Important Timeline for Bihar

Timeline for Bihar

·         2500–1345 BCE: Chirand, on the northern bank of the Ganga River, in Saran district, has an archaeological record from the Neolithic age.

·         1100-500 BCE: Mithila region of present-day Bihar became the centre of Indian power in the later Vedic Period during the rule of Janaks of Videha.

·         560–480 BCE: The era of Buddha.

·         Around 500-around 300 BCE: Foundation and rule of world's first republic, Vajji, a confederation of various clans, in the Mithila region of present-day Bihar with capital at Vaishali and Lichhavis are the most powerful clan of Vajji.

·         490 BCE: Establishment of Pataliputra (Modern Patna).

·         Before 325 BCE: Nanda clan rules in Magadha.

·         450–362 BCE: Emperor Mahapadma Nanda is ruler of the Magadh Empire, Nanda Dynasty.

·         304 BCE: Ashok Maurya born in Pataliputra

·         325–185 BCE: Magadh Empire under the Maurya Dynasty

·         340 BCE: General Chandragupta Maurya crowned Emperor of Magadh; Chandragupta is the first Mauryan emperor.

·         273 BCE: Ashok Maurya crowned new Emperor of Magadh, Buddhism is exported to Persian Empire, Greece, China and East Asia

·         273–232: Majority of 'Indian' region brought under the control of the Magadh Empire by Ashoka-The Great.

·         232 BCE: Death of Emperor Ashok Maurya

·         250 BCE: 3rd Buddhist Council

·         185 BCE–80 CE: The Magadha Empire falls under the Shunga Dynasty after the military coup by General Pushyamitra Shunga.

·         71–26 BCE: Magadh Empire falls under the Kanva dynasty

·         240–600 CE: Magadh Empire falls under the Gupta Dynasty. First ruler is Chandra Gupta

·         375–415: Emperor Chandragupta II

·         500: Attack by Huns weakens the power of Guptas. Provinces break away from the Magadh Empire.

·         Around 6th century — 11th century : The rule of Pala and Sena dynastys in Mithila region.

·         600–650: Harsha Vardhana empire expands into Magadh from the present-day Haryana.

·         750–1200: The Pala Dynasty Expands into Magadh.

·         11th century- around 1325: The Karnata dynasty rules Mithila region.

·         1200: Bakhtiyar Khilji's army destroys the Buddhist universities at Nalanda and Vikramshila. Start of the Muslim Era.

·         1200–1400: Sharp decline of Buddhism in Bihar and northern India in general.

·         1250–1526: Magadh and Mithila regions come under the Delhi Sultanate.

·         1526–1540: Mughal Emperor, Babur, defeats the last Sultan of Delhi, Lodi, and establishes the Mughal Dynasty.

·         1540–1555: Shenshah SherShah Suri (from Sasaram, modern south Bihar) captures empire from Mughals (SherShah built the Grand Trunk Road, introduced the Rupee and Custom Duties).

·         1556: Hindu King Hem Chandra Vikramaditya popular as Hemu takes control of Agra and Delhi as a Vikramaditya King and declares Hindu rule in North India.

·         1556: Mughal dynasty regains control of Agra after the Battle of Panipat.

·         1556–1764: Bihar becomes a province of the Mughal Empire.

·         1666: Guru Gobind Singh The 10th and last Sikh Guru, is born in modern-day Patna.

·         1757–1857: The British East India Company expands it rule into Bihar from Bengal.

·         1764: Battle of Buxar, Core lands of Mughal-ruled Hindustan are put firmly under British Company government. Tax collection rights are now a duty of the Company.

·         1764–1920: Migration of Bihari & Eastern United Provinces (modern-day Eastern Uttar Pradesh) workers across the British Empire under the rule of the Company and later Crown Government. Bihari migrant population dominate and settle in Guyana, Surinam, Trinidad-Tobago, Fiji, Mauritius, and Natal-South Africa. Smaller number of migrants also settles in Jamaica.

·         1857: Period of the Revolution of 1857. East India Company Sepoys (80% Hindu according to William Daryample in the book "The Last Mughal") declare Bahadur Shah Zafar II Emperor of Hindustan. The region becomes the centre of resistance to the East India Company. End of the Muslim Era.

·         1858: Mughal Sultanate-e-Hind reorganised to form the new British Indian Empire after the British Government abolishes the East India Company. Start of the British Age

·         1877: House of Windsor is made the new Imperial Royal Family. Queen Victoria declared the first Empress of the British Indian Empire

·         1912: Province of Bihar and Orissa separated from Bengal

·         1913: Start of the dramatic slowdown in wealth creation throughout India including Bihar

·         1916: Patna High Court founded

·         1917: Mahatma Gandhi arrives in Champaran with a team of eminent lawyers: Brajkishore Prasad, Rajendra Prasad, Anugrah Narayan Sinha and others.The Champaran Satyagraha movement is launched. Establishment of Patna University.

