Ujjain (Hindi: उज्जैंन) (also known as Ujjain, Ujjayini, Avanti, Avantikapuri), an ancient city of Malwa in central India on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River (part of the state of Madhya Pradesh, is the administrative center of Ujjain) District and Ujjain Division. Ujjain has a long history as the capital of the
northern region. The epic Mahabharata speaks of Ujjayini as the capital of the Avanti kingdom during the ancient era, and Ashoka the Great (304 BC–232 BC) lived there. Ujjain served as the capital for King Chandragupta II (375–415 CE), the ruler of the Gupta Empire.
Ujjain emerged as an important commercial centre, partly because it was located on the trade route connecting northern India with the Deccan, starting from Mathura. It also emerged as an important center for intellectual learning among the Jain, Buddhist and Hindu traditions.
Ujjain has served as a center of science and culture in North India. From the 4th century BC onwards, ithas served as the first meridian of longitude for ancient geographers.The city gave birth to mathematicians and astronomers during the sixth and seventh centuries who made great
contributions to their elds.