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History
Bihar is derived from the word Vihara, a Sanskrit word that means monastery. It is particularly apt considering it was the nurturing ground of religions like Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism. 2500 years ago, the Lord Buddha lived, preached and attained enlightenment – Nirvana - here. In the 6thcentury B.C. Lord Mahavira preached here and it became a major centre for Jainism. Thus Buddhist and Jain temples and monasteries are to be found all over the state.
From the 6th century onwards, Bihar was ruled by a succession of great dynasties and powerful kings. Chandra Gupta Maurya established the great Mauryan Empire in Patliputra with the help of the wily Brahmin Kautilya. Kautilya went on to write the most comprehensive treatise on statecraft called the Arthashastra. The book is an exhaustive work dealing with diplomacy, international relations, political systems and covert operations; his ideas are applicable even today.
The greatest king of this dynasty was the Emperor Ashoka who became a Buddhist after the slaughter and bloodshed of the battle of Kalinga. Deeply anguished by the massacre of over a million people, he not just embraced the teachings of the Buddha but became its biggest proponent. Ashoka sent religious emissaries to spread Buddhism in the countries of South East Asia where it flourishes till today. The Hindu dynasties of the Guptas and Palas were followed by the reign of the Mughal Emperors till the British established their suzerainty over Bihar after the decisive battle of Buxar in 1764.
In more modern times, Bihar was a frontrunner in the Indian Freedom movement and was the birthplace of many a national leader. It continued to play a principal role in contemporary Indian politics with leaders like Jai Prakash Narain at the forefront of the movement to restore democracy following the imposition of National Emergency in the mid 70s.
In October 2000, the state was formally split up to make the new state of Jharkhand located in the mineral rich, predominantly tribal regions of the state.
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Economy
Bihar lies in the Indo-Gangetic plain and its fertile farmlands grow maize, potato, rice and wheat and cash crops like sugarcane, cotton, jute, hemp, tobacco and oil seeds. The state also grows litchis, mangoes, banana and jackfruit. It is also particularly rich in water resources. The Ganga is the biggest river to flow through Bihar; other major rivers include Gandak, Ghaghra, Kosi, Bagmati and Mahananda. While these are invaluable for irrigation and may be tapped to produce hydroelectricity, they also cause great havoc annually when large parts of Bihar get flooded. Bihar also has great forest resources. Sal, shisham, Cedrela Toona, khair and semal forests occur in the sub Himalayan foothills in the north of the state.
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Travel Tools
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