Medieval History
Bihar GK · मध्यकालीन इतिहास
📋Quick Overview
Medieval Bihar saw the destruction of its great universities and Buddhist heritage by Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1193 CE. The region then came under the Delhi Sultanate and later the Mughal Empire. The most significant Bihar-born ruler of the medieval period was Sher Shah Suri, who defeated Humayun twice and became the Emperor of India, building the Grand Trunk Road and introducing the Rupee coin.
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Sher Shah Suri was born at Sasaram (Rohtas district, Bihar). He built the Grand Trunk Road (Sadak-e-Azam) from Chittagong (Bangladesh) to Kabul — one of the longest highways in Asia, still in use today as NH-1 and NH-2.
📖Bakhtiyar Khilji — Destruction of Nalanda
- •Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khilji: Turkish military general of Qutb ud-Din Aibak (Delhi Sultanate)
- •1193 CE: Destroyed Nalanda University (the greatest Buddhist university) — burned its massive library (Dharmaganja), monks fled to Nepal/Tibet
- •Also destroyed Vikramshila University (Bhagalpur) — ended Buddhist intellectual culture in Bihar
- •Battle of Bihar (1193): Khilji defeated the last Buddhist ruler, occupied Bihar
📖Sher Shah Suri — Bihar's Greatest Medieval Ruler
| Achievement | Details |
|---|---|
| Birth & Family | Born ~1486 CE, Sasaram (Rohtas, Bihar); original name Farīd Khān |
| Title 'Sher Shah' | Earned by killing a tiger single-handedly while serving Sultan of Bihar |
| Defeated Humayun | Battle of Chausa (1539) and Battle of Kanauj (1540) — twice defeated Mughal Humayun |
| Grand Trunk Road | Built Sadak-e-Azam (GT Road) from Chittagong to Kabul, with serais every 2 kos |
| Rupaya Coin | Introduced 'Rupee' (silver coin weighing ~178 grains) — precursor to modern Rupee |
| Administration | Excellent land revenue (Zabt system), postal system (Dak Chowki), measurement (Gaz-i-Sikandari) |
| Death | Died 1545 CE at Kalinjar (explosion while firing cannon) — ruled only 5 years |
📖Battle of Buxar (1764) — Critical for Bihar
- •Battle of Buxar (22 Oct 1764): British East India Company defeated combined forces of Mir Qasim (Nawab of Bengal), Nawab of Awadh (Shuja-ud-Daula), and Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II.
- •Significance: More decisive than Battle of Plassey (1757) — cemented British military supremacy in India.
- •Treaty of Allahabad (1765): Robert Clive signed — granted Diwani rights of Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha to British EIC; Shah Alam II got a pension.