▁were ▁established . ▁ ▁Pat na ▁has ▁been ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁n erve ▁cent ers ▁of ▁First ▁War ▁of ▁Independ ence , ▁participated ▁act ively ▁in ▁India ' s ▁Independ ence ▁movement , ▁and ▁emer ged ▁in ▁the ▁post - in dependent ▁India ▁as ▁the ▁most ▁popul ous ▁city ▁of ▁East ▁India ▁after ▁Kol k ata . ▁ ▁P rel ude ▁▁ ▁The ▁first ▁accepted ▁references ▁to ▁the ▁place ▁is ▁observed ▁more ▁than ▁ 2 5 0 0 ▁years ▁ago ▁in ▁J ain ▁and ▁Buddh ist ▁script ures . ▁ ▁Record ed ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁begins ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁ 4 9 0   B CE ▁when ▁A j at ash at ru , ▁the ▁king ▁of ▁Mag ad h , ▁wanted ▁to ▁shift ▁his ▁capital ▁from ▁the ▁h illy ▁Raj g ri ha ▁to ▁a ▁more ▁strateg ically ▁located ▁place ▁to ▁combat ▁the ▁L ich iv is ▁of ▁Va ish ali . ▁He ▁chose ▁a ▁site ▁on ▁the ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁G anges ▁and ▁fort ified ▁the ▁area ▁which ▁developed ▁into ▁Pat na . ▁ ▁From ▁that ▁time , ▁the ▁city ▁has ▁had ▁a ▁continuous ▁history , ▁a ▁record ▁claimed ▁by ▁few ▁cities ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁During ▁its ▁history ▁and ▁existence ▁of ▁more ▁than ▁two ▁mill enn ia , ▁Pat na ▁has ▁been ▁known ▁by ▁different ▁names ▁: ▁P atal ig ram , ▁P atal i put ra , ▁Pal ib oth ra , ▁K us ump ur , ▁P ush p ap ura , ▁Az im abad , ▁and