Historical Figures

Buddha (563-483 BC)

• Contemporary of Mahavir
• Shakya Kshatriya
• Childhood name Siddarth
• Father Sudodhan
• Wife Yashodhara
• Son Rahul
• Enlightenment at Phalgu River (Niranjana) Peepal tree (Bodhi tree) in Bodh Gaya
• First sermon Sarnath
• Ashtangik marg
• Madhyam Marg
• Mahaparinirvana at Kushinagar

Mahavir (540-468)

• Birth Kundgram (Vaishali)
• Childhood name Vardhman
• Father Siddarth & Mother Trishala
• 24th Tirthakar
• Kaiwalya after 12 Years in Jambhika gram near Rijupalika river (Nalanda)
• 146 lessons
• Nirwana or Moksha on Dipawali night

Kautilya (Chanakya/Vishugupta)

• PM of Chandragupta Maurya
• Resident of Taxila
• Dhananand insulted
• Arthashashtra in Sanskrit

Chandragupta Maurya (322-298 BC)

• Maurya Dynasty founder
• Dethroned Nandas
• Defeated Seleucus (Greek) & Married his daughter Helena
• Megasthenes (Greek Ambassador) wrote Indica
• Empire up to Northwest of Hindukush (First time consolidated a large empire)

Ashoka

• Grandson of Chandragupta Maurya & Son of Bindusar
• Accession 272 BC & Coronation 268 BC
• Childhood Name Ashoka Vardhan
• Kalinga war (13th year) transformed – love animals, humanity
• Sent Son Mahendra & Daughter Sanghamitra to Srilanka to propagate Buddhism
• 3rd Buddhist Council at Patliputra
• Agamkuan (99 brothers)
• Empire from Hindukush to Nepal & Himalaya to Penner

Samudragupta

• Successor of Chandragupta I
• Prayag Prashashti
• Empire From Punjab, Nepal to Kanchipuram
• Napoleon of India
• Veena

Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708)

• 10th & last Guru
• Father Tegh Bahadur (beheaded by Aurangzeb – not convert to Islam)
• 4 sons died during his lifetime in Mughal-Sikh war

Kunwar Singh (1777-1858)

• Birth Jagdishpur (Bhojpur)
• Father Zamindar Sahabzada Singh
• Works Markets, wells & tanks
• Danapur Sepoy rebellion 25 July 1857
• Not liked Patna Commissioner William Taylor
• Denvar defeated
• Eyer crushed rebellion
• Moved to Kanpur (To meet Tatya Tope), Lucknow, Azamgarh, Gazhipur
• Wounded – one arm to Ganga
• Martyred 26 April 1858

Dr. Rajendra Prasad (1884-1963)

• Birth Jiradei, Siwan on 3 December 1884 (Gandhi visited)
• Father Mahadev Sahai (Persian & Sanskrit scholar)
• Education studied at Chapra, Calcutta
• Taught at City College, Calcutta
• Legal practice in Calcutta & Patna
• Active role in Bihar students Union (1906)
• Participated in Champaran Satyagraha
• NCM leadership
• Principal of Bihar Vidyapeeth
• INC General Secretary in 1922
• Chairman of Patna Municipality (1923)
• Went to England for Dumraon Maharaja case (1928)
• President of Bihar Congress (1930)
• Arrested on 3 January 1932 for 6 Months
• Again arrested on 6 January 1933 for 15 Months (Released due to Asthma)
• INC President in 1934 & 1939 (1939 when SC Bose resigned)
• Imprisoned on 9 Aug 1942 (Released 1945)
• Agriculture & Food Minister in Interim govt
• Constituent Assembly Permanent Chairman (11 December 1946)
• First & 2nd President of India
• Visited SL, Indonesia, Malasiya, Laos, Combodia, Vietnam, Japan & USSR
• Retired on 12 May 1962 & residence at Sadaqat Ashram (By Mazharool Haq in Patna)
• Bharat Ratna (1962)
• Died 28 Feb 1963
• Authored – India Divided (भारत खंडि डि त), आत्मकथा, Satyagraha in Champaran, बापू के कदमो में

