It is bordered on the north by the Kingdom of Nepal, on the west by Uttar Pradesh, south by Jharkhand, and the east by West Bengal. Bihar lies in the very fertile Gangetic plains, and is part of the Hindi-speaking heartland of India.
Bihar has many local languages, including Hindi, Bhojpuri, and Magadhi (Magahi). Bhojpuri, Magahi, and related languages are known as the Bihari languages
History
Bihar has a very rich history. It was called Magadha in ancient days. Its capital Patna, known as Pataliputra during the old days, was the center of the Mauryan empire which ruled the Indian subcontinent between 325-185 BC. Emperor Ashoka was the most famous ruler of this dynasty. Bihar remained an important place of power, culture and education during the next thousand years before its fall started with the advent of the foreign rule in India. Bihar saw a brief period of glory for six years during the rule of Sher Shah Suri, who was from Sasaram and built the longest road of the Indian subcontinent, the Grand Trunk Road, which starts from Calcutta and ends at Peshawar, Pakistan.
A brief timeline
Before 325 BCE _ Nanda clan in Magadha, Lichchavis in Vaishali
560 BCE - 480 BCE - Buddha
325 BCE - 185 BCE - Maurya Dynasty
250 BCE - 3rd Buddhist Council
185 BCE - 80 BCE - Sunga Dynasty
80 - 240- Regional kings
240 - 600 - Gupta Dynasty
600 - 650 - Harsha Vardhana
750 - 1200 - Pala Dynasty
1200 - Muhammad of Ghori's men destroy the universities at Nalanda and Vikramashila
1200 - 1250 - Decline of Buddhism
1250 - 1526 - Ruled by Delhi Sultanate (Muslim Turks - Tughluqs, Sayyids, Lodis)
1526 - 1540 - Babur defeats last Delhi sultan, establishes Mughal empire
1540 _ 1555 _ Suri dynasty captures empire from Mughals (including Shershah Suri who built the Grand Trunk Road)
1526 _ 1757 _ Mughal dynasty resumes
1757 - 1857 - British East India Company rule
1857 - Revolt of 1857 1857 - 1947 - British Raj rule
1912 - Province of Bihar and Orissa separated from Bengal
1935 - Bihar and Orissa become separate provinces
1947- Indian Independence; Bihar becomes a state
2000 - Bihar divided into two states - north part remained Bihar, South became Jharkhand
Religions Originated
Bihar is also a birthplace of many religions, including Buddhism and Jainism. The Word "Bihar" has its origin in the word "Vihara" meaning Buddhist Monasteries. Buddha attained the Enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, a town located in the modern day district of Gaya. Buddha started spreading his teaching after attaining the
Enlightenment at Bodh Gaya. Mahavira, the founder of Jainism, was born in Vaishali, Bihar. Mahatma Gandhi started the freedom movement in India by his Satyagraha in the Champaran district of Bihar against the British, who were forcing the local farmers to plant indigo which was very harmful to the local soil.
Facebook
Twitter
Linkedin