Bihar: History and Culture

1. Ancient Bihar: Magadha, Vaishali, Buddhism and Learning

Ancient Bihar was the centre of Indian political power and learning. Magadha grew into India's first great empire, Vaishali was an early republic, and Bihar gave the world Buddhism, Jainism and the universities of Nalanda and Vikramshila.

Magadha and its dynasties

• Magadha was the strongest of the sixteen Mahajanapadas. Its first capital was Rajagriha (Rajgir), also called Girivraja.
• Haryanka dynasty: Bimbisara and his son Ajatashatru made Magadha powerful. Udayin, son of Ajatashatru, is credited with founding Pataliputra (Patna).
• After the Haryankas came the Shishunaga dynasty and then the Nanda dynasty. Mahapadma Nanda is known for his large army and wealth.
• Chandragupta Maurya, guided by Chanakya (Kautilya), ended Nanda rule and founded the Maurya Empire with Pataliputra as capital. Megasthenes, the Greek envoy, described Pataliputra in his book Indica.
• Ashoka, grandson of Chandragupta, turned to Buddhism after the Kalinga war. The Third Buddhist Council was held at Pataliputra in his reign.
• The Gupta Empire (from the 4th century CE) also ruled from Pataliputra. This period is often called a golden age of art, science and literature.

Vaishali, Mahavira and the Buddha

• Vaishali was the capital of the Vajji (Vrijji) confederacy led by the Lichchhavis. It is often called one of the world's earliest republics.
• Mahavira, the 24th Jain Tirthankara, was born at Kundagram near Vaishali. He attained nirvana at Pawapuri (Nalanda district).
• Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya under the Bodhi tree. The Mahabodhi Temple Complex became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002.
• The First Buddhist Council was held at Rajgir under Ajatashatru. The Second Buddhist Council was held at Vaishali.
• Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, was born at Patna. Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib (Patna Sahib) marks his birthplace.

Centres of learning

• Nalanda Mahavihara was founded in the 5th century CE, with Gupta ruler Kumaragupta I credited as an early patron. Students came from China, Korea and other lands.
• The Chinese traveller Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang) studied at Nalanda in the 7th century. The archaeological site of Nalanda became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016.
• Vikramshila was founded by the Pala king Dharmapala near Bhagalpur. It was a major centre of Buddhist learning.
• Both universities were destroyed around the end of the 12th century during the invasion of Bakhtiyar Khalji's forces.
• A new Nalanda University was set up by an Act of Parliament in 2010 near the old site at Rajgir.

💡 Link each place to one event: Rajgir - first council, Vaishali - republic and second council, Pataliputra - third council, Bodh Gaya - enlightenment.

📝 5-question quiz on this lesson: enrol free to take it and track your score.

2. Medieval and Modern Bihar: Sher Shah to Statehood

From Sher Shah Suri of Sasaram to the Battle of Buxar, the revolt of Kunwar Singh and Gandhiji's first satyagraha in India at Champaran, Bihar has played a big role in Indian history. This lesson also explains how the present state of Bihar was formed.

Medieval Bihar

• Sher Shah Suri (Farid Khan) came from Sasaram (Rohtas district). He defeated Humayun at Chausa (1539) and Kannauj (1540) and founded the Sur Empire.
• Sher Shah is known for the rupiya silver coin, land revenue reforms and rebuilding the road later called the Grand Trunk Road.
• His tomb, built in a lake at Sasaram, is a fine example of Indo-Islamic architecture.
• Sher Shah rebuilt Patna as an important town and fort on the Ganga.

Colonial rule and 1857

• The Battle of Buxar (October 1764): the East India Company defeated the combined forces of Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daula of Awadh and Mughal emperor Shah Alam II.
• After Buxar, the Treaty of Allahabad (1765) gave the Company the Diwani (revenue rights) of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
• In 1857, Babu Kunwar Singh of Jagdishpur (Bhojpur), then about 80 years old, led the revolt in Bihar and fought the British across several regions.
• Peer Ali of Patna was another 1857 rebel; he was hanged by the British in Patna.

