Patna

Patna (păt`nə, pŭt`–), city (1991 pop. 1,099,647), capital of Bihar state, NE India, on the Ganges River. It is the hub of a rice-growing region and is an administrative, commercial, and educational center. There is good transportation by road, rail, and air. The ancient name was Pataliputra. It was an imperial city during the Maurya (c.325–185 B.C.) and Gupta (c.320–A.D. 545) eras. Asoka (270–230 B.C.) built a large palace there, and some ruins of the period remain. The city was revived during the rule of Afghans and Mughals. In the 18th cent. the East India Company made Patna a seat of trade.

---

Patna

City (pop., 2001: 1,366,444), capital of Bihar state, northern India, on the Ganges River. It was founded in the 5th century BC as Pataliputra and was the capital of Magadha until the 1st century BC. It was ruled later by the Mauryan empire. A centre of learning, it became the Gupta dynasty's capital in the 4th century AD but declined and was deserted by the 7th century. Revived as Patna in 1541 by an Afghan ruler, it became prosperous under the Mughal dynasty and passed to the British in 1765. Extensive archaeological excavations have been made in its vicinity.

---

Patna

ship, carrying Moslem pilgrims, abandoned by captain and crew in a storm. [Br. Lit.: Joseph Conrad Lord Jim]

See : Abandonment