Bihar was a centre of power, learning and culture in ancient and classical India From Magadha arose India’s first and greatest empire, the Maurya empire, as well as one of the world’s most widely adhered-to religions, Buddhism, Magadha empires, notably under the Maurya and Gupta dynasties, unified large parts of South Asia under a central rule. Its capital Patna, earlier known as Pataliputra, was an important centre of Indian civilisation. Close to Patna, Nalanda and Vikramshila were centres of learning which were established in the 5th and 8th century respectively in Bihar, and are counted as amongst the oldest international universities of the time.
