Language and Literature of Bihar | BPSC Preparation: All subjects - BPSC (Bihar) PDF Download

Understanding Languages and Literature of Bihar

• India is home to a vast linguistic diversity, with 22 scheduled languages, 114 other languages, 216 mother tongues, and 96 unspecified languages. In total, there are up to 10,000 languages spoken across various regions and communities.
• In Bihar, the major language is Hindi, spoken by 80.9% of the population. Other significant languages in the state include Urdu and Santali.

Classification

• Indian languages are diverse and have evolved from different linguistic stocks, reflecting the rich ethnic and cultural mosaic of the country.
  Broadly, Indian languages can be classified into six major groups:
  • Indo-Aryan
  • Dravidian
  • Sino-Tibetan
  • Negroid
  • Austric
• These groups have interacted and influenced each other over the centuries, leading to the major linguistic divisions seen in modern India. Among these, the Indo-Aryan and Dravidian groups are the dominant ones and encompass most of the major languages spoken in the country.
• The Bihari languages, which include languages such as Bhojpuri, Maithili, and Magahi, belong to the Indo-Aryan group.

Indo-Aryan

• Indo-Aryan languages are part of the Indo-European language family, which were introduced to India by the Aryans.
• This language group is the largest in India, covering approximately 74% of the total population.
• The Indo-Aryan group includes major languages spoken in northern and western India, such as:
  • Hindi
  • Bengali
  • Marathi
  • Gujarati
  • Punjabi
  • Sindhi
  • Rajasthani
  • Assamese
  • Oriya
  • Pahari
  • Bihari
  • Kashmiri
  • Urdu
  • Sanskrit

Linguistic Identities in Bihar

• Subregional Identities: Bihar can be divided into four distinct linguistic and cultural subregions:
  • Maithili
  • Bhojpuri
  • Magadhi
  • Tribal languages of the Jharkhand region
• Bihari Classification: According to Grierson, the language of Bihar, referred to as Bihari, is part of the Eastern group of Hindi languages. This classification covers an area of approximately 90,000 square miles and is spoken by around 36 million people. The region spans from the Himalayas in the north to Singhbhum in the south, and from Manbhum in the southeast to Basti in the northwest.

Magadhi

• Origin of Magahi: The term 'Maghi' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Magadhi'. The region where this dialect is spoken is known as Magadha.
• Geographical Extent: Ancient Magadha corresponds to the modern districts of Patna and northern Gaya. However, Magahi is spoken in other parts of Bihar as well, including:
  • Nalanda
  • Aurangabad
  • Nawada
  • Monghyr
  • Giridih
  • Hazaribagh
  • Dhanbad
  • North-eastern Palamau
  • Northern Ranchi
• Core Region: The purest form of Magahi is preserved in the districts of Patna and Gaya. This area is considered the 'core region' of the Magahi language.
  The core region is important for:
  • Maintaining the purity of the dialect
  • Preserving cultural distinctiveness
  • Determining and standardizing variations of the dialect or language

Bhojpuri

• Origin and Geographic Spread: Bhojpuri is named after Bhojpur, a town or pargana in the north-west of Shahabad district. It is spoken in various districts of Bihar, including:
  • Bhojpur
  • Rohtas
  • Chapra
  • Gopalganj
  • Siwan
  • Champaran
  • Motihari
  • Palamau
  • Ranchi
  • Hazaribagh
  • Western portion of Vaishali
  • Muzaffarpur
  • Parts of Santhal Pargana
• Influences: Bhojpuri has been influenced by:
  • Western Forms of Speech: Such as Brajbhasa, Awadhi, and Hindostani.
  • Spiritual Movements: The Siddhas and various spiritual sects of the 9th century in Bihar and Bengal, which contributed to the development of Bhakti literature in Bhojpuri.
• Literary and Cultural Significance:
  • Bhakti Literature: Sant Sahitya, or devotional literature, was produced in Bhojpuri and is linked with the Bhakti movement.
  • Folk Tradition: Bhojpuri has a rich tradition of folk literature and songs that reflect various aspects of rural life, including sociocultural, religious, and political themes.
• Folk Songs and Genres: Bhojpuri folk literature includes various types of songs such as:
  • Sohar
  • Jhumar
  • Purbi
  • Janeo-geet
  • Bahura
  • Sitala
  • Ropani ke geet
  • Parati
  • Bhajan
  • Nachari
  • Kajari
• These folk songs and tales are an integral part of Bhojpuri culture and provide insights into the daily lives and traditions of its speakers.

