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Modern History of Bihar

Modern History of Bihar has played an important role not only in shaping the
state of Bihar & also India as a whole. It has impacted the social, economic,
political & social dimensions of India. Chronological study of the Modern
History of Bihar is illustrated below:-

1. Advent of Europeans in Bihar

2. Expansion & consolidation of British power in Bihar

3. Bihar & the revolt of 1857

4. Socio-religious reforms movements in Bihar

5. Role of Bihar in the early phase of modern nationalism (till 1905):

Moderate Phase

6. Role of Bihar in the next phase national movement (1905-1918)

7. Role of Bihar in the era of mass nationalism (1919-1939)

8. Role of Bihar in the final phase of freedom struggle (1939-1947)

9. Bihar after independence

1. Advent of Europeans in Bihar

• The fertile soil of Bihar, which is drained by river Ganga & its
tributaries has attracted many foreign powers.
• Europeans were no exception.
• They were attracted with indigo, saltpetre, cotton & textiles of Bihar.
• They opened their factories in various places of Bihar.
• Patna became an important centre of calicos & silk.
• It was also a trading region of saltpetre.
• Along with the British, other European powers like the Portuguese, the
French, the Danes, the Dutch started competing with each other in the
lucrative & highly profitable business.
• The British opened a factory in Patna in 1620 for the purchase and
storage of calico and silk.
• Peter Mundy calls Patna, "the greatest mart of the eastern region" in
1632.
• Various Europeans who entered into Bihar are illustrated below:
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I) Portuguese
• They were the first European to enter in Bihar.
• They were mainly interested in cotton & textile of Bihar.
• Portuguese captain Pedro Tavares received permission from Emperor
Akbar to establish a warehouse in the region.
• The first place where they set-up their factory was Hooghly in 1579-
80.
• Patna was also frequently visited by them for various trade purposes.
• As their trading activities increased, they also started conducting other
activities like setting-up religious institutions.
• An important Christian Church was set-up in Bandel in 1599 (Presently
located in the Hooghly district of West Bengal).
• It is interesting to note that it was the first Christian church in Bengal.
II) British
• Second European power to enter into Bihar were the British.
• Eventually, they emerged as the most powerful European power not
only in the region but also in the entire country.
• Their first warehouse was opened at Alamganj in Patna for the
purchase and storage of calico and silk in 1620.
• However, it was short-lived & had to close in the very next year.
• After a long span of 30 years (in the year 1651), the factory was
revived by the English. In the present time, it is being transformed
into a government printing press placed in Gulzar Bagh.
III) Dutch
• Dutch were interested in saltpetre, food grains, cotton & textiles.
• Their factory was established in Patna in 1632 (near present Patna
College).
• They established their factory near Nepali Kothi in Patna in 1774.
IV) Danes
• They established their factory at Nepali Kothi in Patna in 1778.
2. Expansion & consolidation of British power in Bihar

I. The Battle of Buxar

a) Background of the Battle

• The British helped Mir Qasim to get the nawab-ship of Bengal from
Mir Jafar.
• They thought to use him as an ideal puppet for them.
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• However, Mir Qasim took many steps like shifting the capital from
Murshidabad to Munger in Bihar & reorganizing the bureaucracy &
the army, which belied their expectations.
• The British East India Company created the office of Deputy-
Governor to administer Bihar.
• Shitab Roy & Raja Ram Narayan were the important Deputy-
Governors.
• Ram Narayan was supported by the British, who did not submit the
accounts of the revenues of Bihar.
• Various other reasons such as misuse of the trade permit
(Company's Dastak) by Company officials, the right to freely trade in
Bengal, coercive methods of the British merchants to get goods at
cheaper rates annoyed Mir Qasim.
• So, Mir Qasim decided to abolish the duties altogether, which was
opposed by the British.
• Finally, the war broke over the tussle of transit duty between The
Nawab & the British in 1763.
• The successive victories were gained by the English at Katwah,
Murshidabad, Giria, Sooty and Munger.
• The Nawab fled to Awadh and formed a confederacy.
b) The Battle of Buxar
• The Battle of Buxar was fought between the combined armies of Mir
Qasim, the Nawab of Awadh Shuja-ud-Daulah and Shah Alam II &
the British (led by Major Hector Munro) on October 22, 1764.
• The confederacy led by the Nawab was defeated in a closely
contested battle.
• Not only the Nawab of Bengal but also the Emperor of India was
defeated in the battle.
• The battle resulted in making the British a great power in northern
India.
c) The Treaty of Allahabad
• Two treaties of Allahabad were concluded by Robert Clive on August
12 & August 16, 1765 respectively.
• The first treaty was concluded with the Nawab of Awadh and the
second was with the Mughal Emperor, Shah Alam II.
• Under the treaty, the Awadh Nawab agreed to:
✓ Pay war indemnity of Rs. 50 lakh to the Company
✓ Surrender Kara & Allahabad to Emperor Shah Alam II

