Bihar

(2001 est. pop. 82.9 million). A state of the Indian Union, Bihar is bordered on the north by Nepal and by the states of West Bengal on the east, Uttar Pradesh on the west, Orissa on the south, and the new state of Jharkhand on the south and southwest. Its capital city is Patna, and the principal language spoken is Hindi. Bihar has a number of rivers flowing through it. The most important is the Ganga (Ganges); others include the Sone, Poonpoon, Falgu, Karmanasa, Durgawati, Damodar, Gandak, Ghaghara, and Kosi.

Bihar always played a significant role in India's history and witnessed the rise and fall of several empires. It finds mention in the Vedas and Puranas. It was here that Siddhartha Gautama (c. 563–c. 483 BCE; the Buddha) and Vardhamana (c. 599–527 BCE; prophet of Jainism) preached their faiths. Great kings of ancient times include Bimbisara, the founder of the Magadhan empire, Udayin who established the city of Pataliputra (modern Patna), and Candragupta Maurya and Asoka of the Maurya dynasty. Then came the Sungas, the Kanvas, and Candragupta Vikramaditya of the Gupta dynasty.

During the medieval period, Bihar was first incorporated within the Delhi sultanate and then became part of the Mughal empire. Taking advantage of the weakness of the later Mughals, the British established their foothold in Bihar with the battle of Plassey in 1757 and consolidated their position through successive battles. Bihar was a part of the Bengal presidency until 12 December 1911, when a separate state of Bihar and Orissa was formed. In 1936 Bihar was separated from Orissa, and in November 2000 Bihar was again bifurcated. The state of Jharkhand was created, consisting of the tribal-dominated districts of south Bihar.

As with most of India, Bihar is predominantly an agricultural state. The principal food grains are paddy rice, wheat, maize, and legumes, and the main cash crops are sugarcane, potatoes, tobacco, oilseeds, onions, chilies, jute, mangoes, and kenaf or mesta.

South Bihar was famous for its rich mineral resources, but since the bifurcation of the state in 2000, the industrial and mineral-rich zone has come within the state of Jharkhand. There are however, other important industries located in northern Bihar, including the alumina plant of the Indian Aluminium Company at Muri, the railway-wagon factory of Bharat Wagon Limited at Muzaffarpur and Mokama, and cotton-spinning mills at Siwan, Pandaul, Bhagalpur, Mokama, and Gaya. There are also sugar mills in northcentral Bihar, distilleries, tanning and leather industries in the northern part of the state, and three jute mills at Katihar and Samastipur.

Das, Arvind N. (1983) Agrarian Unrest and Socio-Economic Change in Bihar, 1900–1980. New Delhi: Manohar.

Datta, Kalikinkar. (1967) The Life and Thought of the People of Bihar. Calcutta, India: Scientific Book Agency.

This is the complete article, containing 451 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page).