BPSC · District of Bihar · Patna division

Patna: the city that was capital of India's first empire

PataliputraMaurya capitalTakht Patna SahibGolgharFour riversMost urban in Bihar
People
58,38,465
Area
3,202 km²
Literacy
70.68%
Sex ratio
897
HQ
Patna
Blocks
23

Golghar at sunset · Aryan ghosh, CC BY-SA 3.0

2,500 years a capitalMagadha, the Mauryas, the Guptas, Sher Shah, and today Bihar. Few cities on Earth have been a capital for so long.🏛 Dive in →Where zero's master workedAryabhata wrote the Aryabhatiya at Kusumapura, an old name for Pataliputra, in 499 CE.⭐ Dive in →Seven students, one flagOn 11 August 1942, seven students were shot trying to raise the tricolour on the Secretariat.🏛 Dive in →#1 in people, #1 in townsBihar's most populous district (58.4 lakh in 2011) and its most urban (43.1%). Only Rohtas beats it on literacy.₹ Dive in →

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PatnaBihar

What the region comes here for

Patna as a hub

Patna is a hub for administration

The capital effect: why all of Bihar travels to Patna

Patna is Bihar's capital, and almost every big state institution sits here: the Secretariat, the High Court, the oldest university, the top hospitals and the biggest coaching market. For lakhs of students and patients, 'going to Patna' is a normal part of life.

Who depends on it: The whole state, especially north Bihar across the Ganga via Mahatma Gandhi Setu and the newer bridges, and students from neighbouring states for coaching.

  1. 1

    The Ganga, Son and Gandak meet near Patna, so it was a natural river capital: Pataliputra of the Mauryas and Guptas.

  2. 2

    When Bihar and Orissa became a separate province in 1912, Patna was made the capital, so the High Court (1916) and the Secretariat came here.

  3. 3

    A capital needs educated staff, so Patna University (1917) and the medical college (1925) followed.

  4. 4

    Government jobs and exams are run from the capital, so a huge coaching market for BPSC, SSC, banking and engineering grew around Musallahpur and Boring Road.

  5. 5

    National institutions then chose Patna too (IIT 2008, AIIMS 2012, NIT), which pulled in even more students and patients.

  • Patna High Court · 1916

    The High Court for the state of Bihar.

  • Patna University · 1917

    Bihar's oldest university, with Patna College (1863) and Science College.

  • Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) · 1925

    Began as Prince of Wales Medical College; one of the biggest public hospitals in the state.

  • NIT Patna

    Grew from a survey school of 1886 into Bihar College of Engineering and became an NIT in 2004.

  • IIT Patna · 2008

    Campus at Bihta, on Patna's western edge.

  • AIIMS Patna · 2012

    One of the six AIIMS opened in 2012 under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana.

  • Mahatma Gandhi Setu · 1982

    About 5.75 km across the Ganga to Hajipur; for decades the main road link between north and south Bihar.

Also a hub for

🎓 Education: coaching capital of Bihar; Anand Kumar's Super 30 (from 2002) made Patna's coaching nationally known

🛒 Trade: wholesale and retail centre for central Bihar

Exam angle: Classic primacy: one city holding the capital, courts, top hospitals and universities. Good for questions on regional imbalance and migration inside Bihar.

Patna in 8 numbers

Census 2011 · rank among the state's districts

Population58.4 lakh#1/38 in Bihar
Area3,202 km²#9/38 in Bihar
Population density1,823 per km²#2/38 in Bihar▲ state 1,106
Sex ratio897 females per 1000 males#32/38 in Bihar▼ state 918
Child sex ratio (0–6)909 girls per 1000 boys#37/38 in Bihar▼ state 935
Literacy rate70.68%#2/38 in Bihar▲ state 61.80
Female literacy61.96%#3/38 in Bihar▲ state 51.50
Urban population43.1%#1/38 in Bihar▲ state 11.3

History

Pataliputra to Patna: capital of empires

  1. 5th c. BCE

    Pataligrama becomes Pataliputra

    Ajatashatru built a fort at the village of Pataligrama on the Ganga. His successor Udayin moved Magadha's capital here from Rajagriha (Rajgir).