• Under the treaty, Shah Alam II agreed to:

✓ Grant the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa to the East India
Company (in lieu of an annual payment of Rs. 26 lakh)
✓ Grant Nizamat functions of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa to the East India
Company
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✓ Reside at Allahabad under the Company's protection

II. Dual Government in Bengal (1765-72)

• The Battle of Buxar & the Treaty of Allahabad bestowed real powers
to the East India Company.
• The Dual system of Government was introduced by Robert Clive in
Bengal in 1765.
• Under this system, the rule of both the Nawab & the Company was
introduced in the Bengal.
• Both the Diwani (the right to collect revenues) & Nizamat (the
judicial & police functions) functions came under the control of the
Company.
• The Diwani rights were exercised by the company as Diwan.
• The company held the right to nominate the Deputy Subahdar to
exercise its nizamat rights.
• Two deputy Diwans, i.e. Raja Sitab Roy for Bihar & Mohammad Reza
Khan for Bengal were appointed by the company.
• The system proved beneficial for the company, but it was disastrous
for the public of Bengal.
• Finally, the dual system was abolished by Warren Hastings in 1772.

III. Severe famine in Bihar and Bengal

• Agricultural development was being ignored during this period which

was one of the prime reasons for the devastating 1770s famine of
Bengal.
• The famine had affected the lower Gangetic plain of India from Bihar
to the Bengal region.
• It is estimated to cause 10 million death.
• A dome-shaped granary of Golghar was constructed by the then
Governor-General of India, Warren Hastings in 1783.
• Similarly, a massive granary was also constructed by the Captain
John Garstin in 1786.

IV. The Permanent Settlement System

• This system was introduced in Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, and districts of
Benaras & Northern districts of Madras by Lord Cornwallis in 1793.
• It was planned by John Shore.
• It declared zamindars as the owners of the land.
• Hence, they could keep 1/11th of the revenue collected to
themselves while the British got a fixed share of 10/11th of the
revenue collected.
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• The sum that tenants would have to pay was fixed. That is why the
naming as Permanent.
• They were also assured of their ownership of the land. Ownership
was made hereditary.
• Many zamindars stayed in towns (absentee landlordism) and
exploited their tenants.
• The Bengal Tenancy Act was formulated in 1885 to define the rights
of tenants due to widespread discontent against the zamindars.
3. Bihar & the revolt of 1857
• The revolt of 1857 is an important landmark in the modern history of
India.
• It was also termed as the First War of Independence by Vinayak
Damodar Savarkar.
• The revolt took place at the Viceroy-ship of Lord Canning.
• Various causes of the revolt were military, socio-religious, political,
economic & administrative reasons.
• The revolt started in India at Meerut on May 10, 1857.
• It gathered force rapidly & soon extended to a vast area.
• It reached Punjab in the north, the Narmada in the south, the Bihar
in the east and Rajputana in the west.
• Bihar was also a major centre of the revolt.
• The Bihar province was administratively divided into six districts, i.e.
Bihar, Champaran, Saran, Tirhut, Shahabad & Patna.
• The beginning of the revolt in the Bihar was from Rohini in Deoghar
district (presently in Jharkhand) from 12th June, 1857 which was the
headquarters of 32nd Infantry Regiment.
• Here, two English officers Surgeon Dr Grant & Lieutenant Norman
Leslie were murdered.
• However, the revolt was crushed by Macdonald.
• Also, the headquarters of the regiment was shifted to Bhagalpur.
• Mutinies flared up in Muzaffarpur, Palamau, Singbhum, Manbhum,
Chaibassa, Dinapur, Jagadishpur, Tirhut, Bhagalpur, Sonthal
Parganas, Purnea, Sambalpur, Patna, Gaya, Champaran and Saran.
• It is noted that in Bihar, two important groups were active against
the British.
• First group was the 'Lucknow Group' which consisted of the people
like Pir Ali, Yusuf Ali, Imamuddin and Masihuzzaman.
• The second group was called the 'Delhi Group', which consisted of
the people like Ali Karim (zamindar of Dumri, Gaya) and Waris Ali.
• Another centre of the revolt was Patna.
• The revolt in the Patna was led by a bookseller Pir Ali from July 3rd,
1857.
• Dr. Lyell, an opium trader, was killed here.
• Similarly, the revolt broke in Muzaffarpur on July 25th, 1857.
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• The most significant revolt in the Bihar was the revolt of Danapur
cant. from July 25th, 1857 which marked the beginning of the
widespread revolt in the region.
• Mutiny also began at Gaya, which came to be re-occupied by
Government on 16th August 1857.
• Though the mutiny in the district of Gaya might have been crushed,
in certain areas, it had assumed popular character under different
leaders.
• Jodhur Singh as the head of the Bhojepore men had sympathy &
support of a number of villages of Gaya.
• Hyder Ali Khan supplied the leadership in the north-east portion of
the district who attempted to regain Rajgeer Pargana formerly
belonging to his ancestors.
• The district of Purnia lying between Bhagalpur and Jalpaiguri had
also been affected by a mutinous rising.
• Towards the end of October 1857, a fresh alarm was caused by the
advance of two companies of the 32nd Native Infantry which had
mutinied at Bhagalpur.
• Pandey Ganpat Rai was the Chief of the army in the Jharkhand's
revolt of 1857.
• However, the support of some sections of loyal landlords & kings of
the British served as a major roadblock.
• Maharajas of Hatwa, Dumraon & Darbhanga were such examples
who supported the British.
• Babu Veer Kunwar Singh was the most notable figure in the revolt of
1857 from Bihar.
• Nilambar-Pitambar (Brothers) led the revolt from Palamu region.
o Leaders of the Bhokta sub-class of the Kharwar tribe
o Well-trained in guerilla warfare
o Helped by Chero people and Shahabad’s Thakur Amar Singh
o Attacked Britishers in Chainpur, Shahpur & Lesliganj in October
1857
o Caught by British Major Dalton and hanged on 28 March 1859
in Lesliganj