Bihari literature 

• Bhojpuri literature has been influenced by notable Hindi writers such as Raja Radhika Raman Sinha, Acharya Ramlochan Saran, Acharya Shivpujan Sahay, Divakar Prasad Vidyarthy, Ramdhari Singh ‘Dinkar’, Phanishwar Nath ‘Renu’, Gopal Singh “Nepali”, Ramesh Chandra Jha, and Baba Nagarjun.
• Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan, a renowned writer and Buddhist scholar, was born in Uttar Pradesh but spent his life in Bihar, the land associated with Lord Buddha.
• Hrishikesh Sulabh is known for his work as a short story writer, playwright, and theatre critic.
• Arun Kamal and Aalok Dhanwa are recognized poets.

Historical work on Literature in Bihar

• Bihar, historically known as Magadh, is one of India's most densely populated states and has been a significant center of Indian culture, education, and power since ancient times. Under the Mauryan Empire, especially during the reign of Ashoka (269 BC to 232 BC), Nalanda University emerged as a major center of learning in ancient India.
• Bihar has long been a land of cultural and historical importance. It is the birthplace of several revered figures and significant religious developments. In Bodhgaya, Prince Gautama achieved enlightenment and became Buddha, marking the birth of Buddhism. Bodhgaya remains one of the most important and sacred pilgrimage sites for Buddhists worldwide.
• Additionally, Bihar is notable as the birthplace of key figures such as Lord Mahavira, the founder of Jainism; Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth and final Sikh Guru; and Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India.

Nalanda

• Bihar is home to the world’s first seat of higher learning, Nalanda University, a monastic institution that flourished from the 5th to the 11th century. 
• This renowned university housed 9 million books and employed 2,000 teachers who educated around 10,000 students from across the Buddhist world. Lord Buddha himself is said to have taught at Nalanda, and the 7th-century Chinese traveler Xuanzang (Hieun Tsang) was one of its prominent students.

Aryabhatta (476-550 A.D.)

• He was born in Patliputra, now known as Patna in Bihar. His most significant contribution to mathematics is the concept of zero. 
• In addition to this groundbreaking work, he made significant advancements in algebra, arithmetic, trigonometry, quadratic equations, and the sine table. 
• He also delved into astronomy, explaining lunar and solar eclipses, the length of the year (precisely 365 days), and the contours of the Earth. Remarkably, he computed the Earth's circumference as 24,835 miles, which is very close to the modern measurement of 24,900 miles.

At present Bihar stand

• Bihar today seamlessly blends its historic legacy with the modern technological era.
• Despite commercial challenges, the state's commitment to education and literacy remains strong.
• An example of this dedication is Super 30, an organization in Bihar that provides free training to 30 underprivileged students each year.
• Super 30 helps these students prepare for the IIT entrance exam, one of the most challenging exams globally.
• Remarkably, all 30 students trained by Super 30 consistently achieve top 100 rankings out of 3.6 million candidates across India.

More point on Literature of Bihar

• Bihar has been the birthplace of several notable writers and scholars, including Mahamahopadhyaya Pandit Ram Avatar Sharma, R. K. Sinha, Shiva Pujan Sahay, Ramdhari Ram Briksh Benipuri, Pandit Nalin Vilochan Sharma, Mridula Sinha, and Pankaj Rag.
• Prominent contemporary writers from Bihar include Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan and Hrishikesh Sulabh.
• Renowned poets from Bihar include Arun Kamal and Aalok Dhanwa.
• Different regional languages in Bihar have also produced significant poets and authors.
• Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay, one of Bangla’s greatest writers, spent time in Bihar.
• Upamanyu Chatterjee, a noted contemporary Indian writer in English, is from Patna, Bihar.
• Devaki Nandan Khatri, famous for his novels like Chandrakanta and Chandrakanta Santati, was born in Muzaffarpur, Bihar.
• Vidyapati Thakur, a revered poet of the Maithili language, lived in the 14th-15th centuries.
• The first Indian author in English, Deen Mohammad, was a Bihari.
• Among modern English writers, Amitava Kumar, Tabish Khair, and Siddharth Chaudhary are notable, with Siddharth Chaudhary having been shortlisted for the 2009 Man Asia Literary Prize for his book "Day Scholar."
• Bihar's strong reading and writing culture is reflected in the widespread desire for books, with people reportedly willing to skip meals but not their daily reading.
• This rich heritage is evident from the numerous personal libraries and the significant number of writers, authors, poets, and students in the region.