BIHAR CHRONICLES JOURNEY OF HISTORY AND CULTURE

SHASHANK SHEKHAR

Copyright © SHASHANK SHEKHAR All Rights Reserved. ISBN 978-1-64919-221-9 This book has been published with all efforts taken to make the material error-free after the consent of the author. However, the author and the publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause. While every effort has been made to avoid any mistake or omission, this publication is being sold on the condition and understanding that neither the author nor the publishers or printers would be liable in any manner to any person by reason of any mistake or omission in this publication or for any action taken or omitted to be taken or advice rendered or accepted on the basis of this work. For any defect in printing or binding the publishers will be liable only to replace the defective copy by another copy of this work then available.

To A Allll My Gentle R Reeaders You who rreead so ffaithfull aithfullyy my book bookss may may,, perhaps, be int inter eres estted in this ffamil amilyy chr chronicle. onicle. This book w was as writ writtten in an eeff ffort ort ttoo light lighten en dark days bbyy rremembering emembering happier ones. My friend used ttoo ssay ay tha thatt when he wr wroote ssttories he cr creeated, but than I al alw ways rremember emembered ed in my book books. s. Her Heree in this chr chronicle onicle is the ffount ount ooff all my memories with a pinch ooff imagina imagination. tion.

SHA SHASHANK SHANK SHEKHAR

Contents Preface

vii

Prologue

ix

1. How Did Bihar Get’s It’s Name.

1

2. History Of Bihar.

2

3. Pre-historic Era In Bihar.

4

4. Period Of Kingdoms Emerged In Bihar.

5

5. The Magadha Empire.

11

6. The Maurya Empire

14

7. The Shunga Empire

17

8. The Kanva Dynasty

19

9. The Gupta Dynasty

20

10. The Pala Empire

24

11. Muslim Advance

26

12. Mughal Rule

28

13. British East India Company

29

14. British Raj

31

15. Story Of Independence Movement

33

16. Bihar In Recent Times

38

17. Language And Literature

39

18. Paintings

42

19. Music

44

20. Theatre

47

21. Cinema

50

22. Bhojiwood-bhojpuri Film Industry

53

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Contents 23. Sculpture

56

24. Architecture

57

25. State Of Politics: Bihar.

60

26. Post Independence Politics (1950-1975)

61

27. Bihar Movement & After: 1975–1990

63

28. Lalu Yadav And Politics: 1990-2004

66

29. What Happened After 2004?

67

30. Timeline Of Bihar

69

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Preface This is an important compilation of Events in the History Of Bihar by Shashank Shekhar for any reader interested in the historical viewpoints in Bihar’s Cultural heritage and Political History. Often portrayed as a land of uncritical religiosity, Paintings and Music, Mr. Shekhar brings out Bihar’s long tradition of Culture and Art including a considerable religious tolerance. The book is beautifully written and each Chapter is a joy to read. A wide range of Bihar’s valiant, philosophic and cultural contributions by nobel peoples of Bihar.

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Prologue Bihar an Indian state being a part of North-Eastern India. Is the 12th-largest state of India, with an area of 94,163 km2. The third-largest state of India by population, it is contiguous with Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Bengal to the east, with Jharkhand to the south. The Bihar plain is split by the river Ganges which flows from west to east. Bihar is an amalgamation of three distinct regions: Magadh, Mithila, and Bhojpur. On 15 November 2000, southern Bihar was ceded to form the new state of Jharkhand. Only 11.3% of the population of Bihar lives in urban areas, which is the lowest in India after Himachal Pradesh. Additionally, almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, giving Bihar the highest proportion of youngsters of any Indian state. In ancient and classical India, the area that is now Bihar was considered a centre of power, learning, and culture. From Magadha arose India’s first empire, the Maurya empire, as well as one of the world’s most widely adheredto religions, Buddhism. Magadha empires, notably under the Maurya and Gupta dynasties, unified large parts of South Asia under a central rule. Another region of Bihar is Mithila which was an early centre of Brahmanical learning and the centre of the Videha kingdom. There is an ongoing movement in the Maithili speaking region of Bihar for a separate Indian state of Mithila. What would be the capital of the state has yet to be decided, but Darbhanga is the most likely candidate. Other potential capitals include Muzaffarpur, Purnia, Madhubani and Begusarai.

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CHAPTER ONE

How Did BIHAR Get’s It’s Name. The name Bihar is derived from the Sanskrit and Pali word, Vihara (विहार),which means "abode". Vihara is a Pali word. Earlier the state was Abode or Vihara of Buddhist monks. Vihara with time has changed to Bihar. Also there was a popular town with the name of Bihar, that used to be the headquarters of Muslim invaders. Medieval writer Minhaj al-Siraj Juzjani records in the Tabakat-i-Nasiri that in 1198, Bakhtiyar Khalji committed a massacre in a town now known as Bihar Sharif, about 70 km away from Bodh Gaya.

