Languages and Literature of Bihar

In India there are 22 scheduled languages, 114 other languages, 216 mother tongues, 96 non specified languages and totally up to 10000 languages spoken by the people in different region and part of India.
In Bihar major language is Hindi that spoken by 80.9% of Population and other are Urdu and Santali.

Classification

Indian languages have evolved from different stocks and are closely connected with the different ethnic groups/ people of India.
Broadly the Indian languages can be put into six groups:

Indo-Aryan,
Dravidian,
Sino-Tibetan,
Negroid,
Austric and

These languages have interacted on one another through the centuries and have produced the major linguistic divisions of modern India. The Indo-Aryan and the Dravidian are the dominant groups and together comprises all the major Languages of India.
Bihari language belong to first one.

Indo-Aryan:

It is part of the Indo-European family of languages, which came to India with the Aryans.
It is the biggest of the language groups in India and accounts for about 74% of the total Indian population.
It comprises of all the principal languages of northern and western India such as Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Sindhi, Rajasthani, Assamese, Oriya, Pahari, Bihari, Kashmiri, Urdu and Sanskrit.

Linguistic Identities in Bihar

On the basis of language-cum-culture, the present day Bihar can be divided into four distinct categories of subregional identities – Maithili, Bhojpuri, Magadhi and the tribal language(s) of the Jharkhand region.
Grierson has described the language of Bihar as Bihari, 4 which in his scheme of classification belongs to the Eastern group of Hindi, covering an area of 90,000 square miles and is spoken by the 36,000,000 people from the Himalayas on the north to Singhbhum on the South, and from Manbhum on the South-east to Basti on the north-west.

Magadhi

The word ‘Maghi’ is a deviant of sanskrit word Magadhi. And the region in which this dialect is spoken is referred as Magadha.
The ancient land of Magadha now roughly corresponds to the present districts of Patna and northern half of Gaya district.
Though the Magahi language extends to the other parts of Bihar such as Na landa, Aurangabad, Nawada, Monghyr, Gir idih, Hazar ibagh, Dhanbad, North-eastern Palamau, Northern Ranchi and the other parts of Bihar, the purest form of Magahi is preserved only in the districts of Patna and Gaya.
This may be referred as a ‘core region’ of the Magahi language.
Core region preserves not only the purity of dialect and cultural distinctiveness, it also helps in the determination of and sealing in the variation of the dialect or language. Magahi linguistically bordered.

Bhojpuri

Properly speaking Bhojpuri is the language of Bhojpur, “the name of town or pargana in the North-West of the district of Shahabad.”
In Bihar, the district in which it is spoken are Bhojpur, Rohtas, Chapra, Gopalganj, Siwan, Champaran, Motihari, Palamau, Ranchi, Hazaribagh, western portion of Vaishali and Muzaffarpur,20 besides in some parts of Santhal Pargana.
Bhojpuri language and culture have always been under the influence of West and Western forms of speech like Brajbhasa, Awadhi and Hindostani.
Further, the history of Bhojpuri language and literature is connected with the social and spiritual movements that were launched in the 9th century by the Siddhas or various spiritual sects of that time in Bihar and Bengal.
The Sant Sahitya produced Bhakti literature and was written in Bhojpuri language.
This tradition continued upto 19th century. Except in this century, no conscious effort was ever made to cultivate this dialect.
It is a folk-language of the rural people who expressed lares and tales through this language.
In folk tales and songs, one comes across the sociocultural, religious and political aspects of Bhojapuri life. Some of these songs are Sohar, Jhumar, Purbi, Janeo-geet, Bahura, Sitala, Ropani ke geet, Parati, Bhajan, Nachari, Kajari etc.

Bihari literature

It has been shaped by a number of writers of Hindi, including Raja Radhika Raman Sinha, Acharya Ramlochan Saran, Acharya Shivpujan Sahay, Divakar Prasad Vidyarthy, Ramdhari Singh ‘Dinkar’, Phanishwar Nath ‘Renu’, Gopal Singh “Nepali”, Ramesh Chandra Jhaand Baba Nagarjun.
Writer and Buddhistscholar Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan was born in Uttar Pradesh but spent his life in the land of Lord Buddha, i.e., Bihar.
Hrishikesh Sulabhis a short story writer, playwright and theatre critic.
Arun Kamal and Aalok Dhanwa are poets.

Historical work on Literature in Bihar

Bihar is one of the most densely populated states of India.
Bihar (erstwhile Magadh) has been the seat of Indian culture, Education and power since ancient times.
In the times of Mauryan Empire with Ashoka (269 BC to 232 BC), the great as its ruler where Nalanda University was the major seat of all Learning in ancient India.
Bihar has remained a land of culture, education, historical events, and birth place of many people who are admired globally even today.
It was here in Bodhgaya, that Prince Gautama attained supreme knowledge to become Buddha, the enlightened one.
The great religion of Buddhism-2/”>Buddhism was born here, and Bodhgaya is one of the most important and sacred Buddhist pilgrimage centers in the world.
Lord Mahavira (the founder of Jainism), Guru Gobind Singh (The tenth and the last guru of the Sikhs), Dr. Rajendra Prasad (1st President of India) and many more were born here.

