History of Bihar (Bihar Centenary Year)

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My primary aim in writing a short history of Bihar has been to draw the attention of the scholars towards the necessity of having a complete, comprehensive & exhaustive history of our own people. The Study of our own history has been widely neglected in the past and even today it has hardly advanced beyond the experimental stage and, too frequently, it is a mere appendage and not, as it should be, a round work of the history of Bihar. We have forgotten the accumulated and transferred wisdom of our ancient seers and prophets and any attempt, though nominal, towards, the revival of their contributions to progress, will help us to ensure a healthy outlook in understanding our own past and assessing our future.

Bihar needs no introduction to historical world. As sister Nivedita observes "The peculiar significance of Bihar in the comity of Indian people rises out of its position on the frontier line between two opposing spiritual influences. To this day it is the meeting place of Hinduistic & Mussalman civilisations All sorts of modified institutions, representing mutual assimilation, arise along the border line. Costumes, languages manners & habits of life are full of compromise. It has doubtless been this close contiguity of highly diversified elements within her boundaries that has so often made Bihar the birth place of towering political geniuses.

Shri Radha Krishna Choudhary, M. A., Head of the Department of History, GD. College, Begusarai, deserves congratulations on the completion of his book entitled 'History of Bihar'. Although much work has already been done on its early history, I believe this is the first attempt to give a connected and and succint account of Bihar from remote antiquity to the present day. The author has vividly traced the rise and growth of its power, and how in the course of centuries it has passed through many upheavals and political vicissitudes. He has also depicted its social, economic and cultural life during the ages. It is a fascinating story indeed, full of splendours as well as tragedies. When scenes unfold themselves in the ancient past, we behold many remarkable personalities strutting on the stage, and their achievements in thought or action raised Bihar to a position supreme importance. But as the drama of its history develops, it lapses into insignificance and monotony, unrelieved by any great event. In recent times, however, Bihar proved true to her glorious heritage by the noteworthy part it has played in the struggle for freedom. Such, in brief, is the long chequered history of Bihar, and it has been well treated in the pages which follow. Shri Choudhary displays in his work sound judgement, critical acumen and a commendable capacity for marshalling facts and expressing them in a lucid manner.