I. Role of Babu Veer Kunwar Singh in the revolt of 1857

• Babu Veer Kunwar Singh was born in April 1777 to the Maharaja and
Maharani of Jagdispur which is currently in Bhojpur District, Bihar.
• Though he was nearly 80 years old, his bravery & courage helped
him shine in the revolt.
• He actively led a band of armed forces of 4000 soldiers and recorded
victories in many battles.
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• He took charge of the sepoys who were stationed at Danapur on 25th

July, 1857.
• In his fight, he was also assisted by his brother Amar Singh, nephew
Rathmanjan Singh, four Zamindars of Shahbad, Nishant Singh &
Harikishan Singh.
• He tried to free Arrah with the help of his militants.
• He failed in his first attempt but succeeded to capture Arrah in his
second attempt on 27th July, 1857.
• He declared himself as the ruler of Arrah.
• Captain Dunver reached Arrah to re-capture it from Veer Kunwar
Singh, but he was defeated.
• This was a significant victory of Veer Kunwar Singh.
• He took control of the Arrah fort till 3rd August 1957.
• Finally, British officer, Major Vincent Eyre took Arrah back from Veer
Kunwar Singh.
• Jagdispur was also ransacked by Major Vincent Eyre, but he could
not capture Veer Kunwar Singh.
• Amar Sigh, the younger brother of Veer Kunwar Singh, led the revolt
in Kaimur Hills.
• Veer Kunwar Singh reached Rohtas, where he led the rebellion army
of Ramgarh battalion.
• Later he left for Banda, Lucknow, Ayodhya to contact other
rebellions.
• In Ayodhya, he joined Nana Saheb in his fight against British in
Kanpur.
• He was appointed as a divisional commander there.
• In his way to Azamgarh, he was joined by the forces of Ali Kareem.
• An intense struggle took place between him & Colonel Milkman to
seize Azamgarh fort.
• The Colonel Milkman had to flee & Kunwar Singh confiscated the
Azamgarh fort.
• Colonel Dense was also defeated by him.
• This bravery annoyed & frustrated the Britishers.
• Lord Lugard & Lord Kake marched towards Azamgarh from Lucknow
& Allahabad respectively.
• Kunwar Singh decided to leave Azamgarh fort, leaving behind a force
to protect Azamgarh.
• Azamgarh was re-captured by the force of Lord Lugard.
• Veer Kunwar Singh was a master at guerrilla warfare and was able to
elude the British for almost a year.
• In a battle with British Officer Duglus, he sustained injuries.
• Finally, he passes away on 26 April 1858.
• His bravery, farsightedness, sacrifice & spirit of nationalism inspired
many freedom fighters.
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• The Government of India released a stamp in his honour, in 1966.