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CHAPTER TWO

HISTORY OF BIHAR. "For me there is a vital connection between the Bihar calamity and the untouchability campaign." - Mahatma Gandhi The History of Bihar is one of the most varied in India. Bihar consists of three distinct regions, each has its own distinct history and culture. They are Magadh, Mithila and Bhojpur. Chirand, on the northern bank of the Ganga River, in Saran district, has an archaeological record from the Neolithic age (about 2500–1345 BC). Regions of Bihar—such as Magadha, Mithila and Anga—are mentioned in religious texts and epics of ancient India. Mithila is believed to be the centre of Indian power in the Later Vedic period (c. 1100-500 BCE). Mithila first gained prominence after being settled by Indo-Aryan peoples who established the Videha kingdom. The Kings of the Videha Kingdom where called Janakas. A daughter of one of the Janaks of Mithila, Sita, is mentioned as consort of Lord Rama in the Hindu epic Ramayana, written by Valmiki. The Videha Kingdom later became incorporated into the Vajji confederacy which had its capital in the city of Vaishali, which is also in Mithila.

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SHASHANK SHEKHAR

Magadha, another region of Bihar was the centre of Indian power, learning and culture for about a thousand years. One of India’s greatest empires, the Maurya empire, as well as two major pacifist religions, Buddhism and Jainism, arose from the region that is now Bihar. Magadha empires, most notably the Maurya and Gupta empires, unified large parts of the Indian subcontinent under their rule. Their capital Pataliputra, adjacent to modern-day Patna, was an important political, military and economic centre of Indian civilisation during the ancient and classical periods of Indian history. Many ancient Indian texts, aside from religious epics, were written in ancient Bihar. The play Abhijnanasakuntala was the most prominent. The present-day region of Bihar overlaps with several pre-Mauryan kingdoms and republics, including Magadha, Anga and the Vajji confederation of Mithila. The latter was one of the world’s earliest known republics and had existed in the region since before the birth of Mahavira (c.599 BCE). The classical Gupta dynasty of Bihar presided over a period of cultural flourishing and learning, known today as the Golden Age of India. The Pala Empire also made their capital at Pataliputra once during Devapala’s rule. After the Pala period, Bihar played a very small role in Indian history until the emergence of the Suri dynasty during the Medieval period in the 1540s. After the fall of the Suri dynasty in 1556, Bihar again became a marginal player in India and was the staging post for the British colonial Bengal Presidency from the 1750s and up to the war of 1857–58. On 22 March 1912, Bihar was carved out as a separate province in the British Indian Empire. Since 1947 independence, Bihar has been an original state of the Indian Union.

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CHAPTER THREE

Pre-Historic Era in Bihar. The earliest proof of human activity in Bihar is Mesolithic habitational remains at Munger. Prehistoric rock paintings have been discovered in the hills of Kaimur, Nawada and Jamui. It was the first time that a Neolithic settlement was discovered in the thick of the alluvium, over the bank of the Ganges at Chirand. The rock paintings depict a prehistoric lifestyle and natural environment. They depict the sun, the moon, stars, animals, plants, trees, and rivers, and it is speculated that they represent love for nature. The paintings also highlight the daily life of the early humans in Bihar, including activities like hunting, running, dancing and walking. The rock paintings in Bihar are not only identical to those in central and southern India but are also akin to those in Europe and Africa. The rock paintings of Spain’s Alta Mira and France’s Lascaux are almost identical to those found in Bihar.

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CHAPTER FOUR

Period Of Kingdoms Emerged In Bihar. ANGA Kingdom Period of Kingdom Emerged with the emergence of Anga kingdom which is described in the Mahabharata. Karna, a friend of Duryodhana, was the king of Anga. In the Mahabharata, the Anga king Romapada was a friend of Kosala king Dasharatha. Kosala Princess Santha, elder to Raghava Rama, lived as the daughter of Romapada, since he was childless. Duryodhana established Karna as the ruler of Angas. It is believed that there were many Anga kings who ruled different parts of Anga kingdom, contemporary to Karna. Champapuri was the capital of Anga ruled by Karna. Magadha (south-west Bihar) king Jarasandha gifted another city called Malinipuri, to the Anga king Karna. Khagaria, Bhagalpur and Munger are the present-day regions corresponding to the ancient Anga kingdom.

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