Patna College is the oldest institution of higher education in Bihar. Nearly every major college of Patna-
Patna Law College, Engineering College (
National Institute of Technology, Patna at present),
Patna Science College and
Vanijya Mahavidyala, has their roots from this college. Patna College was established on 9 January 1863, during the British Raj. After the split-up of old
Patna University into
Patna University and
Bihar University on 2 January 1952, the institution saw a significant shift. Until January 1952, the college was a government college and it functioned as an independent unit, but later it became an implied college of Patna University and became responsible only for Undergraduate studies due to the shifting of the burden of Post-graduate learning on University. After the centralisation of two years of special honours-teaching, the honours of all art subjects remained in this college. Honours teaching was carried out by the nominated teachers of the Faculty of Arts from all the colleges of the university. In the first two hours, the students of Arts of Honors classes, of other colleges also used to come to study in this college. But due to the gradual increase in the number of students, up to the end of the eighth decade, honours classes of various art courses were conducted in their respective colleges. In 1957, all but the Geography, Sociology and Psychology post-graduate departments were shifted to Darbhanga House. However many teachers of Patna College still have been bearing the responsibility of postgraduate education by attending the departments in Darbhanga House. There is hardly any change in post-operative activities. Maximum old councils, clubs as well as hostels are still under the Principal of the college. On 9 September 1974, the Economics department was split from the Patna College and it took form into
Vanijya Mahavidyala. Presently
Vanijya Mahavidyala is in the college's yard itself. Patna College is the first college in Bihar that celebrated the centenary ceremony in 1963 itself. The college is also associated with
E. M. Forster's novel,
A Passage to India. According to Adwaita P. Ganguly, the institution known as
Chandrapore College in the novel is "a replica of Patna College". Forster met Charles Russell and V. H. Jackson, who were professors of the college, in the course of writing his novel,
A Passage to India. Forster had collected
Hiuen Tsang's
Indian Diary from Russell before he made his visit to
Barabar Caves that appear as an important location in the novel. A hostel in the campus of the college is named after Jackson. The legendary filmmaker,
Satyajit Ray, used the picturesque campus of the college for his award-winning film,
Seemabaddha. == Campus and buildings ==