Nalanda,

the world’s first seat of higher learning, a Monastic University which flourished from the 5th to the 11th century is in Bihar.
The University had 9 million books and 2000 teachers to impart knowledge to 10,000 students from all over the Buddhist world.
Lord Buddha himself taught here and Hieun Tsang, the 7th century Chinese traveler, was a student here.

Aryabhatta (476-550 A.D.)

He was born in Patliputra in Magadha, modern Patna in Bihar. His greatest contribution has to be ZERO.
His other works include algebra, arithmetic, trigonometry, quadratic equations and the sine table.
He went as far as to explain the eclipse of the moon and the sun, day and night, the contours of the earth, the length of the year exactly as 365 days.
He even computed the circumference of the earth as 24835 miles which is close to modern day calculation of 24900 miles.

At present Bihar stand

Bihar today is an extension of its historic self amalgamating smoothly into the modern technological world.

Despite commercial pressures the state and its people have continued to pursue education and books with the same spirit.
Therefore, it’s only in Bihar that an organization like Super 30 works. Super 30 provides training to 30 poor students, free of cost for IIT entrance exam every year (one of the toughest exams in the world) and they all qualify with a ranking in top 100 in all India out of 3.6 million students

More point on Literature of Bihar

Bihar has produced a number of 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.
Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan, the great writer and Buddhist scholar Hrishikesh Sulabh are the prominent writers of the new generation.
Arun Kamal and Aalok Dhanwa are the well-known poets. Different regional languages also have produced some prominent poets and authors.
Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay is among the greatest writers in Bangla, lived for some time in Bihar.
The latest Indian writer in English, Upamanyu Chatterjee also hails from Patna in Bihar. Devaki Nandan Khatri, who rose to fame at the beginning of the 20th century on account of his novels such as Chandrakanta and Chandrakanta Santati, was born in Muzaffarpur, Bihar.
Vidyapati Thakur is the most renowned poet of Maithili (c. 14-15th century).
Interestingly, the first Indian author in English was a Bihari, Deen Mohammad. Among the contemporary writers in English Amitava Kumar, Tabish Khair and Sidhharth Chaoudhary are important names.
Sidhharth Chaoudhary has been shortlisted for 2009 Man Asia Literary prize for his book Day Scholar.
Bihar has a rich heritage of reading and writing habits. Because of this, there is a great desire and hunger for books among the general public.
It is said that people here can forgo food for a day but not their daily dose of book reading.
A fact brought out by the numerous personal libraries and the huge number of great writers, authors, poets and students.

Languages and Literature of Bihar

Bihar is a state in eastern India with a rich and diverse culture. The state is home to a number of different languages, each with its own unique literature.

The most widely spoken language in Bihar is Hindi. Hindi is the Official Language of India and is used in government, education, and the media. It is also the language of the majority of the population of Bihar.

Other major languages spoken in Bihar include Maithili, Bhojpuri, Magahi, and Angika. These languages are all part of the Indo-Aryan language family and are closely related to Hindi.

Maithili is the language of the Maithil people, who are the largest ethnic group in Bihar. Maithili literature is rich and varied, and includes poetry, drama, and fiction. Some of the most famous Maithili writers include Vidyapati, Lalit Narayan Mishra, and Phanishwar Nath Renu.

Bhojpuri is the language of the Bhojpuri people, who are the second largest ethnic group in Bihar. Bhojpuri literature is also rich and varied, and includes poetry, drama, and fiction. Some of the most famous Bhojpuri writers include Kabir-2/”>Kabir, Tulsidas, and Gopaldas Neeraj.

Magahi is the language of the Magahi people, who are the third largest ethnic group in Bihar. Magahi literature is not as well-known as Maithili or Bhojpuri literature, but it is still a vibrant and important part of the culture of Bihar. Some of the most famous Magahi writers include Phanishwar Nath Renu and Upendranath Ashk.

Angika is the language of the Angika people, who are a small ethnic group in Bihar. Angika literature is not as well-known as the other languages of Bihar, but it is still a vibrant and important part of the culture of the Angika people. Some of the most famous Angika writers include Rameshwar Singh Deo and Rameshwar Prasad Singh.

In addition to these major languages, there are a number of other languages spoken in Bihar, including Urdu, English, and the languages of the tribal people of Bihar. Urdu is the official language of Pakistan and is spoken by a significant minority of the population of Bihar. English is the language of education and government in India, and is spoken by a small but growing number of people in Bihar. The languages of the tribal people of Bihar are diverse and reflect the rich culture of the tribal people of the state.

