One of the oldest cities of India, there are several theories regarding the origin of the modern name Patna (Bengali: পাটনা; Devanagari: पटना; Kaithi: 𑂣𑂗𑂢𑂰; Gurmukhi: ਪਟਨਾ; Urdu: پٹنہ).

[38] Traditional Buddhist literature attributes foundation of Patna 490 BCE[39][40] as Ajatashatru, the king of Magadha, wanted to shift his capital from the hilly Rajagrha (today Rajgir) to a strategically chosen place to better combat the Licchavis of Vaishali.

[49][page needed] In the years that followed, many dynasties ruled the Indian subcontinent from the city, including the Gupta Empire and the Pala kings.

One of the navratnas from Akbar's court, his official historian and author of "Ain-i-Akbari" Abul Fazl refers to Patna as a flourishing centre for paper, stone and glass industries.

With the decline of the Mughal empire, Patna moved into the hands of the Nawabs of Bengal, who levied a heavy tax on the populace but allowed it to flourish as a commercial centre.

[55] In 1750, the future Nawab of Bengal, Siraj ud-Daulah revolted against his grandfather, Alivardi Khan, and seized Patna, but quickly surrendered and was forgiven.

According to the CAG report, tabled in the Bihar Legislative Assembly in April 2015, respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) level (PM-10) in Patna was 355, three-and-a-half times higher than the prescribed limit of 100 micro-gram per cubic metre,[90] primarily due to high vehicular[91] and industrial emissions[92] and construction activities in the city.

[94][95] Severe air pollution in the city has caused a rise in pollution-related respiratory ailments, such as lung cancer, asthma, dysentery and diarrhoea.

[citation needed] After gaining independence in 1947, the economy remained relatively stable, including growth in produce and manufacturing of vegetable oil.

Although the city had several fertiliser plants and sugar mills, due to a weakened ecosystem, many companies incurred losses and were eventually forced to close or leave the state.

[citation needed] The economy of Patna has seen sustained growth since 2005, in particular from the fast-moving consumer goods industry, the service sector, and Green Revolution businesses.

The Patna Municipal Corporation, or PMC, oversees and manages the civic infrastructure of the city's 75 wards,[121] which accommodates a population of 1.7 million as per 2011 Census.

The functions of the PMC include water supply, drainage and sewerage, sanitation, solid waste management, street lighting, and building regulation.

[129] The Collectors are in charge of the general administration, property records and revenue collection for the Central Government, and oversee the national elections held in the city.

[140] With the grade of a Smart City, Patna will have highly up-to-date and radical provisions like uninterrupted electric supply, first-rate traffic and transport system, superior health care and many other prime utilities.

Around 23 overhead reservoirs[153] of which only the ones at Agam Kuan, Gulzarbagh Press, Guru Gobind Singh Hospital and High Court serve the city.

[157] In 2019, the central government has started the process Nirmal Ganga, which is to build new sewerage infrastructure at Patna's Karmalichak as well as in Barh, Naugachia and Sultanganj.

[185] The arrival of several low-cost carriers and a number of new destinations have caused a growth in air traffic in recent years, as has an improvement in the situation with regard to law and order.

Patna is well connected with neighbouring Gaya, Jehanabad, Bihar Sharif, Rajgir, Islampur through daily passenger and express train services.

In recent times, the bridge has been witnessing major traffic chaos and accidents due to exceeding number of vehicles passing over it and regularly overloading the structure.

[202] Patna is well connected with roads to various major cities of Bihar like Hajipur, Munger, Jamalpur, Bhagalpur, Gaya Motihari, and Purnia.

Vessels capable of accommodating five hundred merchants were known to ply this river in the ancient period; it served as a major trade route, as goods were transported from Pataliputra to the Bay of Bengal and further, to ports in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia.

The role of the Ganges as a channel for trade was enhanced by its natural links – it embraces all the major rivers and streams in both north and south Bihar.

The National Waterway-1, the longest Waterway in India, stretches 1620 km in the River Ganga from Allahabad to Haldia via Varanasi, Munger, Bhagalpur passes through Patna.

The numerous Bengali speaking Patnaites have contributed massively into fine arts, culture, education and history of Bihar in general and Patna in particular.

[229] Some well known dishes of Bihari cuisine include sattu paratha (parathas stuffed with roasted gram flour), "sattu ka sharbat" (a spiced drink with roasted gram flour as main ingredient), chokha (spicy mashed potatoes), fish curry, Bihari kebab, postaa-dana kaa halwaa, malpua, dal pitha (Similar to momos), kheer makhana (fox nut) and thekua/khajuria (a type of snack).

[230] Street foods such as samosa,[231] chaat, jalebi, litti chokha, phuchka (a deep-fried crêpe with tamarind sauce), South Indian and Chinese cuisine are favourite among Patnaites.

[247] Padri Ki Haveli, High Court, Golghar, Sultan Palace, and Secretariat Building are examples of British architecture.

[248][better source needed] The Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan (Patna Zoo) is at Bailey Road, Raj Bhawan, Rajbanshi Nagar, and includes over 300 mammals, 300 birds, and 450 species of reptiles as of January 2019.

[249] In 2015, the Bihar government has built a state-of-the-art art landmark museum in Patna at a cost of approximately ₹530 crores[250] on a site of 13.9 acres at Bailey Road.