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Bihar derives its name from Vihar, the Buddhist term for monastery. It is known in history as the birth place of innumerable cultures and religions. Patna, the capital of Bihar was once Patliputra, the capital of Ashoka.
It is the 12th largest state in the country in area and 3rd largest in terms of population. The total population of the state is 82 million and it covers an area of 173,877 sq km. The main languages spoken are Hindi, Maithili, Bhojpuri and Urdu. The state is divided into 40 constituencies.
Geography
Bihar is located in the eastern part of the country (between 83°-30` to 88°-00` longitude). It is an entirely land–locked state, although the outlet to the sea through the port of Kolkata is not far away. Bihar lies mid-way between the humid West Bengal in the east and the sub humid Uttar Pradesh in the west which provides it with a transitional position in respect of climate, economy and culture. It is bounded by Nepal in the north and by Jharkhand in the south. The Bihar plain is divided into two unequal halves by the river Ganga which flows through the middle from west to east.
Demographic division
The community wise break up of the state comprises 15% Muslims, 16% Scheduled Castes, 11% Ahirs/Yadavs and Brahmins, Kurmis, Rajputs and Koeris are around 5% each. Other communities like Kumhars, Kahars, Kandus and Kayasthas are under 2% each. Of the Scheduled Castes, Chamars are around 5%, Dosadhs 5% and Musahars 3%. Amongst Scheduled Tribes, Santhals are around 4%, Oraons are 2%, Mundas are 1.5% and Hos are 1% dominant.
History
Known in ancient days as Magadha, Bihar achieved eminence during the reign of Mauryan rulers, particularly Ashoka. Bihar remained an important place of power, culture and education during the next one thousand years. The Gupta Empire, which again originated from Magadha in 240 CE, is referred to as the Golden Age of India in science, mathematics, astronomy, religion and Indian philosophy. The Vikramshila and Nalanda Universities, were among the oldest and best centres of education in ancient India. The Buddhism of Magadha was finally swept away by the Muslim invasion under Muhammad Bin Bakhtiar Khilji, during which many of the viharas and the famed universities of Nalanda and Vikramshila were destroyed, and thousands of Buddhist monks were massacred in 12th century CE. The region saw a brief period of glory for six years (1540 -1546 CE) during the rule of Sher Shah Suri, who built the longest road of the Indian subcontinent, the Grand Trunk Road. The economic reforms carried out by Sher Shah, like the introduction of Rupee and Custom Duties, is still used in the Republic of India. During 1557-1576, Akbar, the Mughal emperor, annexed Bihar and Bengal to his empire. The 10th and the last Guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh was born in Patna.
After various ups and down of history, Bihar passed into the hands of the Nawabs of Bengal, after the disintegration of the Mughal Empire. The British located in Bengal wrested Bihar in 1764. Babu Kunwar Singh of Jagdishpur and his army, as well as countless other persons from Bihar, contributed to the India`s First War of Independence (1857), also called the Sepoy Mutiny by some historians.
It was from Bihar that Mahatma Gandhi launched his pioneering civil-disobedience movement, Champaran Satyagraha. In 1911, Bihar was separated from the Bengal Presidency. In 1936, it became a separate province. It has been a state since independence. Under the Reorganisation Act of 1956, some areas of Purnia and Manbhum were transferred to West Bengal. In December 2000, Bihar was divided and a new state of Jharkhand was created. Bihar at present has 40 Lok Sabha seats.
Culture and Tourism
Important places of tourist interest are Rajgir (pilgrim place for the Buddhists), Bodh Gaya (most sacred place for Buddhists), Gaya, (center of pilgrimage for Hindus), Nalanda (ruins of the world`s earliest Buddhist University) and Vaishali (the seat of the first republic of the world in the sixth century BC).
Other places of tourist interest in Bihar include Bhimbandh, famous for hot springs; Maner, a sacred Muslim shrine of Sufi Saint Hazrat Makhdoom Shah; Vikramshila, the ruins of a Buddhist University; and Sasaram, the site of the tomb of Afghan emperor Sher Shah Suri.
Bihar still has a lot to offer as it the land of the magnificent Ganges, lush green plains, beautiful flora and fauna, attractive tourist destinations like the world famous ancient seats of learning like Nalanda and Vikaramshila, marvelous Madhubani Paintings (Mithila Arts), enchanting Sujuni work, gorgeous Bhagalpuri Silk, rich mineral resources, the world famous delicious litchi (lychee) and mangoes, and much more.
Economy
The economy of Bihar is largely service oriented, but it also has a significant agricultural base. The state also has a small industrial sector. As of 2008, agriculture accounts for 35%, industry 9% and service 55% of the economy of the state.
Bihar has significant levels of production for the products of mango, guava, litchi, pineapple, brinjal, cauliflower, bhindi, and cabbage in India. Despite the states leading role in food production, investment in irrigation and other agriculture facilities has been inadequate in the past. Until the mid fifties, 25% of India`s sugar output was from Bihar. Dalmianagar was a large agro - industrial town.
There have been attempts to industrialize the state between 1950 and 1980: an oil refinery in Barauni, a motor scooter plant at Fatuha, and a power plant at Muzaffarpur. However, these were forced to shut down due to Central government policy which neutralized the strategic advantages of Bihar. Hajipur, near Patna, remains a major industrial town in the state, linked to the capital city through the Ganga bridge and good road infrastructure.
Polity
The constitutional head of the Government of Bihar is the Governor, who is appointed by the President of India. The real executive power rests with the Chief Minister and the cabinet. The political party or the coalition of political parties having a majority in the Legislative Assembly forms the Government. It has a bicameral legislature. The members of the Legislative council are partially nominated and partially elected.
Two regional parties - the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Janata Dal United (JDU) - dominate the political landscape in the state. Both have links with the country`s main political parties, the RJD with Congress, and the JDU with the BJP.
In 2004, the RJD, led by the flamboyant Lalu Yadav, picked up more than half of the state`s seats, while the JDU managed only six. Lalu went on to become Railway Minister in the Congress-led UPA government. He has been credited with turning around India`s ailing train network.
But the tables have been turned since 2004. The JDU and BJP swept state polls in 2005, with JDU leader Nitish Kumar cashing in on popular disenchantment with the RJD government and the deteriorating law and order situation.
To make things worse for the Congress, its alliance with RJD has collapsed this time over distribution of seats. In a curious political twist, the RJD is now contesting the election in alliance with another UPA partner, Lok Janashakti Party (LJP).
So the main battle in Bihar this time is between the JDU-BJP alliance and RJD-LJP alliance. Deserted by its allies, Congress has been reduced to a small player.
Bihar needs to catch up with the rest of India - and jobs, development, infrastructure and security are what its voters demand.
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| 2004 LOKSABHA SEATS |
| SEATS |
40 |
| RJD |
22 |
| JD(U) |
6 |
| BJP | 5 |
| LJP | 4 |
| Cong | 3 |
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