    Remember Fort: Ajatashatru · Capital shifted: Udayin

    Magadha's capitals are a BPSC classic →
  2. c. 300 BCE
    A pillar of the Mauryan hall, Kumhrar
    Manoj nav · Public domain

    MauryaCapital of the Mauryas

    Megasthenes, the Greek envoy at Chandragupta Maurya's court, described Pataliputra in his Indica as a huge city with a wooden wall. At Kumhrar, archaeologists found the remains of an 80-pillared Mauryan hall.

    Remember Megasthenes → Indica · Kumhrar → 80-pillared hall

  3. c. 250 BCE

    Third Buddhist Council

    Held at Pataliputra under Emperor Ashoka, presided over by Moggaliputta Tissa.

    Remember 3rd Council: Pataliputra · Ashoka · Moggaliputta Tissa

  4. 1541

    Sher Shah rebuilds the city as Patna

    After centuries of decline, Sher Shah Suri built a fort by the Ganga and revived the city, which grew as Patna.

    Remember Patna refounded: Sher Shah Suri, 1541

  5. 1666
    Takht Sri Patna Sahib
    Shivamsetu · CC BY-SA 4.0

    SikhBirth of Guru Gobind Singh

    The tenth Sikh Guru was born in Patna. Takht Sri Harimandir Ji, Patna Sahib, is one of the five Takhts of Sikhism.

    Remember Patna Sahib = one of 5 Takhts; Guru Gobind Singh born 1666

  6. 1786
    Golghar at sunset
    Aryan ghosh · CC BY-SA 3.0

    Golghar, the great granary

    After the famine of 1770, Captain John Garstin built Golghar, a beehive-shaped granary, to store grain for the army.

    Remember Golghar 1786 · John Garstin · after 1770 famine

  7. 1912

    Capital of the new province

    Bihar and Orissa were separated from Bengal in 1912, with Patna as capital. Patna University followed in 1917.

    Remember 1912 Bihar–Orissa province · 1917 Patna University

  8. 11 Aug 1942

    Quit IndiaThe seven martyrs

    During the Quit India Movement, seven students were shot while trying to hoist the national flag on the Secretariat. The Shaheed Smarak stands there today.

    Remember Shaheed Smarak · 7 students · 11 Aug 1942

  9. 1974

    JP's call for Total Revolution

    On 5 June 1974, Jayaprakash Narayan called for 'Sampoorna Kranti' at a rally in Patna's Gandhi Maidan.

    Remember Sampoorna Kranti · Gandhi Maidan · 5 June 1974

Geography

A long city on a bend of the Ganga

Neighbours inside Bihar

ArwalBegusaraiBhojpurJehanabadLakhisaraiNalandaSamastipurSaran (chhapra)Vaishali

Dark: this district. Light: its neighbours.

  1. A linear city

    Patna stretches for kilometres along the south bank of the Ganga, but is narrow from north to south.

  2. Confluences

    The Son joins the Ganga to the west of Patna, the Punpun at Fatuha to the east, and the Gandak from the north bank opposite the city, at Hajipur–Sonpur.

    Remember Son (west) · Punpun (Fatuha) · Gandak (Hajipur, opposite)

    River confluences of Bihar are asked often →
  3. Mahatma Gandhi Setu over the Ganga
    Aishwarya Verma · CC0

    Mahatma Gandhi Setu

    Opened in 1982, the 5.75 km bridge links Patna with Hajipur across the Ganga.

    Remember Gandhi Setu · 1982 · ≈5.75 km · Patna–Hajipur

People & society

70.7% can read. 897 women for every 1000 men.

Society in numbers (%)

DistrictState
Male literacy
78.571.2
Female literacy
62.051.5
Scheduled Castes
15.815.9
Scheduled Tribes
0.21.3
Living in towns
43.111.3

Gender literacy gap: 16.5 percentage points

People by religion

  • Hindu 91.7%
  • Muslim 7.5%
  • Christian 0.2%
  • Other / not stated 0.4%

    Economy

    Bihar's biggest city and service hub

    1. Most urban district of Bihar

      About 43% of Patna district's people lived in towns in 2011, far above Bihar's 11.3%. Government, trade, education and health services drive its economy.

