Part III — Medieval Bihar
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Chapter 3: The Post-Gupta Period, the Palas, the Delhi Sultanate, and the Mughals in Bihar
3.1 The Post-Gupta and Pala Period
Following the decline of Gupta authority in the 6th century CE, Bihar passed through a period of fragmented regional rule before Harshavardhana of Kannauj briefly extended influence over parts of the region in the 7th century CE — a period documented in detail by the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang, who visited Harsha's court and travelled extensively through Bihar's Buddhist sites.
From the 8th to the 12th century CE, Bihar and Bengal came under the rule of the Pala dynasty, founded by Gopala (elected by regional chieftains to end a period of anarchy, according to tradition — the Matsyanyaya, or "law of the fish," a phrase describing lawless chaos where the strong prey on the weak). The Palas were notable Buddhist patrons: Dharmapala founded Vikramshila University, and Pala patronage sustained Nalanda's continued flourishing for centuries after the Gupta era. The Palas were eventually succeeded in the region by the Sena dynasty (based primarily in Bengal) before the arrival of Turkic invasions.
3.2 The Delhi Sultanate Period in Bihar
Bihar came under Delhi Sultanate control following Bakhtiyar Khilji's campaigns in the early 13th century CE, which included the destruction of Nalanda and Odantapuri, marking the effective end of Bihar's ancient Buddhist university tradition. Under successive Sultanate dynasties (Mamluk, Khilji, Tughlaq, and later the Sayyid and Lodi dynasties), Bihar was administered as a frontier province, of variable strategic importance, often contested between Delhi-based and Bengal-based Muslim rulers.
3.3 Sher Shah Suri — Bihar's Most Celebrated Medieval Ruler
Sher Shah Suri (born Farid Khan) rose from a modest jagirdar background in Sasaram (present-day Rohtas district, Bihar) to briefly overthrow the Mughal Empire itself, ruling from 1540 to 1545 CE after defeating Humayun. Though his reign was short, Sher Shah Suri is remembered as one of medieval India's most effective administrators: he reorganised the land revenue system (a precursor to later Mughal revenue reforms under Akbar's minister Todar Mal), introduced a standardised currency (the silver Rupiya, an ancestor of the modern Indian Rupee), and built the Grand Trunk Road, connecting Bengal to the Indus region — a route still in use today. His mausoleum, the Sher Shah Suri Tomb at Sasaram, is a celebrated example of Indo-Islamic architecture and a significant heritage site within Bihar.
3.4 Bihar Under the Mughal Empire
After Humayun's restoration to the Mughal throne (with Sher Shah's Suri dynasty subsequently collapsing under weaker successors), Bihar was absorbed into the Mughal Empire as a subah (province), administered through Mughal-appointed governors, with Patna serving as an important regional administrative and trading centre. During the later Mughal period, Patna's strategic riverine location made it a major commercial hub: the British, Dutch, French, and Portuguese all established trading factories at Patna, reflecting the region's importance in the saltpetre (used in gunpowder manufacture) and opium trade — two commodities that made Bihar economically significant to European trading interests well before formal colonial rule was established.
3.5 Practice Set — Medieval Bihar (25 MCQs)
- The Pala dynasty's founder, elected by regional chieftains to end a period of anarchy, was:
(a) Dharmapala (b) Gopala (c) Devapala (d) Mahipala - The period of lawlessness preceding Gopala's election is traditionally described by the term:
(a) Matsyanyaya (b) Dharmachakra (c) Sampoorna Kranti (d) Ashtapradhan - Which Chinese pilgrim documented Harshavardhana's court and travelled through Bihar's Buddhist sites?
(a) I-Tsing (b) Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang) (c) Fa-Hien (d) Marco Polo - Vikramshila University was founded by which Pala ruler?
(a) Gopala (b) Dharmapala (c) Devapala (d) Mahipala - Bakhtiyar Khilji's early 13th-century campaigns in Bihar led to the destruction of:
(a) Only Nalanda (b) Nalanda and Odantapuri (c) Only Vikramshila (d) Only Vaishali - Sher Shah Suri (born Farid Khan) rose from a jagirdar background in which present-day Bihar district?
