Bihar GK Quiz

Patna, the capital of Bihar, was known in ancient times by which name?

• Rajagriha
• Pataliputra
• Vaishali
• Kaushambi

Answer: Pataliputra. Pataliputra (also called Kusumapura) was the capital of the Mauryan Empire under Chandragupta Maurya and Ashoka. Rajagriha (Rajgir) was the earlier capital of Magadha.

Bihar Diwas, the state's foundation day, is celebrated on which date?

• 1 April
• 15 November
• 22 March
• 26 January

Answer: 22 March. On 22 March 1912 the British separated Bihar from the Bengal Presidency. Bihar and Orissa were split into separate provinces in 1936.

Which river is called the 'Sorrow of Bihar' because it floods and shifts its course so often?

• Gandak
• Son
• Bagmati
• Kosi

Answer: Kosi. The Kosi carries huge amounts of silt from the Himalayas. Over about two centuries its course has moved westward by more than 100 km across north Bihar.

Gandhi's first satyagraha in India, in 1917, took place in which part of Bihar?

• Champaran
• Bhagalpur
• Darbhanga
• Gaya

Answer: Champaran. In Champaran, Gandhi took up the cause of farmers forced to grow indigo under the tinkathia system. The campaign made him a national figure.

At Bodh Gaya, which UNESCO-listed temple marks the place of the Buddha's enlightenment?

• Dhamek Stupa
• Mahabodhi Temple
• Kesariya Stupa
• Vishwa Shanti Stupa

Answer: Mahabodhi Temple. The Mahabodhi Temple stands beside a descendant of the Bodhi tree. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002. The Dhamek Stupa is at Sarnath.

Which invader is blamed for destroying the ancient university of Nalanda around 1193?

• Mahmud of Ghazni
• Muhammad Ghori
• Bakhtiyar Khalji
• Timur

Answer: Bakhtiyar Khalji. Bakhtiyar Khalji's raids in Bihar around the end of the 12th century are linked to Nalanda's destruction. The ruins near Rajgir became a UNESCO site in 2016.

Vardhamana Mahavira, the 24th Jain tirthankara, was born at Kundagrama near which ancient city?

• Vaishali
• Pataliputra
• Champa
• Rajgir

Answer: Vaishali. Mahavira was born at Kundagrama near Vaishali, the seat of the Licchavi republic. Vaishali is also where the Second Buddhist Council was held.

Dr Rajendra Prasad, India's first President, was born in which present-day district of Bihar?

• Saran
• Gopalganj
• Muzaffarpur
• Siwan

Answer: Siwan. He was born at Ziradei in 1884, in today's Siwan district (carved out of Saran in 1972). He was also President of the Constituent Assembly.

Which state was carved out of Bihar on 15 November 2000?

• Chhattisgarh
• Jharkhand
• Uttarakhand
• Odisha

Answer: Jharkhand. Jharkhand was formed on Birsa Munda's birth anniversary. Most of Bihar's mineral-rich Chota Nagpur plateau went with it.

Which veteran zamindar of Jagdishpur led the 1857 revolt in Bihar at about 80 years of age?

• Tantia Tope
• Nana Sahib
• Kunwar Singh
• Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah

Answer: Kunwar Singh. Babu Veer Kunwar Singh fought the British across Bihar and beyond. He died in April 1858, days after winning back Jagdishpur.

Madhubani painting, with its bright colours and line work, comes from which region of Bihar?

• Mithila
• Magadh
• Bhojpur
• Anga

Answer: Mithila. Madhubani (Mithila) painting was traditionally done by women on walls and floors. It holds a Geographical Indication tag.

The Barabar Caves, among the oldest rock-cut caves in India, were dedicated by Ashoka to which sect?

• Buddhists
• Jains
• Charvakas
• Ajivikas

Answer: Ajivikas. The Barabar Caves in Jehanabad district were given to the Ajivika ascetics by Ashoka and later his grandson Dasharatha. Their polished granite walls shine like glass.

Which Pala king founded the Vikramashila Mahavihara near Bhagalpur?

• Devapala
• Gopala
• Dharmapala
• Mahipala

Answer: Dharmapala. Dharmapala founded Vikramashila around the late 8th century. With Nalanda, it was one of the great Buddhist centres of learning.

Takht Sri Patna Sahib marks the birthplace of which Sikh Guru?

• Guru Nanak Dev
• Guru Gobind Singh
• Guru Tegh Bahadur
• Guru Arjan Dev

Answer: Guru Gobind Singh. Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, was born in Patna in 1666. Patna Sahib is one of the five Takhts of Sikhism.

The tomb of Sher Shah Suri, set in the middle of a lake, is in which town?

• Sasaram
• Arrah
• Buxar
• Bhagalpur

Answer: Sasaram. The tomb is at Sasaram in Rohtas district. Sher Shah is remembered for rebuilding the Grand Trunk Road and introducing the silver rupiya.