II. Role of Thakur Vishwanath Shahdeoin in the revolt of 1857

• Vishwanath Shahdeoin was born in Satrangi, the capital of Barkagah

estate in Lohardaga in Bengal Presidency on 12 August 1817.
• His mother was Chaneshwari Kunwar & his father was Raghunath
Shahdeo.
• He was a member of the Nagvanshi family.
• He later became the king of Barkagarh estate.
• The British established the military headquarters of Ramgarh
Battalion at Doronda & the civil headquarters in Ranchi without his
approval.
• Later German church was established by the German Missionaries.
• Hence, he was annoyed by the authoritarian way of functioning of
the officials.
• No attention was paid to his complaint to the British officials.
• Hence, he organized a Mukti Vahini with the assistance of nearby
zamindars.
• He and his followers attacked the force of British East India Company
in Ranchi and British had to flee.
• He was eventually caught and was hung from a tree along with his
accomplices.

III. Role of Sheikh Bhikhari in the revolt of 1857

• He was born in a weaver Ansari family in Budmu but spent rest of his
life in Khudia-Lotwa village of Ormanjhi.
• He was a freedom fighter in the Indian revolt of 1857.
• He was general & Dewan of Tikait Umrao Singh.
• Along with Tikait Umrao Singh, he prevented East India Company
force from occupying Ranchi by cutting trees of Chutupalu Ghati.
• Later he was hanged with Tikait Umrao Singh in a banayan tree of
chutupalu ghati in Ramgarh in 1858.
• Later British hanged him with Tikait Umrao Singh in a banayan tree
of chutupalu ghati in Ramgarh in 1858.

IV. Role of Pandey Ganpat Rai in the revolt of 1857

• He was born in Bhounro village of Lohardaga district on January 17,

1809.
• His mother was Sumitra Devi & his father was Ramkishun Rai.
• His uncle Sadashiv Rai was the Diwan of Nagvanshi Maharaja
Jagannath Shahdeo.
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• He became the Diwan after the death of his uncle.

• After spreading the revolt of 1857 in various part of north India,
Ganpat Rai and Vishwanath Shahdeo decided to assume leadership.
• They assembled a force of around 1,100 men & Ganpat Rai was
named as the commander-in-chief.
• They planned to flee the British officials from the region.
• Their final goal was to proceed through Palamu district and reach
Arrah were they could join their forces with Kunwar Singh.
• They received initial success in the battle.
• However, in the infamous Battle of Chatra, British troops which were
assisted by Sikh sepoys besieged the village of Chatra & drove them
out.
• Finally, he was captured & hanged by the British authorities.

V. Role of Nilmoni Singh Deo in the revolt of 1857

• He was the zamindar of Panchet.

• He fought against the British in the revolt of 1857.
• He led anti-British uprisings in Manbhum.
• To make him a loyal supporter of the British, the Lieutenant
Governor of Bengal recommended the title of Raja on Nilmoni Singh
Deo.

4. Socio-religious reforms movement in Bihar

Wahabi Movement

• The Wahabi Movement was an Islamic revivalist movement.

• It was founded by Syed Ahmed of Rai Bareilly.
• He was inspired by the teachings of Shah Waliullah of Delhi & Abdul
Wahab of Saudi Arabia.
• Syed Ahmed was against the western influence on Islam.
• He advocated for the idea of pure Islam.
• Under the movement, a countrywide organization was set-up under
Sithana (in the north-western tribal belt) as the base of operations.
• Important missions of the movement were located at Bombay,
Bengal, Madras, Hyderabad & United Provinces.
• Patna was an important centre of the movement.
• Syed Ahmad appointed Muhammad Hussain as his representative of
the movement when he first came to the Patna.
• He again visited the Patna in 1821 for the second time & appointed
Inayat Ali, Vilayat Mi, Farhat Hussain & Muhammad Hussain as
Khaleefas.
• On his second visit in 1821, he appointed Muhammad Hussain,
Vilayat Mi, Farhat Hussain and Inayat Ali as Khaleefas.
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• This is also noted that the Wahabis played an important role in

spreading anti- British sentiments.
• British also conducted a series of military operations against
Wahabis.
• Wahabi Movement also inspired the Faraizi Movement of Bengal.

