VAISHALI, Bihar

Main Attraction: Remains Of Lichhavis Republic

Set amidst lush paddy fields, 55 km north of Patna, lies the quiet hamlet steeped in legend, Vaishali. Named after King Visala, it was the capital of the Lichhavis, and is believed to be one of the earliest republics of the world, having an elected body of representatives and an efficient administration, as early as 6th century BC. Vaishali is significant to both Buddhists and Jains. Lord Buddha preached his first sermon, and announced his impending Nirvana, here. To commemmorate the importance of the site, Emperor Ashoka erected one of his famous pillars. Vaishali is also the birthplace of Lord Mahavira.

Brief History

This district derives its name after Vaishali or modern Basarh, a village in the north-west corner of the district, situated 32 Kms north west of Hajipur. It has been identified as the birth-place of Mahabir, the 24th Jain Tirthankar. It was also the capital of the powerful confederacy of the Lichchavis. The district is bounded on the north by Muzaffarpur district, on the south by Patna district (the Ganges forming a natural boundary), on the east by Samastipur district and on the west by the district of Saran.

Early History

Little is known about the original inhabitants of this ancient land of North Bihar. History of the district dates back to the rise of the Vrijjian Republic which replaced the Videhan monarchy. The centre of power also shifted from Mithila to Vaishali, the capital of the republic, which is identified with modern Basarh. The Vrijjian Republic was a confederation of eight clans, of which the Lichchavis were the most important. They gradually gained strength and came in conflict with the powerful kingdom of Magadh, Bimbisar (Circa 519 B.C.), the founder of the Magadh Empire, had secured his position by concluding matrimonial alliance with the neighbouring states of the Kosalas and the Lichchavis. Bimbisar was assassinated by his son Ajatsatru, who afterwards invaded Vaishali and extended his way over Tirhut.

Vaishali was a centre of religious renaissance Lord Mahavir, the founder of modern Jainism, was born in about 599 B.C near Valishali. Like Lord Buddha, he also came of an aristocratic family. His father was the Chief of the Nata or Naya clan of Kshatriyas. Mahavir became an ascetic at the age of 30 and revived the religion founded by Parsvantha.

Lord Buddha was a contemporary of Mahavir. It is said that when Vaishali was in the grip of a devastating plague, its people exhorted Buddha to pay a visit. On his arrival at the city, the fury of the pestilence was greatly reduced and this miracle won him a good many disciples. Although, Vaishali was the birth-place of Mahavir, it was influenced more by Buddhism. Even at a much later date, many stupas and sevreal Buddhist monasteries were found here by travellers including Hiuen Tsang. Even after the defeat of the Vrijjians by the Magadh emperor, Ajatshatru Vaishali continued to be and important place. The second great synod of the Buddhists was held here.

Vaishali appears to have gradually lost its glory after the Buddhist synod. Not much is known about it for the next several centuries. The Lichchavis, who had acknowledged the suzerainty of Magadh, ruled over the area. Vaishali was visited by Ashoka who got a stupa and a lion pillar erected here.

The Kushan King, Kanishka, invaded Vaishali in about 120 A.D. Fa-hien, the Chinese pilgrim visited the place during his tour of India, but he did not leave any detailed account of the place. A description of Vaishali appears in the travel accounts of Hiuen Tsang, who visited it about 635 A.D. according to this, the people were honest and religious and respected the learned. Hiuen Tsang say many deserted monasteries, some of which were in ruins. There were many Jains indicating that Buddhism was on the decline in that period. 

Medieval Period

There is a great dearth of material on the history of North Bihar including Vaishali from the visit of Hiuen Tsang till the rise of the Pala dynasty. In the 8th century A.D. Gopala, the first of the Pala kings, became the ruler of Bengal. He extended his authority over Bihar in about 750A.D. The Palas continued to have their hold over Tirhut until 1019 A.D. When the Chedi kings of Central India established their sway. They were replaced towards the close of the 11th century by the rulers of the Sena dynasty. Lakshman Sena was powerful king of his dynasty.

