Pataliputra was the capital of the Maurya and Gupta empires and is not associated with the Janapadas, which were smaller pre-empire kingdoms and republics. Purana Qila links to ancient Indraprastha of the Mahabharata; Hastinapura was the capital of the Kuru Janapada; and Atranjikhera in Uttar Pradesh is an archaeological site linked to the Painted Grey Ware culture of the early Janapada period.