      Remember Urban: Patna ≈43% vs Bihar 11.3%

    2. Institutions

      AIIMS Patna (2012), IIT Patna (2008), NIT Patna, Patna University and the Patna High Court (1916) are based here.

      Remember Patna High Court est. 1916

    3. Farms on the diara

      Outside the city, the fertile diara (riverine) lands grow vegetables, wheat, rice and pulses for the capital.

    Sectors at a glance

    49 of every 100 workers live off the land

    How people earn a living

    18.8 lakh workers, 32.2% of all people

    This district
    Bihar
    • Cultivators 14.4%
    • Farm labourers 35.0%
    • Household industry 4.5%
    • Other (industry, services, construction, trade) 46.1%

      Schemes & development

      Only 45% of homes had electricity in 2011. Here is what changed.

      What homes had in 2011 (% of households)

      DistrictState
      Electricity
      45.213.2
      Latrine at home
      41.918.6
      Tap water
      19.13.6
      LPG / PNG
      26.66.5
      Phone
      54.844.9
      Television
      37.511.8
      Bicycle
      35.639.4
      Two-wheeler
      14.66.5

      This is the 2011 baseline. Schemes like Saubhagya, Ujjwala, Swachh Bharat and Har Ghar Jal came to close exactly these gaps.

        Art & culture

        Painters of the Company era

        1. PaintingPatna Kalam

          The Patna school of painting (18th–19th century) showed everyday life, trades and festivals in a style that mixed Mughal and European touches.

          Remember Patna Kalam = everyday life, Company style

          Bihar painting schools in BPSC →

        2. Chhath on the ghats

          Lakhs gather on Patna's Ganga ghats for Chhath, offering prayers to the setting and rising sun.

        Places to know

        Six stops that are also six exam answers

        1. A pillar of the Mauryan hall, Kumhrar
          Manoj nav · Public domain

          ASIKumhrar

          Excavated remains of Mauryan Pataliputra, including the pillared hall.

        2. Agam Kuan

          An ancient well that local tradition links with Emperor Ashoka.

        3. The Didarganj Yakshi
          Anandajoti · CC BY 3.0

          Didarganj Yakshi

          A polished sandstone figure of a woman holding a chauri, found at Didarganj in 1917. Its mirror-like polish is a hallmark of Mauryan-style craft. It is now in the Bihar Museum.

          Remember Didarganj Yakshi · found 1917 · Bihar Museum

        4. Bihar Museum
          Sumitsurai · CC BY-SA 4.0

          Bihar Museum

          A modern museum on Bailey Road, opened in 2015, that tells Bihar's story from prehistory onwards.

        5. Khuda Bakhsh Library

          Opened to the public in 1891, famous for rare Arabic and Persian manuscripts.

        6. Sadaqat Ashram

          Headquarters of the freedom movement in Bihar, where Dr Rajendra Prasad spent his last years.

        Personalities

        A mathematician, a strategist and a Guru

        1. Aryabhata

          Wrote the Aryabhatiya at Kusumapura (Pataliputra) in 499 CE. India's first satellite (1975) was named after him.

          Remember Aryabhatiya 499 CE · Kusumapura

        2. Chanakya

          Chandragupta Maurya's adviser, traditionally credited with the Arthashastra.

        3. Guru Gobind Singh

          Born in Patna in 1666; founded the Khalsa in 1699.

        Memory cards

        Say the answer out loud before you flip.

        0/8 known

        Quick quiz

        Exam-style questions on this district.

        Question 1/4 · 0 right

        The Third Buddhist Council was held at

        Keep exploring

        🗺 All 38 districts of Bihar⚖ Compare with another district📝 BPSC exams, syllabus and PYQs📘 Bihar geography notes📍 Bhagalpur📍 Nalanda📍 Gaya

        Sources

        Photo credits

        • Golghar at sunset: Aryan ghosh, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
        • A pillar of the Mauryan hall, Kumhrar: Manoj nav, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
        • Takht Sri Patna Sahib: Shivamsetu, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
        • The Didarganj Yakshi: Anandajoti, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
        • Mahatma Gandhi Setu over the Ganga: Aishwarya Verma, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
        • Bihar Museum: Sumitsurai, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

        Facts checked 15 Nov 2026. Districts are shown with their 2011 Census boundaries.