5. Role of Bihar in the early phase of modern nationalism (till

1905): Moderate Phase
Home Rule League Movement in Bihar
• The basic purpose of setting-up Home Rule League in India was to
convey the message of self-government to the common man.
• Two Home Rule Leagues were organized in India on the lines of the
Irish Home Rule Leagues.
• Bal Gangadhar Tilak set up his Home Rule League in April 1916.
• It had six branches & it was restricted to Karnataka, Central
Provinces and Berar & Maharashtra (excluding Bombay city).
• Madras was chosen by Annie Besant to set up her league in
September 1916.
• Her league had 200 branches & it covered the rest of India (including
Bombay city).
• George Arundale was her organizing secretary & the main work was
done by B.W. Wadia and C.P. Ramaswamy Aiyar.
• Bihar was also an important centre of the Home Rule Movement.
• A meeting was organized in Bankipore (Patna) on 16th December
1916 to start Home Rule League in Bihar.
• Mazhar-ul-Haque helped in organizing the movement in Bihar & was
appointed its President in 1916.
• Purnendu Narain Sinha & Sarfaraz Hussain Khan were appointed as
the Vice-Presidents.
• Baijnath Narain Singh & Chandravanshi Sahay was appointed as the
Secretaries.
• Purendru Narayan Sinha was perhaps the most dedicated Home
Ruler of Bihar.
• A lawyer from Gaya, Parmeswar Lal also played an important role in
popularising the movement in Bihar.
• A protest meeting was also organized at Gaya on June 24th, 1917,
which was supported by various sections of the society.

6. Role of Bihar in the next phase national movement (1905-1918)

I. Champaran Satyagraha (1917)
• The name of Champaran district is written in the golden letters in the
Modern History of India.
• This region suddenly came into limelight after the launch of Mahatma
Gandhi's first Civil Disobedience movement in India.
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• Farmers of the Champaran were forced to grow indigo on 3/20 part

of their total land (called tinkathia system) by the European planters.
• Rajkumar Shukla invited Mahatma Gandhi to look into the problems
of these farmers.
• The peasants were forced to sell the produce at prices fixed by the
Europeans.
• Also, in order to maximize their profits, the European planters
demanded illegal dues & high rents from these peasants before the
peasants could shift to other crops in the event of synthetic dyes
replacing indigo.
• Along with Gandhiji, many other leaders like J.B. Kripalani,
Mazharul- Haq, Narhari Parekh, Mahadeo Desai & Dr. Rajendra
Prasad joined the movement.
• The British authorities ordered Gandhiji to leave the area
immediately, but he refused to do so.
• Hence, it is called as the first Civil Disobedience movement of
Gandhiji in India.
• Finally, a committee was appointed by the government to look into
the matter (the Champaran Committee) & Gandhiji was also
nominated as a member.
• Gandhiji was successful in convincing the authorities to abolish the
tinkathia system & compensate the farmers for the extraction of
illegal dues.
• As a compromise, it was agreed that only 25 per cent of the money
taken should be compensated.
• It was the first victory of Gandhi's Civil Disobedience movement.
• Other important leaders associated with the movement were Raam
Lal Shah, Shambhusharan Varma, C. F. Andrews, Ramnavmi Prasad,
Anugrah Narayan Sinha, H. S. Pollock, Dharnidhar Prasad &
Brajkishore Prasad.

II. Revolutionary Activities

• Khudiram Bose and Praful Chaki- planned a conspiracy to kill the
Chief Presidency Magistrate DH Kingsford of Muzaffarpur (1908).
• They threw bombs on a vehicle of Kingsford, but unfortunately, two
British women were killed in the attack.
• A branch of the Anushilan Samiti was set-up in Patna by
Sachindranath Sanyal in 1913.
• This samiti was managed by Bankimchandra Mitra.
• Bankimchandra Mitra & Sachindranath Sanyal were arrested in
Benaras Conspiracy Case in 1915.
• A professor of Patna University, Professor Yadunath Sarkar was also
charged with seditious activity.
7. Role of Bihar in the era of mass nationalism (1919-1939)
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I. Contribution of Bihar in the Non-cooperation Movement

• This movement was started by Mahatma Gandhi due to various

reasons such as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Khilafat issues &
Rowlatt Act.
• The need of non-cooperation was also stressed in the provincial meet
of the Bihar Congress held in August 1920.
• This meet was presided over by Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
• Shah Mohammad Zubair & Dharnidhar Prasad introduced the non-
cooperation resolution.
• The resolution was also supported by Gulam Imam & Gorakh Prasad.
• A committee was constituted for the movement with Dr. Rajendra
Prasad, Shah Mohammad Zubair & Mazhar-ul-Haq as its members.
• To encourage the people & seek their participation in the movement,
Mahatma Gandhi visited Bihar in December 1920.
• On February 6, 1921 Mahatma Gandhiji laid the foundation of Bihar
Vidyapeeth on a sprawling campus in western Patna.
• Eminent educationist, lawyer & freedom fighter Maulana Mazharul
Haq donated the land for the campus.
• Apart from imparting education in science and arts, the institute
provided training in social works like stitching & weaving.
• This institution was a symbol of swadeshi education which was
started as an initiative to boycott British-run educational institutes
under the Civil Disobedience Movement.
• Dr. Rajendra Prasad provided solid support to the movement.
• Many lawyers, including Dr. Rajendra Prasad gave up their practice
in support of the movement.
• A newspaper called 'Motherland' was started by Mazhar-ul-Haq in
September 1921 to promote Gandhian ideology & the Hindu-Muslim
unity.
• The visit of the Prince of Wales in Bihar was opposed by the
Congress in December 1921.
II. Swarajist Movement

