Bihar

Bihar ( , ) is a state in eastern India. It borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Bengal to the east, and Jharkhand to the south. Bihar is split by the river Ganges, which flows from west to east. It is the second largest state by population, the 12th largest by area, and the 14th largest by GDP in 2024. Bihar's official languages are Hindi and Urdu. The main native languages are Maithili, Magahi and Bhojpuri, but there are several other languages being spoken at smaller levels. Bihar played a central role in the history and development of Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, the Buddha attained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya at the Mahabodhi Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Early Buddhist schools, such as Nalanda and Vikramashila emerged in Bihar as major centres of Buddhist learning, attracting students and scholars from across Asia. Under dynasties including the Mauryas and Guptas, Buddhism received royal patronage and expanded from the region to other parts of Asia. Since the late 1970s, Bihar has lagged far behind other Indian states in terms of social and economic development.…

Bihar ( , ) is a state in eastern India. It borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Bengal to the east, and Jharkhand to the south. Bihar is split by the river Ganges, which flows from west to east. It is the second largest state by population, the 12th largest by area, and the 14th largest by GDP in 2024. Bihar's official languages are Hindi and Urdu. The main native languages are Maithili, Magahi and Bhojpuri, but there are several other languages being spoken at smaller levels. Bihar played a central role in the history and development of Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, the Buddha attained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya at the Mahabodhi Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Early Buddhist schools, such as Nalanda and Vikramashila emerged in Bihar as major centres of Buddhist learning, attracting students and scholars from across Asia. Under dynasties including the Mauryas and Guptas, Buddhism received royal patronage and expanded from the region to other parts of Asia. Since the late 1970s, Bihar has lagged far behind other Indian states in terms of social and economic development. Economists and social scientists claim that this is a direct result of the policies of the central government, such as the freight equalisation policy, its apathy towards Bihar, lack of Bihari sub-nationalism, and the Permanent Settlement of 1793 by the British East India Company. The state government has, however, made significant strides in developing the state. Improved governance has led to an economic revival in the state through increased investment in infrastructure, better healthcare facilities, greater emphasis on education, and a reduction in crime and corruption. ===Flora and fauna=== Bihar has a nature conservation area of , which is 7.27% of its geographical area. The sub-Himalayan foothill of Someshwar and the Dun ranges in the Champaran district have belts of moist deciduous forests, mixed with shrubs, grass and reeds. High rainfall (above 1,600 mm [63 in]) promotes forests of Sal (Shorea robusta) in these areas. Other important trees are Sal Cedrela Toona, Khair, and Semal. Deciduous forests also occur in the Saharsa and Purnia districts, with common trees including Shorea robusta ( ), Diospyros melanoxylon ( ), Boswellia serrata ( ), Terminalia tomentose ( ), Terminalia bellerica ( ), Terminalia arjuna ( ), Pterocarpus marsupium ( ), and Madhuca indica ( ). Valmiki National Park covers about of forest and is the 18th Tiger Reserve of India, ranked fourth in terms of the density of its tiger population. It has a diverse landscape and biodiversity in addition to sheltering protected carnivores. Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary in Bhagalpur region is a reserve for the endangered South Asian river dolphin. Other species in Bihar include leopard, bear, hyena, bison, chital and barking deer. Crocodilians including gharials and muggers as well as Gangetic turtles can be found in the river systems. Karkatgarh Waterfall on Karmanasa River is a natural habitat of the crocodilians. In 2016, the government of Bihar has accepted the proposal of the forest authorities to turn the area into a Crocodile Conservation Reserve (CCR). Other notable wildlife sanctuaries include Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary and Gautam Buddha Wildlife Sanctuary. Many varieties of local and migratory bird species can be seen in natural wetland of Kanwar Lake Bird Sanctuary, Asia's largest oxbow lake and only Ramsar site in Bihar, and other notable wetlands of Baraila lake, Kusheshwar Nath Lake, Udaypur lake. ===Natural resources=== Bihar is the principal holder of the country's pyrite reserves and possesses 95% of all known resources. In May 2022, a gold mine was found in the district of Jamui. It accounts for more than 44% of the country's gold reserve, approximately 223 million tons. ===Income disparity among social groups=== Rumela Sen, a lecturer at Columbia University, outlines the inequalities and backwardness prevalent in Bihar in the post-independence period as a consequence of the "delaying tactics" against the implementation of land reform and utilisation of kinship ties by the upper-caste landlords, who had an obstructionist attitude towards land reform policies. The upper-caste not only dominated the administration, but also the politics in the post-independence period; they utilised their caste ties in order to prevent the distribution of