Patna

Patna, the capital of Bihar, is among the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities and grew from the ancient metropolis of Pataliputra on the southern bank of the Ganga. Tradition and historical accounts trace its origin to Ajatashatru of Magadha (around 490 BCE), first as a fortified settlement near the river, later expanded as Pataliputra at the confluence zone of the Ganga and Son. It rose to fame as the imperial capital for major Indian dynasties—Shishunaga, Nanda, Maurya, Shunga, Gupta, and Pala—and became a celebrated centre of governance, learning, and urban planning in ancient India.

After the Gupta age, the city’s political prominence declined, but its river location kept it important for movement and commerce. In the early modern period it re-emerged as a significant trade centre, especially for textiles and saltpetre, attracting European trading companies. Under the British, Patna’s administrative role strengthened again, and in 1912—after the creation of the new province of Bihar and Orissa—Patna was made its capital, a position it retains as Bihar’s capital today.