(a) Patna (b) Rohtas (Sasaram) (c) Gaya (d) Bhagalpur - Sher Shah Suri defeated which Mughal emperor to seize power?
(a) Akbar (b) Babur (c) Humayun (d) Jahangir - Sher Shah Suri's reign lasted approximately from:
(a) 1526–1530 (b) 1540–1545 (c) 1556–1560 (d) 1600–1605 - Sher Shah Suri introduced a standardised silver currency called the:
(a) Rupiya (b) Mohur (c) Dinar (d) Tola - Sher Shah Suri is credited with building which major route connecting Bengal to the Indus region?
(a) The Silk Route (b) The Grand Trunk Road (c) The Spice Route (d) The Konkan Highway - Sher Shah Suri's mausoleum, a celebrated Indo-Islamic architectural site, is located at:
(a) Patna (b) Sasaram (c) Gaya (d) Muzaffarpur - Akbar's revenue minister, whose reforms built on ideas pioneered by Sher Shah Suri, was:
(a) Birbal (b) Todar Mal (c) Man Singh (d) Abul Fazl - During the later Mughal period, which European trading powers established factories at Patna?
(a) Only the British (b) The British, Dutch, French, and Portuguese (c) Only the Portuguese (d) Only the Dutch - Patna's importance in European trade during the Mughal era was closely tied to the trade in:
(a) Saltpetre and opium (b) Diamonds and gold (c) Silk and tea exclusively (d) Rubber - Bihar was administered as a subah (province) under which empire following its absorption after Humayun's restoration?
(a) The Delhi Sultanate (b) The Mughal Empire (c) The Maratha Confederacy (d) The Sur Empire, permanently - The Sena dynasty, which succeeded the Palas in the wider Bengal-Bihar region, was based primarily in:
(a) Bihar (b) Bengal (c) Odisha (d) Assam - Odantapuri, destroyed alongside Nalanda, was primarily a centre of:
(a) Buddhist learning (b) Jain pilgrimage (c) Mughal administration (d) Hindu temple architecture - Sher Shah Suri's administrative reforms are considered a precursor to which later Mughal-era system?
(a) The Mansabdari system exclusively (b) The land revenue system reorganised under Akbar (c) The Din-i-Ilahi religious policy (d) The Jizya tax system - Which of the following best describes Bihar's strategic role for European trading powers before formal colonial rule?
(a) Militarily strategic only, with no economic significance (b) A key trading hub for commodities like saltpetre and opium (c) Entirely closed to foreign traders (d) Relevant only for its diamond mines - Harshavardhana's kingdom was centred at:
(a) Pataliputra (b) Kannauj (c) Vaishali (d) Rajgir - The dynasty that ruled Bihar and Bengal from roughly the 8th to 12th centuries CE, noted for sustained Buddhist patronage, was the:
(a) Sena dynasty (b) Pala dynasty (c) Chola dynasty (d) Rashtrakuta dynasty - Which of the following statements about Sher Shah Suri is INCORRECT?
(a) He briefly overthrew the Mughal Empire (b) He built the Grand Trunk Road (c) He introduced the silver Rupiya (d) He ruled for over three decades - The Grand Trunk Road, as built/extended under Sher Shah Suri, connected:
(a) Bengal to the Indus region (b) Patna to Delhi only, with no further extension (c) Kolkata to Chennai (d) Delhi to Kabul only - Nalanda's final destruction is most closely associated with which broader historical process?
(a) Mughal conquest (b) The advance of Delhi Sultanate forces under Bakhtiyar Khilji (c) British colonial policy (d) Natural disaster alone - Patna's role as a Mughal-era administrative and trading centre is best described as that of:
(a) A minor, insignificant outpost (b) An important regional hub, particularly for the saltpetre and opium trade (c) The Mughal imperial capital (d) A purely religious pilgrimage centre
Answer Key
1.(b)
2.(a)
3.(b)
4.(b)
5.(b)
6.(b)
7.(c)
8.(b)
9.(a)
10.(b)
11.(b)
12.(b)
13.(b)
14.(a)
15.(b)
16.(b)
17.(a)
18.(b)
19.(b)
20.(b)
21.(b)
22.(d)
23.(a)
24.(b) 25.(b)