Muslim Period

Ghias-ud-din Iwaz, the Governor of Bengal between 1211 and 1226, was the first Muslim invader of Tirhut. He subdued the Raja of Tirhut and extorted tributes from Him. Iwaz, however, could not succeeded in conquering the country. It was only in 1323 that Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlak succeeded in establishing his sway over the district. Hajipur, which had great strategic importance due to its situation at the confluence of the rivers Gandak and Ganga, was the seat of the Governors. Being under their direct control, the district has a number of relics of the Muslim period. The town of Hajipur itself was founded by Haji Illyas, king of Bengal from 1345 to 1358. He invaded Tirhut and, to consolidate his conquest, built a fortress at Hajipur. Feroz Tughlaq of Delhi marched to Tirhut in 1353 to punish Haji Illyas for his attempt at taking over the Emperors domain. The Haji was ultimately defeated and the Emperor returned to Delhi.

The whole North Bihar appears to have passed into the hands of the kings of Jaunpur towards the close of the 14th Century. It remained under them for about a hundred years until Emperor Sikander Lodi of Delhi defeated the king of Jaunpur and retrieved the territory. After his victory over the king of Jaunpur, the Emperor advanced against Hussian Shah in 1949, who by that time had extended his power over large tracts in Bihar. Hussain Shah found in difficult to resist the imperial forces and therefore he came to agreement with the Emperior and concluded a treaty with him at Barh. According to the terms, Hussain Shah withdrew from Bihar, Tirhut and Sarkar Saran while the Emperor agreed to desist from interfering with his possession in Bengal. 

But the kings of Bengal could not for long resist the temptation of extending their power over Tirhut. Nasrat Shah, son of Hussain Shah, raided Tirhut in the early 16th century not withstanding the earlier treaty concluded by his father. The Raja of Tirhut was killed and the king’s son-in-law, Alauddin was appointed Governor of Tirhut. Nasrat Shah also took over Hajipur and put another son-in-low, Makhdoom Alam there. The power of the kings of Bengal was, however, waning and, with the fall of Mahmood Shah, North Bihar including Vaishali, became a part of the Mughal Empire. Though the entire North Bihar had been annexed, the control way very loose and petty chieftains continued to be powerful. 

When Daud Khan, the king of Bengal, raised the banner of revolt in 1574, he founded aband of ready supporters in the Afghans. Daud Khan had his stronghold at Patna and Hajipur. It was only after a fierce fight that the Mughals defeated Daud Khan. After the fall of the Afghan king, a separate Subah of Bihar was constituted and placed under a Mughal Governor. Tirhut which included Vaishali formed part of this Subah. The chieftains who had helped the Emperor were rewarded with grants of Jagir in Sarkar Hajipur. They settled down with their retinue. With the transfer of the headquarters of the Governor from Hajipur to Patna, the former lost its importance.

British Period

With the British victory at Buxar in 1764 Vaishali passed, with the rest of Bihar, under the British rule. After establishing their authority the English took steps to strengthen their hold. In the initial stages their chief interest was trade. In course of time, however, they emerged as rulers and succeeded in subduing the entire district. There was no event of great consequence in the district uptil the movement of 1857. The success of the insurgents at Delhi caused great concern to the English inhabitants in the district. In June, 1857 some of the soldiers (from amongst those who had revolted) came back home and became quite active. This caused considerable alarm to the European Community. The movement was ultimately crushed and the district remained undisturbed for quite some time.

The political awakening in the country in the period after the First World War stimulated nationalist movement in Vaishali district also. During the Non-Co-operation Movement, and later on during the Civil Disobedience Movement of 1930-31, the district responded widely to the call of Mahatma Gandhi. During the ‘Quit-India Movement’ in 1942 the district was in full fury. The district played a prominent role in the country’s struggle for freedom.