SAMASTIPUR, Bihar

Main Attraction: The Rajendra Agricultural University

The Rajendra Agricultural University is one of the institutions of national importance for providing education in Agricultural and allied sciences at different levels, viz; certificate, under graduate, postgraduate, and research etc. The University is situated in Samastipur district of Bihar state in India. At the time of establishment, it was Imperial Agriculture Research Institute. In 1934 a major earthquake damaged Bihar, the institute building was heavily damaged and the Imperial Agriculture Research Institute was shifted to New Delhi. Later this became Indian Agricultural Research Institute. The remains of Imperial Agriculture Research Institute downgraded further. On 3 December 1970 the Government of India established Rajendra Agricultural University. Since its establishment the university is promised to produce efficient human resources that can benefit the Agriculture of the country. Besides conducting training classes the university also conducts research work in different areas of agricultural sciences.

Brief History

Before acquiring the status of a district on 14th November, 1972, Samastipur happened to be a subdivision of Darbhanga district since the formation of Tirhut Division in 1908. The district is bounded on the north by the Bagmati river, which separates it from Darbhanga district, on the west by Vaishali district, on the south by the Ganges, and on the east by Begusarai and Khagaria districts.

Samastipur district consists of four subdivisions, viz., Samastipur Sadar Subdivision, Rosera Subdivision, Dalsinghsarai Subdivision and Patori Subdivision comprising Sadar Subdivision 8 Community Development Blocks, Rosara Subdivision 6 Community Development Blocks and rest two Subdivisions compirising 3 each Community Development Blocks. The history of Samastipur district has close association with that of old Darbhanga , its parents district.

The district comprises the greater parts of the ancient territory of Mithila. Its legandary history goes back to the Ramayana and Mahabharat periods. According to the accounts in the Vedic literature, the Videhas of the Aryan stock first migrated to the area from the Banks of the Saraswati in the Punjab. Legendary association of the old Darbhanga district with the Pandavas is evidenced by the belief that they stayed in Pandaul village (now part of Madhubani district) during a part of their period of exile.

In course of time the Videhan monarchy is believed to have been replaced by the Sangha or federation in the form of a republic. The establishment of the vrijian republic (of which Videha was a part) marks the beginning of the historic period. The centre of power had, however, shifted to Vaishali and Lichchhavis were the most prominent amoung the different clans that constituted the confederation. The ascendancy of vrijian republic was checked by Ajatshatru, emperor of magadh, who subdued and extended his control over the north Bihar.

Matrimonial alliances with the Lichchhavis enabled the Guptas of Magadh to regain control over north Bihar which came to be known as Tirabhukti. Vaishali was the administrative headquarters of the Tirabhuktl region. The chinese pilgrim, Fa-hien visited north Bihar during the reign of Chandragupta II. He observed that Buddhism was no longer as flourishing as in the past. The earlier renown of Darbhanga (old Darbhanga which included Samastipur also) as the place of philosophers continued in the Gupta period as well. Kumarila Bhatt was a prominent philosopher. With the decline of the Gupta Empire, local autonomy reasserted itself. Later, Harshavardhana (606-648 A.D.) annexed Darbhanga. Hiuen Tsang visited the area in 635 A.D. After the death of Harshavardhana, due to friction with a Chinese mission, Tirhut was invaded and occupied by the combined forces of Tibet and Nepal. They were, however, driven off by Adityasena (672 A.D.). After the fall of the later Guptas,

Yasovarman of Kannauj (700-740 A.D.) ruled over the area. Tirhut came under the Pala kings of Bengal in the 9th century. The Karnata or Simraon dynasty was founded in 1097 by Nanyadeva who had to face conflict with the Senas of Bengal.