Sahajanand Saraswati

• Born Ghazipur
• Formed Bihar Provincial Kisan Sabha in 1929 & All India Kisan Sabha in 1936 Lucknow
• Ashram at Bihta
• Commemorative stamp by Ram Vilas Paswan (2000)
• ICAR Award – Extension Scientist/Worker Award
• Journal – Hunkar

Sri Krishan Singh (1887-1961)

• Born @ Khanwa of Nawada but ancestral village in Barbigha of Shekhpura
• Father Harihar Singh
• Education college education at Patna University
• Quote – “Geeta in one hand & sword in other” for country service
• Influenced by Tilak, Aurobindo, Gandhi
• HRM leader (1916)
• Jailed in 1921
• Elected for Legislative Council in 1921
• Beaten in Sultanganj Police Station during CDM
• First PM of Bihar 20 July 1937 (Congress) after Muhammad Yunus
• Imprisoned in 1942
• CM (1946-1961)
• Titles Bihar Kesari, Shri Babu
• Reforms Zamindari abolition (1st CAA)
• Opened Baidyanath Dham temple for everyone

A.N. Sinha

• Born at Poiwan of Aurangabad
• Father Vishweswar Dayal Singh
• Childhood name Ugra Narayan Sinha
• Education B.A from PU; Bachelor of Law From Calcutta University
• Political teacher Rajendra Prasad
• Lecturer at TNB College (Bhagalpur) – helped flood victims
• Legal practice in Patna HC
• Participated in Champaran Satyagraha
• History teacher in Bihar Vidyapeeth
• BPCC – Joined in 1921 & General Secretary in 1935, President in 1928-29
• First Deputy CM
• General Secretary of Ramgarh Congress Committee (1940)
• Title Bihar Vibhuti

JP Narayan

• Birth Sitab Diyara (11 October 1902) in Saran-Balia
• Education Incomplete
• Influenced by Marxist thoughts in USA
• Return to India in 1929 & joined INC
• Jailed at Nasik in 1932
• General Secretary of CSP
• Absconded with fellow from Hazaribagh jail on Diwali (Hero of Underground Movement) – Parshuram Dal, Siyaram Dal
• Movement from Nepal
• Formed Azad Dasta
• Formed Praja Socialist Party (1952) – left & work for Vinoba's Bhoodan
• Award Raman Magsasay Award 1965
• Movement Total Revolution 1974
• Title Lok Nayak
• 25 June 1975 National Emergency
• Died 8 October 1979 at Patna
• Wife Prabhavati Devi

Raj Kumar Shukla

• Birth at Satwaria village (Champaran)
• Invited Gandhi to Champaran at Lucknow INC
• Another ancestral village Murli Bharahwa (Acres of farming land)

Bali Ram Bhagat

• Birth Patna
• Participation QIM
• Member of Provisional Parliament
• LS Speaker (1976-77)
• Foreign Minister, Defence Minister etc.

Satyendra Prasann Sinha

• First Indian Governor (Bihar)
• Resigned from Bihar-Orissa Governor post in 1921

Satyaendra Narayan Sinha

• Son of AN Sinha
• Nickname “Chhote Sahab”
• Member of Provisional Parliament
• CM 2 times (Congress & Janata Party)
• Newspaper – Nav Bihar

Bhagwat Jha Azad

• Father of cricketer Kirti Azad
• CM (1988-89)
• LS MP from Bhagalpur 6 times
• Birth Kasba village (Godda, Jharkhand)
• Education from TNB College & PU
• Participation QIM

BP Mandal

• Chaired 2nd BC Commission
• 7th CM (1968)
• Birthplace Madhepura

Jagjeevan Ram

• Birth @ Chandwa village (Bhojpur)
• Imbibed Gandhism
• Deputy PM (1978-79)
• Youngest Minister in Interim Govt – Labour Minister