• There was demoralization among nationalist ranks after Gandhiji's

arrest in March 1922 on the charges of sedition after Khilafat Non-
cooperation Movement.
• A debate was started among Congressmen on what to do during the
passive phase of the movement.
• Gaya session of the Indian National Congress was held in December,
1922.
• It was presided over by Chittaranjan Das.
• This session saw two factions in the Congress.
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• While one faction was advocating the entry in the Legislative Council,
other was opposing it.
• Motilal Nehru, CR Das, and Ajmal Khan were interested in the
Council entry.
• Due to their differences with other faction, they formed the Swarajist
Party.
• C.R. Das was appointed as the President and Motilal Nehru as one of
the secretaries.
• Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Vallabhbhai Patel, C Rajagopalachari and MA
Ansari were not interested in the Council entry.
• Hence, these two factions came to be known as the Swarajists & No-
changers, respectively.
• A branch of Swaraj Dal was also formed in Bihar under the
leadership of Shri Krishna Singh in 1923.
• Finally, the Swarajists were allowed to contest elections as a group
within the Congress.
III. Simon Commission

• The Government of India Act, 1919 had a provision that a

commission would be appointed after ten years to study the progress
of the governance scheme and suggest new steps.
• A seven-member Indian Statutory Commission, popularly known as
the Simon Commission was appointed on November 8, 1927 even
before its schedule.
• It was an all-white commission.
• This was seen as a violation of the principle of self-determination and
as a deliberate insult to the self-respect of Indians.
• Indians were outraged at their exclusion from the Commission.
• Anugrah Narayan Sinha led an All Party Meeting that took the
decision to boycott Simon Commission.
• The Madras session of the Indian National Congress which was held
in December 1927 under the presidency of M.A. Ansari decided to
boycott the commission.
• The commission arrived in Bombay on February 3, 1928.
• There was a widespread protest against the arrival of the Simon
Commission in India along with the slogans of 'Simon Go Back'.
• The Commission reached in Patna on 12th December 1928.
• It was also opposed there.

IV. Complete Independence Resolution

• Jawaharlal Nehru played a pivotal role in popularising the concept of

Complete Independence (Purna Swaraj).
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• He Presided over the Lahore session of the Indian National Congress

held in December 1929.
• The following important decisions were taken at the Lahore session.
• Complete independence was declared as the aim of Congress.
• January 26, 1930 was to be celebrated as the first Independence
Day.
• Decision to boycott the Round Table Conference.
• Congress Working Committee was authorized to launch a
programme of civil disobedience.
• At midnight on December 31, 1929, the newly adopted tricolour flag
of freedom was hoisted by Jawaharlal Nehru on the banks of Ravi
river amidst slogans of "Inquilab Zindabad".
• The Bihar Congress Working Committee also endorsed the plan of
complete independence through unfurling the tricolour lag on 20th
January, 1930.

V. Contribution of Bihar in the Civil Disobedience Movement

• The outline of the Salt Satyagraha was prepared by Dr. Rajendra

Prasad & 6th April, 1930 was chosen for Salt Satyagraha in Bihar.
• Pandit Jawaharlal visited Bihar for the success of the movement.
• First two districts to start the Salt Satyagraha were Saran &
Champaran.
• Later, it spread to Darbhanga, Hajipur, Patna, Bhojpur, Purnia,
Muzaffarpur & Bettiah.
• A Swadeshi Committee was set up at Patna.
• As the Bihar was landlocked, it was not practical to manufacture of
salt on a large scale & hence the Satyagraha was more of a symbolic
nature.
• Ambika Kant Sinha led the Satygrahis in Patna to make salt and
break the salt law at Nakhas Pond.
• Every section of society, including women, participated in the
movement.
• Jayaprakash Narayan (JP) participated in the Civil Disobedience
Movement & was imprisoned for a year in 1932 by the British.
• He played a leading role in the formation of the Congress Socialist
Party which was considered a left-wing group within the Congress.
• Bihpur Satyagraha was started at the same time.
• Due to physical constraints in making salt, the "No Chaukidari tax
agitation" replaced the salt satyagraha & became very powerful in
Bihar.
• The sale of liquor & foreign cloth declined dramatically by November
1930.
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• The administration also collapsed in several parts like the Barhee

region of Munger.
• Instances of the lower-class militancy were also seen in the tribal
belt of Chhotanagpur.
• A movement in Hazaribagh was led by Somra Majhi & Bonga Majhi in
which the followers were asked to use khadi, give up liquor & meat
on Gandhian line.
• Rai Bahadur Dwarkanath resigned from Bihar Legislative Council in the
protest of lathi charge on Prof. Abdul Bari & Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
• The prominent leaders of the movement were Hasan Imam, Sir Ali
Imam & Sachchidanada Sinha.
• Ramsunder Singh & Chandarvati Devi also participated in the
movement.
• Gorkha police were employed to suppress the movement.
• Many newspapers were banned on sedition charges.

