Each city and town has its history. For example, the history of Pataiiputra begins from the village called Pataligramam. In the 5th century BC, the Magadhan rulers decided to move their capital from Rajagraha to Pataligramam. They changed the name to Pataiiputra. This city which became the capital of Maurya Empire grew into one of the biggest cities in Asia. But gradually the. importance of this city decreased. When in the 7th century the Chinese traveller Hyuansang visited this place, it had become an unimportant place with just a few inhabitants.