Patna Division is one of the oldest Divisions of the state. Patna, the capital of Bihar and the headquarters town of Patna Division, is situated on the south bank of Ganges at 250 37' N and 850 10' E.

Three Commissionerships were created in 1829 out of the districts at present included in Bihar, Patna. The other was Saran Comprising the districts of Saran, Champaran, Tirhut and Shahabad and the third consisted of Bhagalpur (with Munghyr), Purnea and Maldah districts. Later, in 1834, however, the Saran Division was abolished and Patna District along with Shahabad was absorbed in the Patna Division. Another re-arrangement took place in 1855, when the creation of a new non-regulation district of the Santhal Pargana under the Bhagalpur Division led to the separation of Tirhut, which was placed under the Commissioner, Patna Division.

At present Patna Division has six districts, which are Patna, Nalanda, Bhojpur, Buxar, Rohtas and Kaimur and area of the Patna Division is 16,960 sq. K.M. As per records available in the office Sir C.C. Stevens was the Commissioner of this division in the year 1890-91.

Commissioner's Office This colonial building, in the east of the Golghar houses, the office of the commissioner of Patna Division is situated. A simple structure, its attraction comes from the detailing like the use of voids, cutouts, depressions and semi-circular arches in the façade. It is a balanced composition of mass and void and its colonial look comes with the highlighted projecting quoins at the angles. This building was built during 1857-58.

The residential quarter of the Commissioner of the Patna division was in opposite of the commissioner's office in the present A.N.Sinha Institute Complex and was known as Beache's Bungalow. In the 1850s, William Tayler used the bungalow as the commissioner's office. Later, it became the commissioner's residence from the time of E.A.Sammuel.

The whole area around the commissioner's compound was originally the site of Bankipore Village and the adjacent southern village was called Jaibarpur. In the medival period both names were amalgamated and come to be known as Bankipur Jaibar. The old records reveal that the area was occasionally used as a camping ground. It was in this area that Emperor Akbar camped along with his soldiers in 1574. It was here that Aliwardi Khan assembled his troops before marching against Sarafraz Khan in 1740.

After the British conquest, it was a cantonment before Danapur was made a military station. While occupied by the third Brigade in 1776, part of the cantonment was burnt down and the occurrence led to the 'White Mutiny,' which Robert Clive Suppressed.