History of Bihar- Overview, History, Facts

The history of Bihar is fascinating and magnificent, and Bihar was is regarded as a centre of power, wisdom, and culture. Every year, many questions regarding this state are asked in government exams, so today we will go through the complete history of Bihar, as well as some intriguing facts.

Overview of Bihar state

State	Bihar
Formation Date	22/03/1912
Capital	Patna
Area	91463 km
Number of districts	38
Governor	Phagu Chauhan
Chief minister	Nitish Kumar
Languages	Bhojpuri, Hindi, Maithili
State Animal	Gaur
State Bird	House sparrow
Festivals	Sama chakeva, chatth puja
Tourist Attractions	Patna, Bodh gaya, Nalanda
Major crops	Potato, Onion, Jute, Sugarcane

History of Bihar

• Bihar is an Indian state in eastern India. It is bordered on the north by Nepal, and on the east and west by the Indian states of West Bengal & Uttar Pradesh. In ancient mythological literature, Bihar has a history and civilisation worthy of recognition. The name ‘Bihar’ comes from the word ‘Viharas,’ which indicates a Buddhist monk’s resting place. Several kingdoms arose in Bihar’s plains during the early Vedic period.

• Throughout the ages and civilizations, it has been a fertile ground for many great individuals who have spread the ideals of love, peace, fraternity, and humanity across the globe. The Ganga River divides the state into two regions: The North Bihar Plains & the South Bihar Plains, which together make up the middle Gangetic Plain.

• In terms of ancient history, Bihar’s journey began in the post-Vedic era, when a host of Mahajan padas or republics flourished in the state, including Vaisali, Magadha, & Videha. Bimbi Sara and his son Ajatshatru founded the first kingdom in Bihar.

• Two important historical figures, Gautama Buddha and Jaina Mahavir were born at this time and preached the two main religions of Buddhism and Jainism, respectively. In present-day Bodh Gaya, Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment, while Jaina Mahavira attained salvation in present-day Pawapuri, both in Bihar.

• Patna is once known as Pataliputra, but when Sher Shahsuri conquered Patna, he renamed it Patna in honour of the goddess Patni.

• Pataliputra, also known as contemporary Patna, was the capital of the Magadha kingdom around 475 BCE, and it lasted under Ashoka and the Guptas until the invasion of the Hephthalites. The city was devastated by the Son River’s migration in the 6th–7th century; the Chinese traveller Xuan Zang stated that the city had only a few residents in 637. It restored part of its former splendour, but it is unlikely that it ever functioned as the Pala empire’s capital. During this time, great travellers like Meghasthenes visited India. Bihar also has parts of the Gupta and Harshavardhana empires, which add to the historical content of the state.

• As time passed, Bihar saw one of India’s most powerful empires. Nalanda and Vikramasila prospered as worldwide universities imparting education to Indian and foreign students during this time. 

• Bihar is a patriotic state that produced numerous patriots who fought for India’s independence. On this land, Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, began the salt satyagraha movement.

• Dr Rajendra Prasad, a prominent nationalist, and Jai Prakash Narain, a socialist, were both born in Bihar. Without a doubt, as Bihar’s history shows, it made significant contributions to the social, cultural, religious, political, & economic life of India as well as the rest of the globe.

• Bihar became a component part of India in 1947, and the minor states with capitals in Saraikela and Kharsawan were merged with it in 1948. When India’s states were rearranged linguistically in 1956, a tract of 3,140 square miles was shifted from Bihar to West Bengal.

Bihar’s Independence History

In 1914 at Pipra & 1916 at Turkaulia, Bihari ryots in Champaran revolted against indigo cultivation. After a request from Raj Kumar Shukla, a freedom fighter, Mahatma Gandhi travelled to Champaran in April 1917 to show solidarity with the distressed farmers.

In some ways, the Champaran Satyagraha was a predecessor to Gandhi’s successful civil disobedience movement across the country.

For the very first time since independence, a state administration was elected by a party other than the one in power at the national level, and in 2000, the Chota Nagpur valley in Bihar’s southern region became a part of the newly formed state of Jharkhand.

Facts about Bihar

• Bihar is the birthplace of two of the world’s most prominent religions, Buddhism and Jainism.
• Bihar is a rich centre of ancient Indian civilization, with connections to Chandragupta Maurya & Emperor Ashoka.
• Bihar was the birthplace of Aryabhata, the inventor of the zero number, the nine planets hypothesis, and trigonometric laws.
• In the ancient region of Pataliputra, Sher Shah Suri founded the city of Patna.
• When compared Bihar to Andhra Pradesh & Kerala on a combined basis, Bihar has a higher graduation rate than these two states.
• Bihar is inextricably linked to Indian politics. Dr Rajendra Prasad, India’s first president, was born in Bihar. Bihar is also home to well-known politicians such as Jai Prakash Narayan, Lalu Prasad Yadav, and Nitish Kumar.
• On April 1, 1936, Orissa was split from Bihar, and in November 2000, it was separated again to establish Jharkhand.
• Bihar is the third-largest state in terms of population & the 13th-largest state in terms of area.
• Bihar’s primary festival, Chhath, has been observed since early Vedic times.
• The Vaishali district of Bihar is regarded as the world’s first republic. By the 6th century BC, it had become a republic. Vaishali is also where Lord Mahavir was born.
• Bihar’s economy is low, and it is regarded as India’s poorest state. If GDP per capita is used as a metric for gauging the economy, Bihar ranks last out of all Indian states.
• Cotton spinning mills, sugar mills, jute mills, and the leather industry are the key industries in Bihar.
• Bihar is home to historical universities such as Nalanda & Vikramashila. Where Vishwamitra’s ashram was, where Rama-Laxman’s schooling was completed.

Conclusion 

We hope that this article on Bihar’s history has provided you with enough information to answer any questions relating to this topic in the exam.

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