Patna district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar state in eastern India. Patna, the capital of Bihar is the district headquarters. The Patna district is a part of Patna division.
As of 2011, it is the most populous district of Bihar (out of 38) and fifteenth most populous district in India (out of 640).
The revenue district of Patna comes under the jurisdiction of a District Collector (District Magistrate). The office of the Patna DM is in Patna Collectorate.
History
Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world. Patna was founded in 490 BCE by the king of Magadha. Ancient Patna, known as Pataliputra, was the capital of the Magadha Empire under the Haryanka, Nanda, Mauryan, Shunga, Gupta and Pala empires. Pataliputra was a seat of learning and fine arts. Patliputra was home to many mathematicians, astronomers, astrologists and scholars including Aryabhata, Panini, Vātsyāyana, Chanakya and Kālidāsa. Its population during the Maurya period (around 300 BCE) was about 400,000. Patna served as the seat of power, political and cultural centre of Indian subcontinent during the Maurya and Gupta empires. With the fall of Gupta Empire, Patna lost its glory. It was revived again in the 17th century by the British as a centre of international trade.
Modern history
The modern district of Patna was created in September 1770 as provincial council by the British, to supervise revenue matters of Bihar, along with Murshidabad for Bengal. In 1793, Patna became a separate judicial district. This led the foundation of modern district.
Post-independence
The re-organization of the districts in the State took effect in the year 1972. On November 9, 1972 Nalanda district was constituted by carving out Bihar Sharif sub-division of Patna district.
Geography
The district is bounded by the Son river on the west, on the north by the ganges river, and on the south by Nalanda, Arwal, and Jehanabad districts. On the east Begusarai district is bordered and partly by the Lakhisarai to the southeast. Boundaries of the district are naturally determined by rivers in north and west.
Patna district occupies an area of 3,202 square kilometres (1,236 sq mi), comparatively equivalent to the Solomon Islands’ Makira Island.
Blocks
The district has 23 blocks: Patna Sadar, Phulwari Sharif, Sampatchak, Paliganj, Fatuha, Khusrupur, Daniyawaan, Bakhtiyarpur, Barh, Belchi, Athmalgola, Mokama, Pandarak, Ghoswari, Bihta, Maner, Danapur, Naubatpur, Bikram, Masaurhi, Dhanarua, Punpun.
Sub-divisions
Patna district comprises six sub-divisions:
- Patna Sadar
- Patna City
- Barh
- Danapur
- Masaurhi
- Paliganj
Assembly constituencies
The district is divided into fourteen assembly constituencies:
- 178 Mokama
- 179 Barh
- 180 Bakhtiarpur
- 181 Digha
- 182 Bankipur
- 183 Kumhrar
- 184 Patna Sahib
- 185 Fatuha
- 186 Danapur
- 187 Maner
- 188 Phulwari (SC)
- 189 Masaurhi (SC)
- 190 Paliganj
- 191 Bikram
Parliamentary constituencies
The district has three parliament constituencies:
- 30 Patna Sahib (Lok Sabha constituency), covers Bakhtiarpur, Digha, Bankipur, Kumhrar, Patna Sahib and Fatuha.
- 31 Pataliputra (Lok Sabha constituency), covers Danapur, Maner, Phulwari, Masaurhi, Paliganj, and Bikram.
- 28 Munger/Monghyr (Lok Sabha constituency), covers Barh and Mokama and shared with Munger district.
–Numbers denote constituency number.