about 9000 acres of land intended for the poor. Since the landlords primarily belonged to upper-castes, just like the politicians and administrators in the early decades after independence, they were successful in grabbing large holdings of land amidst the passage of the Zamindari abolition act of 1952. Bihar is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as well as many other ancient monuments. The Mahabodhi Temple (literally: "Great Awakening Temple"), a UNESCO World Heritage site, is an ancient Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya, marking the location where the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment. Bodh Gaya (in Gaya district ) is about 96   km (60   mi) from Patna. The Khuda Bakhsh Library, which has one of the world's largest collection of books, rare manuscripts and paintings is located in Patna. Nalanda Mahavihara, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is among the oldest universities in the world, situated in Nalanda, Bihar. It comprises the archaeological remains of a monastic and scholastic institution dating from the third century BCE to the 13th century CE. It includes stupas, shrines, viharas (residential and educational buildings) and important art works in stucco, stone and metal. Nalanda stands out as the most ancient university of the Indian subcontinent. Archaeological Survey of India has recognised 72 monuments in Bihar as Monuments of National Importance. Furthermore, Archaeological Survey of India has recognised 30 additional monument as protected monuments in Bihar. Bihar has many places for ecotourism, which includes Valmiki National Park, famous for its national park and tiger reserve. Vikramshila Dolphin Sanctuary is home to the endangered Gangetic Dolphin. Bihar has many wildlife sanctuaries such as Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary, Gautam Buddha Wildlife Sanctuary, Kaimur Sanctuary, Udaypur Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Pant Wildlife Sanctuary. Bihar is host to many species of migratory birds at bird sanctuaries like Kanwar Lake Bird Sanctuary and the Nagi Dam Bird Sanctuary. Many tourists visit Bihar because of the religious significance of the area. The Hindu Goddess Sita, the consort of Lord Rama, is believed to have been born in Sitamarhi in the Mithila region of modern-day Bihar. Gautama Buddha is believed to have attained Enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, a town located in the modern day district of Gaya in Bihar. Vasupujya, the 12th Jain Tirthankara was born in Champapuri, Bhagalpur. Mahavira, the 24th and last Tirthankara of Jainism, was born in Vaishali around the sixth century BCE. The Śrāddha ritual performed in the Pitru Paksha period is considered to be most powerful in the holy city of Gaya, which is seen as a special place to perform the rite, and hosts a fair during the Pitri Paksha period. ==Notes== ==References== Mishra Shree Govind, History Of Bihar 1740–1772 , Munshiram Manoharlal, 1970 Verma B S, Socio-religious Economic And Literary Condition Of Bihar (From ca. 319 A.D. to 1000 A.D.) , Munshiram Manoharlal, 1962 Maitra A,Magahi Culture , Cosmo Publications, New Delhi, 1983 Naipaul V S, India: A Wounded Civilization, Picador, 1977 Trevithick Alan, The Revival Of Buddhist Pilgrimage At Bodh Gaya (1811–1949): Anagarika Dharmapala And The Mahabodhi Temple Jannuzi F. Tomasson, Agrarian Crisis In India: The Case Of Bihar, University of Texas Press, 1974, , Omalley L S S, History of Magadh, Veena Publication, 2005, Shukla Prabhat Kumar, Indigo And The Raj: Peasant Protests In Bihar 1780–1917 , Pragati Publications, 1993, Qeyamuddin Ahmad, Patna Through The Ages: Glimpses of History, Society & Economy , Commonwealth Publishers, 1988 Jain B D, Ardha Magadhi Reader, Sri Satguru Publications, Lahore, 1923 Patra C, Life in Ancient India: As Depicted In The Digha Nikaya, Punthi Pustak, 1996, Hazra Kanai Lal, Buddhism in India As Described by the Chinese Pilgrims AD 399–689, Munshiram Manoharlal, 1983, McCrindle John W., Ancient India As Described By Megasthenes And Arrian, Munshiram Manoharlal McCrindle John W., Ancient India As Described By Ptolemy , Munshiram Manoharlal, 1927, Sastry Harprasad, Magadhan Literature, Sri Satguru Publications, Calcutta, 1923 Rai Alok, Hindi Nationalism, Orient Longman, 2000, Waddell Austine L., Report on the Excavations at Pataliputra (Patna) – The Palibothra of the Greeks, Asian Publicational Services, Calcutta, 1903 Das Arvind N., The State of Bihar: an economic history without footnotes, Amsterdam: VU University Press, 1992 Brass Paul R., The politics of India since Independence, Cambridge University Press, 1990 Askari S. H., Mediaeval Bihar: Sultanate and Mughal Period, Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library, Patna, 1990 Tayler William, Three Months at Patna during the Insurrection of 1857, Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library, Patna, 2007 Taylor P.J.O., "What really happened during the Mutiny: A day by day account of the major events of 1857–1859 in India", Oxford University Press, 1997, Pathak Prabhu Nath, Society and Culture in Early Bihar (C.A.D. 200 – 600) , Commonwealth Publishers, 1988 Basham A. L., The Wonder that was India, Picador, 1954, Nambisan Vijay, Bihar in the eye of the beholder, Penguin Books, 2000, Pathak Mohan, Flood plains and Agricultural occupance, Deep & Deep Publication, 1991, D'Souza Rohan, Drowned and Dammed:Colonial Capitalism and Flood Control in Eastern India, Oxford University Press, 2006, Radhakanta Barik – Land & Caste Politics in Bihar (Shipra Publications, Delhi, 2006)

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