VI. Kisan Sabha and Bihar

• Sri Krishna Sinha & Mohammad Zubair organized the Kisan Sabha in
Munger in 1922.
• Swami Sahajanand Saraswati formed the Bihar Provincial Kisan
Sabha in 1929.
• It was organized mainly to raise the farmer's grievances against the
zamindari attacks on their occupancy rights.
• In a retaliatory move, Zamindars formed United Political Party.
• The year 1933 saw the formation of the Bihar Kisan Sabha.
• Similarly, the year 1936 saw the formation of All India Kisan Sabha
which was Presided over by Swami Shajanand Saraswati.
• N.G. Ranga was its Secretary.
• Peasant movement in the North and Central Bihar was led by Swami
Sahajanand Saraswati and his followers like Rahul Sankrityayan &
Pandit Yamuna Karjee.
• A Hindu weekly "Hunkar", raised the issues of peasants & agrarians’
distress.
• It was started by Rahul Sankrityayan & Pandit Yamuna Karjee in
1940.

VII. The Bihar Socialist Party

• The Bihar Socialist Party was formed by Ramanand Mishra,

Rambriksh Benipuri & Ganga Sharan Sinha in 1931.
• Similarly, the year 1934 saw the formation of the Bihar Congress
Socialist Party which was initiated by Jaiprakash Narayan who
convened a meeting at Anjuman Islamia Hall in Patna.
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• The party had its first President in Archarya Narendra Dev & first
General-Secretary was Jai Prakash Narayan.

VIII. The First Congress Cabinet in Bihar

• The Provincial autonomy was provided by the Government of India

Act, 1935.
• Accordingly, elections were held in 152 election zones.
• Out of 107 seats where the Congress contested the election, it won
98 seats.
• Congress won 8 seats in the Legislative Council election.
• Despite being in the majority in both the houses, Sri Krishna Sinha
had refused to form the government.
• Hence, Mohammad Yunus, who was the leader of independent
members, formed the government & became the first Prime Minister
(now titled as CM) of Bihar province of British India.
• Congress Cabinet was formed by Sri Krishna Sinha on 20 July, 1937.
• The Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Legislative Council were Sri
Ramdayalu Singh and Prof. Abdul Bari respectively.
• The most important work of the ministry was the Bihar Tenancy
Amendment Act.
• Finally, Shri Krishna Sinha ministry resigned in the protest of the
British announcement of India's participation in the Second World
War.

IX. Revolutionary Activities

• The year 1927 saw the formation of the Patna Yuvak Sangh.
• The Bihar Yuvak Sangh was formed in Motihari in 1928.
• Gyan Shah was appointed as the In-charge of this organization.
• Rambriksha Benipuri and Ambika Kant Singh formed Patliputta
Yuvak Sangh in 1929.
• "Yuvak", a monthly magazine was started from Patna.

8. Role of Bihar in the final phase of the freedom struggle (1939-

1947)

Contribution of Bihar in the Quit India Movement

• The Congress Committee in Bihar prepared the outline of the

movement on 31st July, 1942 under the leadership of Dr. Rajendra
Prasad.
• Bihar was amongst the main storm centres of the movement.
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• But, all the important leaders of the movement were imprisoned by

the government.
• The general public attacked symbols of authority and hoisted
national flags.
• Telegraph lines were cut, railway tracks were removed & bridges
were blown up.
• Satyagrahis offered for their own arrest.
• This kind of activity was most intense in Bihar & United Provinces.
• Many nationalists went underground and took to subversive
activities.
• Major participants in these kinds of activities were local
organizations, Gandhi ashramites, Forward Bloc members,
revolutionary nationalists & the Socialists.
• Bihar was also the main centre of these activities.
• Several repressive measures were taken against the Congress.
• The District Magistrate, W.C. Archer ordered firing on the protestors.

