 Patna, the capital of the state of Bihar, has a rich history that spans three
millennia. The city is associated with two of the most ancient religions of
the world – Jainism and Buddhism. It has seen the rise and fall of the great
empires of the Mauryas and the Guptas. It has emerged as the second
most populous city in eastern India after Kolkata. The city has a
continuous history, a feat that only a very few cities across the globe have
achieved. In the glorious years of its existence, Patna has served as the
centre of education not only for India but the whole world. The name of
the city is derived from ‘Pataliputra’.
The Greek scholar Megasthenes stayed in the city during the reign of
Chandragupta Maurya. Chanakya wrote two treatises – Arthashastra (a
treatise on economics and political science) and Neetishastra (a treatise
on the ideal way of life).The famous traveller Fa-Hien visited the city in the
third century and later Hieun-Tsang also followed the same path in the
seventh century. The city was considered by many to be the fountainhead
of the spring of knowledge and wisdom in the ancient times.
One of the first greatest universities in recorded history ‘Nalanda’
flourished here. The ruins lie south of Patna. The university encompassed
a land of more than fourteen hectares which was ransacked by invaders.
At the peak of its glory, it attracted scholars and students all the way from
China, Greece and Persia. The library of Nalanda, known as Dharma Gunj
(Mountain of Truth) or Dharmagañja (Treasury of Truth), was the most
renowned repository of Buddhist knowledge in the world at the time.
The ancient city boasted of many great minds of that time. One of them
was Aryabhata who wrote the treatise Aryabhatiya, which contains several
works on astronomy, algebra and trigonometry. He is remembered as
giving the place-value system to the world and introducing the concept of
zero to the world. Patna Sahib is the birth place of the tenth guru of the
Sikhs, Guru Govind Singh. The rich history of Patna has a deep impact on
the culture and education of the present.
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