Bihar Sharif

Bihar Sharif served as the capital of the Pala dynasty in the 10th century CE. The town contains a 5th-century Gupta pillar and several mosques and Muslim tombs, the best-known being the tomb of Malik Ibrahim Baya atop Pir Pahadi Hill. Nearby lie the remains of Odantapuri, a great vihara, or college of Buddhist learning, from which the name Bihar was derived. In 1869 the city was constituted a municipality. It is now a road and rail hub, as well as an agricultural trade centre. It has several colleges affiliated with Magadh University at Bodh Gaya. Nalanda, a Buddhist monastic centre, lies southwest of Bihar-sharif. Bihar Sharif was the capital of the Muslim Governors of Bihar between 13th and 16th centuries when the city was an active cultural center and an important seat of Muslim thought and learning. Turkish and Pashtun invaders often used abandoned viharas as military cantonments. The town was called "Bihar", and it was headquarters of the Muslim invaders in the Magadha region in the medieval period. Later on the headquarters were shifted from Bihar to Patana (now Patna) by Sher Shah Suri and the whole Magadha region was called Bihar. Almost 80% of the Muslim population of Bihar Sharif and surrounding areas have a good degree of Turkish and Afghan blood in their veins, especially so among the middle and upper classes, but also among the lower classes. Bihar Sharif is a small town atop a craggy rock. It is 80 km from the capital Patna and 13 km from the ruins at Nalanda....