·         1925: Patna Medical College Hospital established under the name "Prince of Wales Medical College"

·         1935: 1935 Government of India Act federates the Indian Empire.

·         1936: Sir James David Sifton appointed the first Governor of Bihar.

·         1937: Formation of first Congress government in Bihar under provincial autonomy granted by British rule, Dr. Sri Krishna Sinha sworn^[82] in as Chief Minister and Dr. Anugrah Narayan Sinha became^[83] Deputy Chief Minister cum Finance Minister.

·         1942: Quit India Movement.

·         1946: First Cabinet of Bihar formed, consisting of two members: Dr. Sri Krishna Sinha as first Chief Minister of Bihar and Dr. Anugrah Narayan Sinha as Bihar's first Deputy Chief Minister cum Finance Minister(also in charge of Labour, Health, Agriculture and Irrigation).Other ministers were inducted later.

·         1947: Indian Independence; Bihar becomes a state in the new Dominion of India. Religious violence leads to the migration of millions of Bihari Muslims to the new Pakistani states of Sindh and East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh).

·         1950: The Dominion of India is replaced by a republic in 1950. Enactment of Land Reforms bill in Bihar, and abolishment of Zamindari system.

·         1952:Many development projects needed for the all round development of the state initiated, be it on irrigation front or on industrial front by the state government. It included several river valley projects right from Koshi, Aghaur and Sakri to several other such river projects.

·         1952-57 :Bihar rated as the best administered among the states in the country.

·         1955 The Birla Institute of Technology(BIT) is established at Mesra, Ranchi.

·         1957-62:Second five-year plan period, Bihar government brought several heavy industries like Barauni Oil Refinery, HEC plant at Hatia, Bokaro Steel Plant, Barauni Fertiliser Plant, Barauni Thermal Power Station, Maithon Hydel Power Station, Sulphur mines at Amjhaur, Sindri Fertiliser Plant, Kargali Coal Washery, Barauni Dairy Project, etc. for the all round development of the state.

·         1963–1967: Sri Krishna Ballabh Sahay became Chief Minister of Bihar by defeating his contestant Mahesh Prasad Sinha with support of Satyendra Narain Sinha. In his term of government, the state underwent further massive industrialisation.

·         1973: Indian wealth creation begins to recover; surge in all India GDP starts again.

·         1975–1977: Suspension of the Republican Constitution. Bihar is the centre of resistance against the Emergency. Janata Party Came to power at Centre and in Bihar; Karpoori Thakur became CM after winning chief minister-ship battle from the then Janata Party President Satyendra Narayan Sinha.

·         1984: Indira Gandhi Assassination leads to deadly anti-Sikh Riots in northern India, including Bihar

·         1988-1990: Unceremonious removal of Bihar CM Bhagwat Jha Azad, Veteran^[91] Leader Satyendra Narayan Singh sworn in as Chief Minister of Bihar, Lalu Prasad Yadav became Leader Of Opposition.

·         1990–2005: Lalu Prasad/ Rabri Devi term of Government (RJD Party). Period marks the complete collapse of the Bihar economy, massive rise in crime, and the development of mass migration to other states in Indian Union of all classes/ castes and religions.

·         1992: Bihar escapes severe rioting after the destruction of Babri Masjid.

·         2000: Bihar divided into two states by NDA central government - The northern part retains the name "Bihar", whilst southern (and more industralised region) becomes the State of Jharkhand.

·         2002–2004: Deadly crime wave grips Patna and Bihar

·         2003: First Bihari-Bhojpuri Immigrant Worker Crisis; Bihari migrants attacked in Mumbai, and hundreds killed and tens of thousands flee Assam

·         2005: In Feb, Lalu Prasad/ Rabri Devi lose power after 15 years, Presidents rule declared after no party wins overall majority in lower house

·         2005: In November, Janta Dal (United) with the BJP wins the state election with a working majority. Nitish Kumar becomes the first NDA Chief Minister of Bihar.

·         2005–2007: Nitish Kumar is declared the best Chief Minister in India by the India Today magazine

·         2007: First Global Meet for a "Resurgent Bihar" was organised in Patna.President APJ Abdul Kalam inaugurated the meet. Bhojpuri cinema hall complex bombed in Punjab. 6 UP and Bihari migrant workers killed.

·         2008: Second Bihari-Bhojpuri Immigrant Worker Crisis: Migrants killed in racially motivated hate attacks in Maharashtra, Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland. Hundreds of thousands flee back to Bihar and UP's Purvanchal territory. Bihar economy makes remarkable recovery in  2008, resulting in labour shortages in Punjab, Maharashtra.