Bihar Intermediate History (BSEB) flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Chirand

Neolithic-Chalcolithic site in Saran district, Bihar, on the Ganga-Son confluence. Famous for bone tools, cord-impressed pottery, and evidence of rice cultivation, making it key to Bihar's prehistory.

Lothal

Harappan port site in Gujarat with a brick dockyard, warehouse, and bead factory. It shows maritime trade with the Persian Gulf and is often cited as evidence of Harappan hydraulic engineering.

Dholavira

Harappan site in Kutch, Gujarat, known for a sophisticated water reservoir and drainage system and a signboard with large Indus characters. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021.

Painted Grey Ware

Fine grey pottery with painted black designs, associated with Later Vedic settlements of the Ganga-Yamuna doab and with iron use. It marks the transition from early to later Vedic society.

Anguttara Nikaya

Buddhist Pali text whose list names sixteen mahajanapadas, including Magadha, Kosala, Vatsa, and Avanti. It is a standard source for early historic political geography of India.

Haryanka dynasty

Earliest ruling dynasty of Magadha, whose kings Bimbisara and Ajatashatru expanded the kingdom using iron weapons, elephants, and control of Ganga trade routes.

Kautilya's Arthashastra

Sanskrit treatise on statecraft attributed to Chanakya, Chandragupta Maurya's minister. It covers taxation, espionage, diplomacy, and the seven elements of the state.

Megasthenes' Indica

Account by Seleucus's envoy to the Mauryan court. It describes Pataliputra's administration, the army, and social divisions, though parts survive only in later quotations.

Ashoka's dhamma

Moral policy of tolerance, non-violence, and welfare promoted in Major Rock and Pillar Edicts after the Kalinga war. Dhamma was not a new religion but a public ethical code.

Bodh Gaya

Site in Bihar where Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. It is one of the four principal Buddhist pilgrimage places and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Vaishali

Ancient republic in north Bihar, birthplace of Mahavira and site of the second Buddhist council. Its Ashokan pillar and stupa remain important archaeological monuments.

Allahabad pillar inscription

Pillar inscription composed by court poet Harisena, recording Samudragupta's conquests and titles. It is the main source for Gupta military expansion and policy toward frontier states.

Nalanda Mahavihara

Major Buddhist monastic university in Bihar, flourishing from the Gupta period to the 12th century. Chinese pilgrims Xuanzang and Yijing described its curriculum and large student body.

Pala dynasty

Rulers of Bengal and Bihar from the 8th century, notably Dharmapala and Devapala. They patronized Buddhist monasteries such as Vikramashila and Nalanda and traded with Southeast Asia.

Vikramashila

Buddhist monastery in Bihar founded under the Palas, known for tantric scholarship and the scholar Atisha. It was destroyed around 1200 CE during Turkish invasions.

Sher Shah Suri

Ruler born at Sasaram, Bihar, who defeated Humayun in 1540 and ruled until 1545. He standardized the rupiya, reformed land revenue, and extended the Grand Trunk Road.

Kunwar Singh

Zamindar of Jagdishpur, Bihar, and a leader of the 1857 revolt. He captured Arrah and fought British forces despite his advanced age, becoming a symbol of regional resistance.

Champaran Satyagraha

1917 campaign in Bihar led by Gandhi against the tinkathia system, which forced indigo cultivation on three-twentieths of tenant land. It was his first satyagraha in India.

Bihar province, 1936

Bihar was separated from Bengal in 1912 as Bihar and Orissa, then became a separate province in 1936 under the Government of India Act 1935. Bihar Diwas is observed on 22 March.

Bihar Diwas

Observed on 22 March, marking the 1912 separation of Bihar from Bengal. It commemorates the formation of the province that later became the modern state of Bihar.

Sunga dynasty

Successors of the Mauryas in Magadha, founded by Pushyamitra around 185 BCE. They patronized Brahmanical religion and are linked to the Bharhut stupa and Sanchi railings.

Kushana coins

Gold and copper issues of Kanishka and successors bearing king's image and deities from Greek, Iranian, and Indian traditions. They document Silk Road trade and religious pluralism.

Gandhara school

Buddhist art style of northwest India blending Greco-Roman realism with Buddhist themes. Grey schist sculptures show wavy hair, drapery, and muscular anatomy, unlike Mathura's indigenous style.

Mathura school

Buddhist and Jain art style centered in Mathura using spotted red sandstone. It depicts the Buddha with shaved head and a halo, reflecting indigenous Indian conventions.

Sarnath first sermon

Event where the Buddha preached the Dhammachakkappavattana Sutta, setting out the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. Sarnath is near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.

Mahaparinirvana

The Buddha's final passing at Kushinagar, now in Uttar Pradesh. It is one of the four principal pilgrimage sites, along with Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, and Sarnath.

Rajgir first council

Site in Bihar where the first Buddhist council was held soon after the Buddha's death, reciting the Vinaya and the teachings. Rajgir was the early capital of Magadha.

Tinkathia system

Champaran arrangement requiring tenants to grow indigo on three kathas out of every bigha. The 1917 satyagraha and the subsequent inquiry led to its abolition.

Pataliputra

Ancient capital of Magadha and the Mauryas, located near modern Patna. Greek and Chinese accounts describe its wooden walls and moats; it hosted the third Buddhist council.

Iron and Magadha's rise

Access to iron ore in south Bihar allowed better ploughs, clearing of land, and superior weapons. This economic and military advantage helped Magadha absorb rival mahajanapadas.

Purana Qila

Fort in Delhi built by Sher Shah Suri after defeating Humayun. Its architecture, including the Qila-i-Kuhna mosque, influenced later Mughal building styles.

Rupiya reform

Sher Shah Suri issued a silver coin of about 178 grains that became the basis of the Mughal rupee. Standardized coinage improved trade and revenue collection across north India.