page_title: Biharis
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Biharis / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Statue of Maurya Emperor Chandrgupta Maurya and his spiritual mentor Acharya Bhadrabahu Swami at Shravanabelagola.
context_page_description: The Biharis is a demonym given to the inhabitants of the Indian state of Bihar. Bihari people can be separated into three main Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic groups, Bhojpuris, Maithils and Magadhis. They are also further divided into a variety of hereditary caste groups.
  In Bihar today, the Bihari identity is seen as secondary to caste/clan, linguistic and religious identity but nonetheless is a subset of the larger Indian identity.
  Biharis can be found throughout India, and in the neighbouring countries of Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh. During the Partition of India in 1947, many Bihari Muslims migrated to East Bengal. Bihari people are also well represented in the Muhajir people of Pakistan because of Partition.
context_section_description: Bihar is one of the longest inhabited places in the world with a history going back to the Neolithic age. Since that time, Biharis have long been involved in some of the most important events in South Asian history. Biharis were the founders of many great empires based out of Magadh including the Maurya Empire and the Gupta Empire. Both of these empires had their capitals in Pataliputra (modern-day Patna).
  Two of India's major religions also have their origins in Bihar. Gautama Buddha who was the founder of Buddhism, achieved enlightenment in Bodh Gaya, Bihar. Mahavira, the founder of Jainism, was born in Vaishali in North Bihar.The tenth Guru of Sikhs, Gobind Singh who was the only son of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh guru, and Mata Gujri. He was born in Patna on 22 December 1666, Bihar in the Sodhi Khatri family The founder of Sur Empire, Sher Shah Suri was born in Sasaram, a city in the state of Bihar in present-day India into a Pashtun family.
caption: Chandragupta Maurya,  the founder of Mauryan Empire with Jain monk Bhadrabahu.
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