Medieval Period

Nanyadeva became very powerful and eventually succeeded in extending his domain over the whole of mithila and Nepal. One of his sons ruled over Nepal, while another, Ganga Deva, reigned in Mithila. The latter is known to be the first ruler to have constituted fiscal divisions for revenue administration. Narsingh Deva ascended the throne on the death of his father Ganga Deva. He quarrelled with his kinsman in Nepal as a result of which Mithila and Nepal were separated for ever. He was succeeded by his son Ram singh Deva, who was a great scholar of vedic literature and an able administrator. During his time several commentaries on the vedas were compiled and a code of conduct was drawn up for the guidance of the Hindus in their religious and social activities. Ram Singh Deva is with having introduced the system of patwaris or village accountants for the maintenance of village records. Sakti Singh succeeded his father Ram Singh Deva on his death. Unlike his forefathers he turned out a despot and one of his ministers formed council of seven elderly nobles as a measure against his autocratic power. Hara Singh Deva was the ruler of dynasty. With the fall of the simraon dynasty, Tirhut was annexed by the empire of Delhi.

The whole of north Bihar appears to have passed on to the kings of Jaunpur in 1397. It remained with them for over a century until Sikandra Lodi of Delhi defeated the king of Jaunpur. Meanwhile Hussain shah, the powerful king of Bengal, had extended his domain over large tracts in Bihar. After defeating the king of Jaunpur, Sikandera Lodi marched against Hussain shah in 1499. The latter realised that he could be no match against the imperial forces, and so he offered to withdraw from Bihar, Tirhut and Sarkar Saran, provided be Emperor gave him an assurance not to interfere with his possession in Bangal. The terms were quite favourable to the Emperor and he agreed. A treaty was accordingly concluded at Barh. The Emperor having got domain over Tirhut, proceeded to establish his authority. The Raja of Tirhut was subdued but was let off after the realisation of several lakhs of rupees. But the kings of Bengal couldnot keep their hands off Tirhut for long. Nasrat Shah (1518 –1532), son of Hussain Shah and the king of Bengal swept down upon Tirhut and killed the Raja. He appointed his son-in-law, Alauddin as the Governor. In 1538 Makhdum Alam joined Sher Khan in his revolt against the king of Bengal. The power of the kings of Bengal was diminishing. Mahmud Shah was the last independent king of Bengal.

Though Darbhanga (old Darbhanga which included Samastipur also) alongwith other parts of north Bihar, was annexed to the Mughal Empire, the control was very loose and the local chiefs exercised great power. North Bihar had many Afghan settlers. Their number had increased owing to the large scale immigration of those who had refused to serve the Mughals. They were turbulent, and when Daud Khan, the Afghan king of Bengal, rose in revolt in 1574, he got a band of ready supporters in them. When the Mughal Generals failed to control the rebellion, Emperor Akbar himself led a large army to crush the aspirations of Daud Khan. The Afghans were defeated and Bihar was lost to them. Akbar created a separate Subah of Bihar and placed it under a Mughal Governor. Tirhut formed part of this Subah. The chiefs who had helped the emperor were rewarded with grants of Jagir in sarkar Hajipur, which also covered the southern parts of district of Darbhanga (portions of the district of Samastipur). The Jagirdars settled down with their retinues. Darbhanga (including Samastipur district) thereafter remained a part of the Mughal Subah.

British Period

The decisive victory of the British in the battle of Buxar in 1764 gave them undisputed sway over the Lower Provisions of Bengal. As a consequence, the district along with other parts of Bihar, passed under the control of British.The history of the district thereafter is merged with the history of British rule in India.

After asuming control over the territory, the British took steps to consolidate their authority. Mithila, the enlightened home of Hindu culture and learning had been revaged by the Muslim and the Mughal armies from time to time. The British administrators took steps to establish law and order. Besides, the trouble-mongers in Mithila, they had also to deal with the incursions of the Nepalese. The troubles with Nepal culminated in the Indo Nepalese war. After having concluded peace with Nepal, the British administrators had comparatively quiet time until the 1857 movement. In 1857 patriotic fervour raged high in the district as in many other districts of Bihar.