EARLY MEDIEVAL BIHAR
The situation of BIHAR after TURKO- AFGHAN invasion was that of subjugation . It disinterested into small Kindoms in different regions ruled by different rulers . These chieftains were petty independent kings only and not having any central leadership at all . Taking advantage of this situation , IKHTIAR-UD DIN MUHAMMAD IBN BAKHTIYAR ( BAKHTIYAR KHILJI ) invaded BIHAR with his wild army, defeating PALA Ruler who was ruling over a tiny part of South BIHAR like PATNA & MUNGHYR . He destroyed NALANDA UNIVERSITY and VIKRAMASHILA UNIVERSITY . He also looted and destroyed ODANTAPURI BUDDHA VIHAR and named the place as BIHAR SHARIF . It is said that the NALANDA UNIVERSITY was set on fire due to which books and Manuscripts kept there had been burned for more than months as such . However , the Sultan of Delhi could not establish thier direct rule over the whole of BIHAR except a few southern parts . The Muslim power and influence could only be established in the towns and cities of the south BIHAR . The rural areas of the south BIHAR were being still ruled by the the Hindu Rulers . MITHILA was being ruled by the KARNATAKA DYNASTY established by NANYA DEVA . This Dynasty ruled MITHILA till 1324 until its last Ruler HARI SINGH was defeated by GHAYAS-UD-DIN TUGHLAK of the DELHI SANTANAT .
After the death of KUTUB-UD-DI AIBEK in 1206 , whose rule extended from DELHI to BENGAL , started disintegrating into different Pricipalities . As a result , his governor of BENGAL , HISMUDDIN IWAZ asserted independence of BIHAR and BENGAL and assumed the title of Sultan GHIYASUDDIN . He captured the southern parts of BIHAR including BHAGALPUR . He also started taking tributes from the region like TIRHUT (MUZAFARPUR) . In 1225 ILTUTMISH wrested South BIHAR from HISAM and put over there MIRZA JANI as its governor . However , he was , later on, assassinated by the governor of OUDH , NASIR-UD-DIN . More stable rule we can see in BIHAR during the reign of SIKANDAR LODI ( 1489-1517 ) , who ruled BIHAR for more than 28 years . He consolidated his power by annexing BENGAL and JAUNPUR . His reign saw BIHAR in prosperity as foods were in plenty and cheap . Administration was tight . No invasion from the North-West India . Interference from DELHI was minimal , as no powerful Ruler existed in DELHI at time as such .
Thus , BIHARI , after the fall of the PALA DYNASTY in the twelve century , a part of it came under the rule of CHERO DYNASTY . They reigned from twelve century to nineteen century . The CHERO DYNASTY ruled from VARANASI in the west to PATNA in the east and from BIHAR SHARIF in the north to KAIMUR in the south . They remained independent of TURKO- AFGHAN and MUGHAL rules partly due to their Geographical location and partly due to the tactics of the rulers of this Dynasty . The chief Kings CHERO DYNASTY were as follows : 1. BHAGWANT RAI ( 1585 – 1605 ) , 2. MEDINI RAI (1658 – 1674) , 3. GOPAL RAI ( 1771 – 1776 ) , and CHURANAN RAI ( 1783 – 1813 ) . Their principalities extended from SHAHABAD to PALAMU including CHAMPARAN and MUZZAFARPUR . BIHEA was the capital of the CHERO Ruler , GHUGHULIA ; TIRAWAN in BHOJPUR was the capital of RAJA SITARAM RAI ;CHAINPUR was the capital of RAJA SULABAHIM ; and SASARAM was the capital of RAJA PHULCHAND . They were virtually landlords called BABUAN . But they tried to assure their independence from the Muslim Rulers of the DELHI SANTANAT anyhow …..etc .
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