Bihar Bihār | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Map showing Bihar (#850) in Sumerpur CD block | |
  Bihar Location in Uttar Pradesh, India | |
| Coordinates:26°17′10″N80°49′47″E / 26.285985°N 80.829623°E /26.285985; 80.829623[1] | |
| Country India |  India |
| State | Uttar Pradesh |
| District | Unnao |
| Area | |
• Total | 6.226 km2 (2.404 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[2] | |
• Total | 5,952 |
| • Density | 960/km2 (2,500/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Hindi |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Vehicle registration | UP-35 |
Bihar is a village inSumerpur block ofUnnao district,Uttar Pradesh,India.[2] Located on the mainUnnao-Raebareli road, just to the east of theLoni river and near its confluence with theKharahi, Bihar was briefly the headquarters of atehsil inRaebareli district from 1860 until 1862, when it was moved into Unnao district.[3] As of 2011, the population of Bihar is 5,952, in 1,088 households, and it has 5 primary schools and no healthcare facilities.[2]
According to tradition, Bihar was founded by Birbhan, ancestor of theBaistaluqdars ofPatan-Bihar, and named "Birhar" after himself.[3] More realistically, the name was probably derived from avihara or Buddhist monastery.[3] Bihar was made the seat of apargana under the Mughal emperorAkbar.[3] At some point during the 1700s, it was the site of a battle between the Raos ofDaundia Khera, the Raja ofMaurawan, and the chief ofShankarpur, all from the Bais clan.[3] It was chosen as the seat of atehsil by the British in 1860, but when it was moved into Unnao district two years later the tehsil was dissolved and Bihar was put underPurwa tehsil instead.[3]
At the turn of the 20th century, Bihar was described as a small town with several historical monuments, surrounded by a rich agricultural countryside.[3] There had previously been two marketplaces, Radhaganj and Durgaganj, but Durgaganj had not held a market since theIndian Rebellion of 1857 and had fallen into disrepair.[3] Radhaganj, which had been built by the taluqdar Shiudin Singh in 1846 and named after the goddessRadha, held markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays.[3] Shiudin Singh had also built a temple to Radha in Bihar.[3] The fair held in honour of Biddhia Dhar had an average attendance of about 14,000 people then.[3] A masonry tank was built in 1862 by Ikram-ullah, who was atehsildar of Bihar, and financed in part by a subscription collected from the taluqdars.[3] Near the old tehsil buildings, there was also a mud-builtsarai, and to the south of the Rae Bareli road were the ruins of an old fort.[3] There was a police station and a middle vernacular school with 106 students.[3] The population of Bihar in 1901 was 1,853, including a Muslim minority of 147.[3]
The1961 census recorded Bihar as comprising 9 hamlets, with a total population of 2,278 (1,027 male and 1,251 female), in 535 households and 450 physical houses.[4] The area of the village was given as 1,557acres, and it had a post office at the time.[4] Bihar then had the following small industrial establishments: 2 places producing edible fats/oils, 4 miscellaneous food processing establishments, 2 garment manufacturers, 1 place makingshoes, 4 makers of sundry hardwares, 1bicycle repair shop, and 1 maker of jewellery or precious metal objects.[4]
Bihar holds a fair in honour of Biddia Dhar, a Hindufaqir who died in the village ofBakra Khurd.[3] Arjun Singh, the taluqdar of Patan-Bihar, had been a follower of his, and he had hiskundi (i.e.mortar and pestle buried at Bihar and had a platform raised on the site in his honour.[3] The fair takes place during the month ofPus (i.e. December and January), and vendors bring various items including cloth, brass, copper, iron utensils, andgur.[3]
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