States PCS: Bihar GK for BPSC and other Bihar PCS Exams

Notes:
Darbhanga district in Bihar is renowned for Ramayana sites like Ahalya Sthan, Gautam Ashram, and Gautam Kund. It is also a major city in Mithila, carved to create Madhubani and Samastipur, and has significant historical and demographic importance.

Notes:
Lohat Sugar Mill, established in 1914 in Darbhanga district, was the first major sugar factory in Mithila and a prominent symbol of Bihar’s industrial growth. It operated until 1996 and played a significant role during British rule and the Darbhanga Raj period.

Notes:
Jalalgarh Fort was built in 1722 by Saif Khan, Faujdar of Purnea, Bihar. Located 20 km north of Purnia, it features quadrangular architecture with high walls built for protection against Nepalese invasions. Restoration work was ordered by Bihar’s government in 2012.

Notes:
Kesariya Stupa, dating to the Ashokan era, features circular terraces, Buddha niches, and a hilltop site like Borobudur. Excavations revealed shared architectural elements and inscriptions, suggesting cultural exchanges between the Pala dynasty of Bihar and the Srivijaya of Indonesia.

Notes:
P.S. Appu, an IAS officer of Bihar cadre, chaired the 1972 Bihar Land Reforms Committee. He highlighted political will as the main obstacle to effective land reforms. Later, he became Director of LBSNAA and received the Padma Bhushan for his service.

Notes:
King Jagatpal Singh of Pithoria aided the British in suppressing Vishwanath Shahdeo’s 1857 rebellion in Ranchi. Shahdeo, a Nagvanshi king, was captured and hanged in 1858. The British later confiscated Barkagarh estate and seized 97 villages as retribution.

Notes:
Vaishali is where Buddha allowed women into the Sangha by initiating Mahaprajapati Gautami. It’s a key Buddhist pilgrimage site, houses the Relic Stupa, the Ashokan lion pillar, and hosted the Second Buddhist Council in 383 BCE. Also associated with the Vajji republic and Jain Lord Mahavira.

Notes:
The Nalanda Copper-plate, dated 860 CE, was issued by Pala King Devapaladeva. It records his grant to Balaputra of Java to build a Buddhist monastery in Nalanda, Bihar. Discovered in 1921, it highlights cultural exchanges between India and Southeast Asia during the Pala period.

Notes:
Sumitra Devi became Bihar’s first woman cabinet minister in 1963. She championed the causes of backward caste women and rural education, held key portfolios, and later served as Union Minister. She was elected MLA five times and was a prominent figure in Bihar’s political scene.

Notes:
The Bihari Students Conference was founded in 1906 in Patna by Dr. Rajendra Prasad and others. It played a major role in Bihar’s nationalist movement by empowering the student community and nurturing future leaders like Anugrah Narayan Sinha and Krishna Sinha.