Bihar-Specific History, Geography, Polity and Culture
The Bihar-specific section covers ancient Magadha, the freedom struggle in Bihar, the state's physical setting, its legislative structure and its living culture. A small set of facts repeats every year, so precision matters more than breadth.
History
Magadha was the cradle of empires: Bimbisara and Ajatashatru ruled from Rajgir, while the Mauryas and Guptas governed from Pataliputra (Patna). Vaishali is linked to the Lichchhavi republic and to Ashoka's lion capital at Kolhua. Nalanda, Vikramshila and Odantapuri were great monastic universities. In 1857, Babu Veer Kunwar Singh of Jagdishpur led the revolt in Bihar, and the Champaran Satyagraha (1917) was Gandhi's first satyagraha in India, directed against the tinkathia system of indigo cultivation. Bihar and Orissa became a separate province in 1912, Orissa was separated in 1936, and Jharkhand was carved out on 15 November 2000.
Geography
Bihar is landlocked, bordered by Nepal to the north and by Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal. The Ganga flows west to east; the Kosi is called the "Sorrow of Bihar" because it shifts course and floods north Bihar, while the Damodar is the "Sorrow of Bengal". The Someshwar range in West Champaran holds the state's highest point.
Polity and culture
Bihar has a bicameral legislature: 243 Assembly seats, 75 Legislative Council seats, 40 Lok Sabha and 16 Rajya Sabha seats, with 38 districts and 9 divisions. Culture includes Chhath, the Sonepur Mela, Madhubani painting, Sujini and Sikki crafts; GI tags include Mithila Makhana, Shahi Litchi and Jardalu mango.
Worked example
Why is the Kosi called the Sorrow of Bihar? It carries a heavy silt load from the Himalayas, raises its own bed and shifts channel across north Bihar, causing repeated floods. Answer with the cause (silt), the mechanism (channel shifting) and the effect (flooding).
Traps
Confusing 1912 with 1936; naming the Damodar instead of the Kosi; and mixing Bihar Diwas (22 March) with the Jharkhand formation date.