JOURNAL 
OF THE 
ASIATIC SOCIETY. 
— ♦ — 
Part I. -HISTORY, LITERATURE, &e. 
No. III.— 1872. 
The Buddhistic Remains of Bihdr. — By A. M. Beoadley, Esq., C. S. 
I. Biha'r in Patna. 
General Cunningham in speaking of and describing the kingdom of 
Magadha writes as follows “ As this country was the scene of Buddha’s 
early career, as a religious reformer, it possesses a greater number of holy 
places connected with Buddhism than any other province of India. The 
chief places are Buddha-Gaya, Kukkutapada, Raj agriha, Kusagarapura, Na- 
landa, Indrasilaguha, and the Kapotaka monastery.” Of these seven places, 
no less than live are situated within the boundary of the sub-division Bihar, 
which forms a large section of the Patna Zil’ah. 
The word Bihar has in turn served to designate several artificial divi- 
sions of this part of India. The name originally belonged to the ancient 
city, which from its far-famed seat of Buddhistic learning was distinguished 
by the name ‘ Bihar’ [Sanscrit, f^TTY]. The Muhammadan conquerors of the 
city extended its name to the surrounding country, of which it became the 
capital ; and at the time of Akbar it came to signify that important portion 
of Eastern India comprised in the seven sirkars of Hunger, Chanfparan, 
Hajipdr, Saran, Tirhut, Rohtas, and Bihar. This was Sdbah Bihar. Un- 
der British rule, Sdbah Bihar and Subah Bengal were united under a joint 
government, while the Zil’ah, surrounding the capital and which bore its 
name, was divided into Zil’ah Patna and Zil’ah Gaya. In 1861, the impor- 
tant parganahs of Biliar and liajgir were detached from the jurisdiction of 
Gaya, and, together with the parganahs of Tillarah, Pillich, and Biswak, 
formed into a sub-division, bearing the name of Bihar and within the 
* ‘Ancient Geography of India,’ Yol. I, p. 455. 
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