Azad Dasta

• Socialists played a prominent role in the Quit India Movement with

the help of “Azad Dasta”.
• Azad Dasta was a secret organization.
• It was founded by Jayaprakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia,
Basawan Singh & Nityanand Singh in the Terai region of Nepal.
• Armed training was provided to youths under the organization to
struggle against the British.
• The need for this organization was felt by the Socialists because of
two reasons: -
1. To give the right direction to the spirit of struggle among youths
against the British.
2. To prepare a force of organized youths to face the repression &
organized violence of the British.
• Hence, all India centre of the organization was setup in Nepal & its
Provincial centre was setup in Bihar.
• The organization was mainly setup to create havoc against the
government during the time of struggle.
• First training session of the organization was organized in the
Rajvilas forest of Nepal in 1943.
• The Director of this training session was Sardar Nityanand Singh.
• The training programme included various activities such as operating
various arms & immunities, conducting violent operations &
explosions.
• Revolutionaries were mainly trained in three kinds of activities under
the organization, which were:
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1. To disturb the means of transportations

2. To harm the industrial setups
3. To destroy the means of communications
• To meet the objectives, two kinds of groups were prepared within
the organization.
• The first group was to operate secretly to conduct sabotage
activities.
• The second group was to become part of wider public revolts.
• The activities of Azad Dasta were successful & this success inspired
similar organization in Bhagalpur & Purnia of Bihar.
• The organization remained active until 1943.
• However, there was a slowdown in its activities after the arrest of
Jayaprakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia & other revolutionaries.

9. Bihar after independence

• First Chief Minister of Bihar - Dr. Krishna Sinha
• First Governor of Bihar – Jairamdas Daulatram
• First President of India- Dr. Rajendra Prasad (born in Ziradei, Siwan
district, Bihar)
• The state of Jharkhand was carved out from the southern part of
Bihar on 15 November 2000.

Contribution of Jayaprakash Narayan (Lok Nayak) post-independence:

• Drafted the Sarvodaya plan in 1950: decentralization & small

industries
• Bhoodan Movement (1954): distribution of land to the landless
• Sampoorna Kranti (1974): program of social transformation

He was conferred the Bharat Ratna in 1999 posthumously for his "invaluable
contribution to the freedom struggle and upliftment of the poor and
downtrodden".
Administration of Bihar under the British India
• A post of Deputy Governor was created by the East India Company to
administer Bihar after the Battle of Buxar.
• Shitab Roy & Raja Ram Narayan held this post.
• The Revenue Council of Patna was constituted in 1770 which was
replaced by the Revenue Chief of Bihar in 1781.
• Patna emerged as an important trading & strategic centre under the
British Raj.
• Till 1912 Bihar remained a part of the Bengal Presidency.
• After the Swadeshi and Anti-Partition Movement of Bengal of 1905,
the Delhi Durbar war organized in 1911 which was also attended by
King George V.
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• It brought several administrative changes in British India such as Delhi

was made the capital of India, in place of Calcutta.
• Orissa & Bihar was carved out as a separate province (22nd March
1912) and Patna was made its capital.
• Important Education institutes which came up during the British rule
in India are-

✓ Patna College
✓ Bihar Vidhyapeeth
✓ Prince of Wales Medical College (PMCH)
✓ Patna Science College
✓ Patna Veterinary College
✓ Bihar College of Engineering
• Bihar was divided into the separate province of Orissa and Bihar
under the Government of India Act, 1935.
• Patna continued as the capital of Bihar.

Tribal Revolts in Bihar

Important tribal revolts in Bihar are illustrated below:-

Revolt Year Important Region

Leaders
Noniya 1770- Hazipur, Tirhut, Saran,
Rebellion 1800 Purnia (Salt Petre
producing areas in
British India)
Dhalbhum 1766- Jagannath Dhal Dhalbhum region
Rebellion 1774
Tamar 1789- Bhola Nath Sahay Chota Nagpur
Revolts 1832 was the main
leader of the
revolts.

Ganga Narain
Singh also
supported the
revolts.
Ho and Raja Parhat, Birsa I. By Ho tribals led by
Munda Munda Raja Parahat (1827;
Uprisings Chottanagpur &
Singhbhum)
II. By the Mundas & Ho
tribals (1831)
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III. By the Mundas led

by Birsa Munda (1899-
1900; south of
Ranchi)
IV. The Ulgulan
uprising (1860-1920)
Kol Mutiny 1831 Buddho Bhagat Manbhum, Hazaribagh,
Ranchi, Singhbhum &
Palamau
Bhumij 1832-33 Ganga Narain Birbhum & Singhbhum
Revolt Singh
Lota 1856 Muzaffarpur
Rebellion
The Santhal 1855-56 Sidhu and Kanhu, Area from Bhagalpur of
Rebellion Chand & Bhairav eastern Bihar to
Rajmahal (Santhal
Pargana or 'Daman-e-
koh')
Tana Bhagat 1914 Jatra Bhagat, Chotanagpur (now in
Movement Balram Bhagat Jharkhand).