Freedom movement and after

• Champaran Satyagraha (1917): Gandhiji came to Champaran at the request of Raj Kumar Shukla to support indigo farmers forced into the tinkathia system. It was his first satyagraha in India.
• Dr Rajendra Prasad of Ziradei (Siwan) joined Gandhiji at Champaran. He later became President of the Constituent Assembly and the first President of India.
• Bihar Vidyapith and Sadaquat Ashram in Patna were important nationalist centres. Sadaquat Ashram later became the Bihar Congress headquarters.
• Jayaprakash Narayan (JP) led the Bihar students' movement of 1974 and gave the call for Sampoorna Kranti (Total Revolution). He was awarded the Bharat Ratna (posthumously) in 1999.
• Karpoori Thakur, a former Chief Minister of Bihar, was awarded the Bharat Ratna (posthumously) in 2024.

Formation of present-day Bihar

• Bihar and Orissa were separated from the Bengal Presidency on 22 March 1912 to form a new province. This is why Bihar Diwas is celebrated on 22 March.
• Orissa (now Odisha) became a separate province on 1 April 1936.
• Jharkhand was carved out of southern Bihar on 15 November 2000. Bihar lost much of its mineral and forest area.
• The Patna High Court was established in 1916. Patna University, founded in 1917, is among the oldest universities in Bihar.

💡 Many questions ask 'who invited Gandhiji to Champaran?'. The answer is Raj Kumar Shukla. Learn it with the year 1917.

📝 5-question quiz on this lesson: enrol free to take it and track your score.

3. Culture of Bihar: Festivals, Arts and Languages

Bihar's culture is known for Chhath Puja, Madhubani painting, the Sonepur fair and rich languages such as Maithili, Bhojpuri and Magahi. Exams ask about art forms, festivals, GI tags and famous writers.

Festivals and fairs

• Chhath Puja is the biggest festival of Bihar. Devotees worship the Sun God (Surya) and Chhathi Maiya, offering arghya to the setting and rising sun at rivers and ponds.
• Chhath is held after Diwali in the month of Kartik, and also in Chaitra. It includes days of strict fasting.
• The Sonepur Mela (Harihar Kshetra Mela) is held at the meeting point of the Gandak and Ganga near Sonepur around Kartik Purnima. It was famous as a large cattle fair.
• Sama-Chakeva is a Mithila festival of brother-sister love. Other fairs include the Pitripaksha mela at Gaya and the Rajgir Mahotsav.

Arts and crafts

• Madhubani (Mithila) painting comes from the Mithila region. It uses natural colours and themes from nature and mythology. It has a GI tag.
• Sikki grass craft, Sujini embroidery and Applique (Khatwa) work are other traditional crafts of Bihar.
• Bhagalpur is known as the Silk City for its Tussar silk.
• Manjusha art from the Bhagalpur region tells the folk story of Bihula-Bishari.
• The Didarganj Yakshi, a famous polished Mauryan-style sculpture found in Patna, is displayed at the Bihar Museum, Patna (it was earlier in Patna Museum).

Languages and literature

• Hindi is the official language of Bihar. Urdu is the second official language.
• Maithili was added to the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution by the 92nd Amendment in 2003. Bhojpuri and Magahi are widely spoken but are not in the Eighth Schedule.
• Vidyapati (14th-15th century) was a great Maithili poet known for his devotional and love songs.
• Bhikhari Thakur, called the 'Shakespeare of Bhojpuri', wrote the folk play Bidesiya.
• Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar', born in Simariya (Begusarai), was a great Hindi poet known as 'Rashtrakavi'. Phanishwar Nath 'Renu' wrote the Hindi novel Maila Anchal.

💡 Remember: of Maithili, Bhojpuri and Magahi, only Maithili is in the Eighth Schedule. This is a common trick question.

📝 5-question quiz on this lesson: enrol free to take it and track your score.