Medieval History of Bihar

Slave of Qutbuddin Aibak
Real founder of Turkish rule in Bihar in 1198
Rulers during the period – Laxman Sen (Sen Dynasty), Indrayungpal (Pala Dynasty)
First Muslim ruler to conquer Bihar
Administrative HQ – Biharsharif
Returned areas of Mithila (Karnat Dynasty) after taking tax from Narsimha Dev
First major victory – Odantpuri Vihar (Bihar Sharif, 1198)
Destroyed Odantpuri, Nalanda, Vikramshila Universities (set them on fire)
Attacked Nadia (Bengal) in 1203–04; Lakshmana Sen fled without fighting
Made Lakhnauti capital after uniting Bihar & Bengal
Murdered by Ali Mardan, buried at Imadpur (Bihar Sharif)

Bihar = battleground between Delhi Sultans & Bengal rulers
Iltutmish (1225) – First Delhi Sultan to campaign in Bihar, captured Bengal & Bihar
- Appointed Malik Jani as first Subedar of Bihar
Tughlaq Period
- 1324–25 – Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq defeated Harisimha Deva (Karnat Dynasty)
- Established Vainvar Dynasty under Shiv Singh (Vidyapati served here)
- Firoz Shah Tughlaq (1359 Bengal campaign) visited Bihar; inscriptions at Patna, Gaya, Rajgir
Muhammad Bin Tughlaq renamed Tirhuta/Darbhanga → Tughlaqpur
Capital – Bihar Sharif (major Buddhist centre)
Administrator Malik Ibrahim (Malik Bayan) – tomb at Bihar Sharif
Sheikh Sharfuddin Yahya Maneri – Sufi saint; shrine at Badi Dargah, Bihar Sharif; Urs celebrated
“Jharkhand” term used in 13th century for tribal Bihar
“Bihar” mentioned in Tabaqat-i-Nasiri by Minhaj-i-Siraj

Afghans established by Nuhanis (Founder: Muhammad Shah Lohani)
Sikandar Lodi appointed Dariya Khan Nuhani as governor (1495–96)
After Ibrahim Lodi’s death → Bahar Khan Nuhani declared independence
Sikandar Lodi expanded empire to Munger
Mahmud Lodi (Afghan ruler) fled to Bihar from Babur
Battle of Ghaghra (6 May 1529) – Babur defeated Afghans (Muhammad Lodi)
- Babur appointed Jalal Khan administrator of Bihar
Afghans rose again under Sher Shah Suri

Birth – 1486
Father – Hasan Khan (Jagirdar of Sasaram)
Childhood name – Farid Khan
Title “Sher Khan” by Bahar Khan Nuhani
After fall of Nuhanis → married Bahar Khan’s widow Lad Malika; later married Dudu Begum (widow of Muhammad Shah)
Battle of Surajgarh (1534) – defeated Bengal
Proposed to Humayun – surrender Bihar + pay 10 lakh dinars annually
Took title Sher Shah after Battle of Chausa (1539)
1540 – defeated Humayun in Battle of Kannauj (Bilgram) → established Sur Dynasty
1541 – built Patna Fort, made Patna capital (Tarikh-i-Dawoody)
Built Mausoleum of Hasan Khan Sur, Sadak-i-Azam (GT Road)
Introduced Pattas & Kabiliyat System, Zabti System (land revenue)
Land Survey & Measurement – Sikandari Gaj & hemp sticks (सन की डंडी)
Divided empire into 47 Sarkars → Siqdar (Law & Order), Munsif (Justice); subdivided into Parganas
Conquests – Raisen (1543), Marwar (1544)
1545 – died in shell explosion (Kalinjar campaign)
Built Rohtas Fort, Sasaram Mausoleum (octagonal, Indo-Islamic style, artificial lake, red sandstone)
Introduced coins – Rupiya (silver), Dam (copper)
Reforms – governance, communication, postal, military, revenue
Successor – Islam Shah (Jalal Khan)
Later dynasty split into 3 parts
1555 – Humayun defeated Sikandar Suri (Battles of Machhiwara & Sirhind) → end of Sur Dynasty

Administrative Division – Subah → Sarkar → Pargana

Akbar
- Travellers: Ralph Fitch (English), Abdul Latif (Irani)
- Taj Khan Kararani respected Akbar; son Daud opposed
- 1574 – Daud defeated; Patna conquered (last Afghan ruler of Bihar)
- 1575 – Bihar officially part of Mughal Empire
- 1580 – Bihar made Suba (province); Governor – Mirza Aziz Koka
- Raja Man Singh (1587–1594) – governor; made Rohtas capital of Bihar
- Gave Mithila to Mahesh Thakur
Jahangir
- Extended authority to Chhotanagpur
- Diamonds & gold supplied
- 1621 – Prince Parvez governor (first Mughal prince to rule Bihar)
- Later governorship reserved for princes
- Mausoleum of Shah Daulat (Maner, 1617) by Ibrahim Khan Kakar
Shah Jahan
- Peter Mundy (English traveller) described prosperity of Patna
- Shaista Khan – Subedar of Bihar
Aurangzeb
- 1702 – grandson Prince Azim governor; renamed Patna → Azimabad
- 1713 – Mughal coronation of Farrukhsiyar at Patna (first outside Delhi)
- Shah Alam II (Ali Gauhar) also crowned at Patna (1761)

After Aurangzeb’s death (1707) – Bihar merged with Bengal
Murshid Quli Khan (1717–1727) – governor of Bengal & Odisha
Shujauddin → annexed Bihar (1733) → appointed Alivardi Khan deputy-subedar
1739 – Sarfaraz Khan Nawab of Bengal
1740 Battle of Giria – Alivardi Khan defeated Sarfaraz, became Nawab
- Paid 2 crore rupees to Mughal emperor
- Direct control of Bihar, Bengal, Odisha (till 1756)
Patna Massacre (1763) – English agent William Ellis killed by Mir Kasim
Sitab Rai – made Naib Diwan by Lord Clive (Diwani system)
Mulla Bahabahani (Iranian traveller) – called Patna Jannat-ul-Hind (19th c.)

10 Sikh Gurus → 3 connected with Bihar: Guru Nanak, Guru Tegh Bahadur, Guru Govind Singh
Guru Nanak Dev
- First Guru, founder of Sikhism
- Visited Gaya, Rajgir, Patna, Munger, Bhagalpur
Guru Tegh Bahadur
- 9th Guru
- Came to Patna via Sasaram, Gaya
- Left wife Gujri Devi in Patna → Guru Govind Singh born
Guru Govind Singh
- Born 26 Dec 1666, Patna
- Became 10th & last Guru (1675)
- Established Khalsa sect (1699)
- Assassinated 1708 at Nanded (by order of Wazir Khan, Sirhind governor)
Pilgrimage Site
- Takht Shri Harimandirji, Shri Patna Sahib → Main Sikh pilgrimage site
- Built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh