>Haruka Yugiri at 09:23, 26 May 2021

2021-05-26T09:23:35Z

New page

{{Use Indian English|date=July 2018}}{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Barh
| native_name =
| native_name_lang = hi
| other_name =
| settlement_type = Town
| image_skyline =
| image_alt =
| image_caption =
| pushpin_map = India Bihar#India3
| pushpin_label_position = right
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Bihar, India
| coordinates = {{coord|25.48|N|85.72|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[States and territories of India|State]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Bihar]]
| subdivision_type2 = Division
| subdivision_name2 = Patna
| subdivision_type3 = [[List of districts of India|District]]
| subdivision_name3 = [[Patna district|Patna]]
| established_title = 
| established_date =
| founder =
| named_for =
| government_type =
| governing_body = [[Nagar Parishad]]
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_footnotes =
| area_rank =
| area_total_km2 =
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m = 47
| population_total = 300000

| population_as_of = 2011
| population_rank =
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym =
| population_footnotes =
| demographics_type1 = Languages
| demographics1_title1 = Official
| demographics1_info1 = [[Magahi language|Magahi]], [[Hindi language|Hindi]]
| timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1 = +5:30
| postal_code_type = [[Postal Index Number|PIN]]
| postal_code = 803212,803213,803214
| area_code_type = Telephone code
| area_code = 06132
| registration_plate = BR-01
| website = {{URL|patna.nic.in}}
| footnotes =
}}

'''Barh''' is a town and [[Subdivision (country subdivision)|subdivision]] in the [[Patna district]] of [[Bihar]], India. It is located on the southern bank of the [[Ganges|Ganga River]], a commonplace for [[Hindu]] cremation rituals.<ref>{{Cite web|date=16 October 2013|title=HINDU FUNERALS, CREMATION AND VARANASI - World Topics {{!}} Facts and Details|url=http://factsanddetails.com/world.php?itemid=1343&catid=55&subcatid=354|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016111431/http://factsanddetails.com/world.php?itemid=1343&catid=55&subcatid=354|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 October 2013|access-date=30 July 2020}}</ref> The place is well known for Umanath, a [[Shiva temple]] on the shores of the Ganga and the Alakhnath Temple. Lai, a sweet from Barh that looks like [[laddu]], is known for its rich taste. Barh is also known as Chhitorgarh because Barh is Rajput (Thakur) dominated constituency from where only Rajput has won the election after independence except one time. Barh is also famous for caste war between Rajput and Bhumihar in 90's but now Rajput and Bhumihar get politically united.

== Demographics ==
{{As of|2011||alt=According to the [[2011 Census of India]]}}, Barh had a total population of 316,348 residents, with 162,354 males and 153,994 females. Barh has an average literacy rate of 100%.<ref>{{Cite book|last=India. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/181774275|title=Census of India|publisher=Office of the Registrar General|oclc=181774275}}</ref>

== Politics ==
Barh is a part of the Munger [[Electoral district|parliamentary constituency]], which forms the [[Bihar Legislative Assembly]]. It is also the oldest subdivision in India.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=31 Oct|first1=Navendu Sharma {{!}} TNN {{!}}|last2=2010|last3=Ist|first3=05:08|title=No Barh on caste politics {{!}} Patna News - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/No-Barh-on-caste-politics/articleshow/6843849.cms|access-date=25 July 2020|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref> Barh is Rajput dominated vidhansabha constituency of Bihar from where only Rajput candidate are winning the election except one time. Gyanendra Singh Gyanoo is current MLA of Barh winning four election consecutively since 2005.

== History ==
Barh has been a prominent trading satellite city in Patna, even in pre-Mughal and British periods. It was an intermediary town between the river trade in Patna and [[Kolkata]]. Numerous references to Barh were found in travelogues by European visitors and historical chronicles of Islamic historians.

'''Peace Treaty of Barh'''

In 1495, after the sack of Patna, [[Sikandar Lodi]] advanced towards Bengal, but a [[non-aggression pact]] was made between the [[Delhi]] and the Bengal armies. It was decided that the territory to the east of Barh would be controlled by Bengal's ruler, while those to the west would be controlled by the Delhi empire.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/TheHistoryOfBengal | quote=bar. |title = The History of Bengal: From the First Mohammedan Invasion Until the Virtual Conquest of that Country by the English, A.D. 1757| publisher=Black, Parry, and Company |last1 = Stewart|first1 = Charles|year = 1813}}</ref>

'''Sarai'''

During the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal period]], Barh had a large [[Caravanserai|''sarai'']] with 200 rooms for travelers/traders built by [[Sher Shah Suri]].<ref>http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/18028/7/07_chapter%201.pdf</ref>

'''Guru Tegh Bahadur's visit'''

1666 Guru Tegh Bahadur [https://www.thesikhencyclopedia.com/india/barh stayed in Barh] during his tour of the eastern districts in 1666 while on course to Assam at Bari Sangat situated in Chuna Khari Mohalla. The building was destroyed in 1934 earthquake, but an old well remains and priests belonging to Nanak Panthi Udasin Math continue to be in possession of open site.

A small gurdwara was established in Barh byTakht Harimandar Sahib for in Balipur Mohalla, Pipal Tal, near Tiraha Chowk for native Sikhs.

'''Sufi saints'''

Barh was a popular site for [[Sufism|Sufi]] culture. An important Qadri saint was Diwan Syed Muhammad Jafar Binodpuri of Barh, who had prominent followers during the 1670–1690s.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Full text of "Persian Literature And Sufis of Bihar"|url=https://archive.org/stream/PersianLiteratureAndSufisOfBiharPh.DThesis/Persian%20Literature%20And%20Sufis%20Of%20Bihar_djvu.txt|access-date=25 July 2020|website=archive.org}}</ref>

'''Resistance to Maratha armies'''

In 1748, [[Alivardi Khan]] ([[Nawab]] of Bengal army) camped in Barh and defeated the Marathas (under [[Mir Habib Ispahani (Historical Figure)|Mir Habib]]) at Kala Diara near [[Bakhtiarpur]] after they sacked Patna during one of the [[Maratha invasions of Bengal]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yoI8AAAAIAAJ&q=barh+ali+vardi+khan&pg=PA442 |title = The Cambridge History of India|last1 = Rap;son|first1 = Edward James|last2 = Haig|first2 = Sir Wolseley|last3 = Burn|first3 = Sir Richard|year = 1962}}</ref>

'''Mir Qasim (1763)'''

The British took gradual control of Bihar after the [[Battle of Plassey]] (1757). [[Mir Qasim]] (son-in-law of Mir Jafar who had betrayed [[Siraj ud-Daulah]] during the Battle of Plassey) executed the [[Jagat Seth]] before raiding Patna which had been occupied by the British. He eventually lost the [[Battle of Buxar]], and Barh and Patna were taken into the [[British Empire]].

'''Rennell's Survey'''

In 1776, [[James Rennell]], also called the "Father of Indian Geography", surveyed Bengal and listed prominent destinations. Barh is prominently displayed on a 1776 map, implying it was a prominent trading destination.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lib.umich.edu/online-exhibits/exhibits/show/india-maps/item/5156?exhibit=136&page=1193|title=A map of the north part of Hindostan or a geographical survey of the provinces of Bengal, Bahar, Awd, Ellahabad, Agra and Delhi · Online Exhibits|website=www.lib.umich.edu}}</ref>

[[File:Barh.png|thumb|A zoomed view of Rennel's 1776 Bengal map focussing on Barh(Bar) and nearby locations]]

'''Trade'''

Barh was an important transit point for the [[Niter|saltpeter]] trade, which was widely used in explosives, glassmaking, and fertilizers. Barh was also known for its high-quality chameli ''ka tel'' (jasmine oil) exports.

[[File:Barhbuch.png|thumb|A zoomed-in map of barh in 1812 as described in buchanan travelogue]]

'''Barh Railway line'''

On 10 November 1877, the Barh railway station was opened to the public.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pIMIAAAAQAAJ&q=barh+railway+station&pg=RA1-PA310 |title = Report on the Administration of Bengal, 1877–78|year = 1878}}</ref>

'''Plague'''

Between the 1890s to 1910, Barh and Patna were afflicted by the [[Plague (disease)|plague]].

It is believed that the 1898 plague came by sea by rats aboard infected ships, though it first appeared in the British India Steam Navigation Company's wharf.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Clemesha|first=W. W.|title=An Account of Plague in Bengal|url=https://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC5180973&blobtype=pdf}}</ref>

The two main factors for the spread of the plague were believed to be the high presence of rats and houses with poor hygiene and bad ventilation, an optimal environment for rats to breed.<ref name=":1" />

The population of the extended Barh subdivision decreased from 408,256 in 1891 to 365,327 in 1901 due to the plague.<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a-QaOP5nK-MC&q=patna+plague&pg=PA76 | title=Bihar and Orissa District Gazetteers Patna| isbn=9788172681210| last1=O'Malley| first1=L. S. S.| year=1924}}</ref>

'''Sati's Incident'''

In 1928, Sampati Kuer, a young widow from Berhna village, committed [[Sati (practice)|''sati'']] on the funeral pyre of her deceased husband. The British government suspected foul play and sentenced 10 people to prison, including her brother Murlidhar Pande, as ''sati'' was outlawed 100 years earlier by the British government.<ref>http://14.139.60.114:8080/jspui/bitstream/123456789/33476/1/009_King-Emperor%20v.%20Vidyasagar%20Pande%20%2874-86%29.pdf</ref> However, villagers saw the incident as miraculous and the site is commemorated as a special place of worship called Sati Sthan at the old Umanath temple in Barh.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sati+Sthan,+Barh/@25.4916622,85.7140885,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x39f27bd0712ec4ef:0x59cb86c06abc5bd!8m2!3d25.4959285!4d85.7157236|title=Sati Sthan, Barh|website=Sati Sthan, Barh}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Umanath+Mandir/@25.4916622,85.7140885,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x39f27bdacbe6bc39:0x4c686ef013787ecb!8m2!3d25.4943354!4d85.7138729|title=Umanath Mandir|website=Umanath Mandir}}</ref>

== Transport ==
Barh lies on [[National Highway 31 (India)(old numbering)|National Highway 31]], which connects the town to major cities. The town also has a [[Barh railway station|railway station]] with the same name.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How to Reach {{!}} District Patna, Government of Bihar {{!}} India|url=https://patna.nic.in/how-to-reach/|access-date=27 July 2020|language=en-US}}</ref>

== NTPC Barh ==
{{Main|Barh Super Thermal Power Station}}
[[NTPC Limited]] is India's largest power-generating company. The then Prime Minister of India, [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]], laid the foundation stone of the main plant of stage 1 of NTPC Barh Super Thermal Power Station on 6 March 1999.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=4 Jul|first1=Pranava K. Chaudhary {{!}} TNN {{!}} Updated|last2=2013|last3=Ist|first3=02:14|title=Barh thermal power plant to start power generation by year end {{!}} Patna News - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Barh-thermal-power-plant-to-start-power-generation-by-year-end/articleshow/20902625.cms|access-date=27 July 2020|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Patna Division}}

[[Category:Cities and towns in Patna district]]
[[Category:Neighbourhoods in Patna]]

Barh - Revision history

>Haruka Yugiri at 09:23, 26 May 2021