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Patna GolGhar |
The history and tradition of Patna
Very few describe the origins of Patna to a mythological
king Putraka, who built Patna by a magical stroke for his queen Patali,
literally meaning trumpet flower, which gives it its ancient name Pataligram.
It is said that in honor of the Queen's first birth, the city was named
Pataliputra. The ancient city of Pataliputra was founded by Ajatashatru, the
king of Magadha (South India) in the 5th century BC. His son Uday (Udayin) made
it the capital of Magadha, which remained till the first century AD. The second
Magadha dynasty, the Mauryas, ruled in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE until the
city was sacked by the (History of India) Indo-Greeks in 185. The Sunga dynasty then began, ruling
until about 73 BCE. Pataliputra remained the center of learning and became the
capital of the Gupta dynasty in the fourth century. It declined and remained
deserted until the 7th century. Patna was transformed into a city by an Afghan
ruler in 1541 and again increased in prosperity under the Mughal Empire. It was
given to the British in 1765. Extensive archaeological excavations have been
carried out in the surrounding area. Pop. (2001) 1,366,444; Urban
agglomeration, 1,697,976; (2011) 1,684,222; Urban agglomeration, 2,049,156
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| Gandhi Setu Bridge |
Bankipur, and the south-west is a vast new capital region
with wide roads, shady sidewalks and new buildings. Prominent among the modern
structures of Patna are the Government House, Assembly Chambers, Oriental
Library, a Medical College and an Engineering College. The historical monuments
of Patna include the mosque of Bengal's Husain Shah (1499); Sikh temple
associated with 10th Guru, Gobind Singh; And the granary at Bankipur (1786),
popularly called Golghar. The city also houses Patna University (1917) and
Patna Museum. The city is connected by road to Hajipur, north of the Ganges,
across the river via the Mahatma Gandhi Setu.
The history and tradition of Patna dates back to the
earliest period of civilization. Patna's original name was Pataliputra or
Pataliputran and its history dates back to 600 BCE. Patna's name has undergone
many changes in the early times such as Pataligram, Kusumpur, Pataliputra, Azimabad,
etc., finally ending in the present. Chandragupta Maurya dated 4th century AD.
It made it its capital, followed by another version that comes to mind, a
village named Patan or Pathan until Sherkhan Suri came to power in the early
16th century. Patna. It has been said that Pataliputra was founded by
Ajatshatru. Therefore, Patna is intrinsically tied with the ancient
Pataliputra. The ancient village was named 'Patali' and the word 'Pattan' was
added to it. There is mention of ib Palibothra in Greek history which is
probably Pataliputra.
Ajatshatru had to adopt some security measures to save Patna
from repeated Lichchavi attacks. He had found a natural river fort protected by
three rivers. Ajatashatru's son moved his capital from Rajagriha to Pataliputra
and this position was maintained during the reign of the Mauryas and Guptas.
Ashoka the Great operated his empire from here. Chandragupta Maurya and
Samudragupta, warriors of war, took Pataliputra as their capital. It is from
here that Chandragupta sent his army to fight the Greeks of the western
frontier and Chandragupta Vikramaditya drove the Shakas and Huns from here. It
was there that the Greek ambassador Megasthenes lived during the reign of
Chandragupta Maurya. The famous traveler Fa-hien in the third century and
Hwen-tsang in the 7th century inspected the city. Many noted scholars like
Kautilya stayed here and compositions like 'Economist' were written from this
place. The city was the fountain of knowledge and wisdom in ancient times.
Aurangzeb's grandson Prince Azim-us-Shan came as the
Governor of Patna in 1703. Earlier, Sher Shah shifted his capital from
Biharsharif to Patna. It was Azim-us-Shan who tried to turn Patna into a
beautiful city and it was he who did it. Named 'Azimabad'.
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| Gandhi Setu Bridge |
Patna served as the power, political and cultural center of
the Indian subcontinent during the Maurya and Gupta empires. ... After the
partition of Bengal Presidency in 1912, Patna became the capital of Bihar and
Orissa provinces. The modern city of Patna city is situated on the southern
bank of the Ganges River.
The common people, however, called it 'Patna'. Old Patna or
modern Patna City once had a wall, the remains of which can still be seen at
the entrance of Old Patna.
Thanks
Manoj Kumar
Manoj Kumar
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