Folk literature is an important part of the culture of Bihar. Folk literature includes songs, stories, and poems that are passed down from generation to generation. Folk literature often reflects the history, culture, and values of the people who create it.

Modern Literature in Bihar is a vibrant and diverse field. Modern writers from Bihar write in a variety of genres, including poetry, fiction, and drama. Some of the most famous modern writers from Bihar include Mahadevi Verma, Premchand, and Amrita Pritam.

Bihar is home to a number of literary institutions, including the Bihar Sahitya Akademi, the Maithili Akademi, and the Bhojpuri Akademi. These institutions promote the study and appreciation of literature in the languages of Bihar.

Bihar also has a number of literary Awards, including the Jnanpith Award, the Sahitya Akademi Award, and the Bihar State Sahitya Akademi Award. These awards recognize outstanding literary achievement in the languages of Bihar.

The languages and literature of Bihar are a rich and diverse part of the culture of the state. The languages of Bihar reflect the history, culture, and values of the people who speak them. Folk literature, modern literature, and literary institutions all play an important role in the promotion of literature in Bihar.

Here are some frequently asked questions and short answers about languages and literature:

What are the most spoken languages in the world?
The most spoken languages in the world are Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, English, Hindi, and Arabic.
What is the oldest language in the world?
The oldest language in the world is Sumerian, which is a language that was spoken in Mesopotamia around 3500 BC.
What is the most difficult language to learn?
There is no one answer to this question, as different people find different languages difficult to learn. However, some languages that are often considered to be difficult to learn include Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Arabic.
What is the most beautiful language in the world?
This is a matter of opinion, but some languages that are often considered to be beautiful include Italian, French, Spanish, and Russian.
What is the most popular language in literature?
English is the most popular language in literature, as it is the language in which many of the world’s most famous works of literature have been written.
Who are some of the most famous writers in the world?
Some of the most famous writers in the world include William Shakespeare, Leo Tolstoy, Jane Austen, and Gabriel García Márquez.
What are some of the most famous works of literature?
Some of the most famous works of literature include The Bible, The Odyssey, The Divine Comedy, and Hamlet.
What is the difference between literature and writing?
Literature is a broad term that encompasses all forms of written expression, while writing is a more specific term that refers to the act of putting words on paper or on a computer screen.
What are some of the different genres of literature?
Some of the different genres of literature include fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama.
What are some of the different literary devices?
Some of the different literary devices include metaphor, simile, personification, and alliteration.
What is the purpose of literature?
The purpose of literature can vary depending on the work, but some of the common purposes of literature include to entertain, to inform, to educate, and to inspire.
What are some of the benefits of reading literature?
Some of the benefits of reading literature include improving vocabulary, increasing knowledge, developing critical thinking skills, and enhancing Empathy.
What are some of the challenges of reading literature?
Some of the challenges of reading literature include dealing with difficult subject matter, understanding complex language, and keeping track of multiple characters and plot lines.
What are some tips for reading literature?
Some tips for reading literature include choosing books that are at your reading level, taking breaks when you need them, and using a dictionary to look up unfamiliar words.
What are some Resources for learning more about literature?
Some resources for learning more about literature include books, websites, and online courses.

Sure. Here are some MCQs without mentioning the topic Languages and Literature of Bihar:

Which of the following is not a language spoken in Bihar?
(A) Hindi
(B) Urdu
(C) Bengali
(D) Marathi
Who is the author of the novel “Godan”?
(A) Premchand
(B) Munshi Premchand
(C) Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay
(D) Rabindranath Tagore
Which of the following is not a festival celebrated in Bihar?
(A) Chhath Puja
(B) Durga puja
(C) Holi
(D) Diwali
Which of the following is not a dish from Bihar?
(A) Litti Chokha
(B) Pakora
(C) Thepla
(D) Kadhi Pakora
Which of the following is not a dance form from Bihar?
(A) Jhumar
(B) Chhau/”>Chhau
(C) Kathak
(D) Manipuri
Which of the following is not a sport popular in Bihar?
(A) Kabaddi
(B) Hockey
(C) Cricket
(D) Football
Which of the following is not a river that flows through Bihar?
(A) Ganga
(B) Yamuna
(C) Brahmaputra
(D) Son
Which of the following is not a mountain range that is located in Bihar?
(A) Himalayas
(B) Vindhyas
(C) Satpuras
(D) Aravallis
Which of the following is not a city in Bihar?
(A) Patna
(B) Gaya
(C) Ranchi
(D) Kolkata
Which of the following is not a state that borders Bihar?
(A) Uttar Pradesh
(B) Jharkhand
(C) West Bengal
(D) Odisha

I hope these MCQs were helpful. Please let me know if you have any other questions.