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About Bihar |
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Bihar was the political seat of some of the greatest Indian empires, like the Mauryas and the Guptas, and the place of origin for two of the most significant religions of the world, Buddhism and Jainism. Known as Magadha in ancient times, Bihar gave birth to some of the greatest rulers of the country including Ashoka and Chandragupta Maurya of the Maurya dynasty. It formed the base for the Guptas who provided the most flourishing period of Indian history for scientific, literary, artistic and cultural development of the country, popularly referred to as the Golden Period of India.
The remains of the Mauryan dynasty can still be seen at certain locations in modern Bihar, such as Patna (earlier known as Patliputra) and Vaishali. The relics left by these great rulers of the past give us an indication about the way they used to rule and administer their vast empire. The vestiges of the Vikramshila and Nalanda Universities tell us about the significance of education at that time. Nalanda university was among the most distinguished universities of the ancient world, and was an attraction for the overseas students wishing to learn about literature, religion and a great many other subjects.
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The Mauryans were followed by the Guptas who took keen interest in the promotion of art and architecture, culture, and education. It was during this period that several inventions and discoveries were made in the field of mathematics, science, astronomy, religion and Indian philosophy. Many achievements of modern science and mathematics, which we normally attribute to the western world, had already been attained by the learned men of the Gupta period. Hinduism was the religion patronized by the rulers of this dynasty, and hence Buddhism did not remain as popular as it was in the period of Ashoka.
After the fall of the Guptas, Magadha ceased to be the center of power and became a part of the imperial rule that took seat in Delhi. It was the invasion of Muhammad Bin Bakhtiar Khilji that gave a fatal blow to the Buddhism and left many of Buddhist viharas and learning centers including universities at Nalanda and Vikramshila in ruin. Except for the period of Sher Shah Suri which lasted for a few years only, Bihar continued to be ruled by the Mughals and before that by the Sultanate rulers during the entire stretch of its medieval history. However, it was in effect the Nawabs of Bengal who exerted control over the province of Bihar during the reign of Mughals.
As a result, when the British overpowered the nawabs of Bengal after the battle of Plassey in 1757, Bihar automatically came under their direct influence. The victory in the battle of Buxar in 1764 allowed them to levy and collect taxes in Bihar. Thus it became a part of the Bengal Presidency of the British Raj. In 1912, the region comprising present Bihar and Orissa was given a separate identity as a province, which further was divided into two individual provinces by the same names in 1935.
During the freedom struggle movement, Bihar became the launching pad for Mahatma Gandhi to wage his non-violence war against the atrocities of the colonial rule. Indeed, the independence movement in the state had started well before the launch of the Champaran Satyagraha by Mahatma Gandhi. It was Babu Kunwar Sigh of Jagdishpur who first led his state in the First War of Independence in 1857 and gave a tough fight to the British. Other nationalist leaders that belong to the state include Dr Rajendra Prasad, Sri Krishna Sinha, Anugrah Narayan Sinha and Swami Sahajanand Saraswati. Jayaprakash Narayan, Mazharul Haque, Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki, to name just a few.
With the creation of Jharkhand in 2005, Bihar lost most of the industries and mines to the new state, and is left with land suitable for agriculture only.
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