Bihar

The name Bihar comes ultimately from the Sanskrit word Vihara, meaning "monastery", reflecting the region's numerous past and present religious institutions. In ancient times, Bihar (bih-hahr) was the birthplace of the Maurya Empire, the largest ever to rule the Indian subcontinent, and the site of the Buddha's enlightenment. Unfortunately, the Maurya Empire collapsed in 185 BCE, and its been mostly downhill ever since. Riddled with a feudal structure, sharp caste divisions and venal politicians, Bihar in the 1990s was struck by a severe recession that saw it become a byword for poverty, corruption and crime. Bihar has a youthful and mainly rural population of 85% and the society is mainly agrarian. Northern Bihar is prone to perennial flooding. The state has seen mass migration out of the state in the last few decades and these ethnic Biharis living in other states of India are victims of racist hate crimes and prejudice.