ounded ▁by ▁a ▁wooden ▁wall ▁pier ced ▁by ▁ 6 4 ▁gates ▁and ▁ 5 7 0 ▁to wers — ▁( and ) ▁sur pass ed ▁the ▁splend ors ▁of ▁contempor aneous ▁Pers ian ▁sites ▁such ▁as ▁Sus a ▁and ▁E c bat ana ". ▁ ▁Ch and rag upt a ' s ▁son ▁Bind us ara ▁deep ened ▁the ▁emp ire ▁towards ▁central ▁and ▁southern ▁India . ▁Pat na ▁under ▁the ▁rule ▁of ▁Ash oka , ▁the ▁grand son ▁of ▁Ch and rag upt a , ▁emer ged ▁as ▁an ▁effective ▁capital ▁of ▁the ▁Indian ▁sub cont inent . ▁ ▁Emperor ▁Ash oka ▁transformed ▁the ▁wooden ▁capital ▁into ▁a ▁stone ▁construction ▁around ▁ 2 7 3 ▁B CE . ▁Chinese ▁scholar ▁Fa ▁Hein , ▁who ▁visited ▁India ▁som etime ▁around ▁ 3 9 9 - 4 1 4 ▁CE , ▁has ▁given ▁v ivid ▁description ▁of ▁the ▁stone ▁structures ▁in ▁his ▁travel og ue . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Pl iny ▁the ▁E lder ▁in ▁his ▁" N atural ▁History ": ▁ ▁" But ▁the ▁Pr as ii ▁sur pass ▁in ▁power ▁and ▁glory ▁every ▁other ▁people , ▁not ▁only ▁in ▁this ▁quarter , ▁but ▁one ▁may ▁say ▁in ▁all ▁India , ▁their ▁capital ▁Pal ib oth ra , ▁a ▁very ▁large ▁and ▁wealth y ▁city , ▁after ▁which ▁some ▁call ▁the ▁people ▁itself ▁the ▁Pal ib oth ri ,-- n ay ▁even ▁the ▁whole ▁tract ▁along ▁the ▁G anges . ▁Their ▁king ▁has ▁in ▁his ▁pay ▁a ▁standing ▁army ▁of ▁ 6