be seen in wide range: Magadha was a region where agriculture was very much productive. Iron mines (in present-day Jharkhand) were accessible and provided resources for tools and weapons. Elephants, that are an integral component of the army, were found in forests in the area. Ganga and its tributaries provided a means of cheap and convenient communication. However, there are other reasons specified by scholars like ruthlessly ambitious kings of that time. Bimbisara, Ajatasattu and Mahapadma Nanda are the most famous ones, which implemented the policies of their ministers. Rajagaha (which is the Prakrit name for present day Rajgir in Bihar) was the capital of Magadha at that time. The old name means “house of the king”. Rajagaha was a fortified settlement, located amongst hills. In the fourth century BCE, the capital was shifted to Pataliputra, present-day Patna, commanding routes of communication along the Ganga.
