Pre History of Bihar & Vedic Age

Preparing for the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exam? Then you cannot skip the Ancient History of Bihar.

The Pre-History of Bihar and Vedic Age are among the most important and scoring topics for BPSC Prelims and Mains. In this blog, you’ll get exam-ready notes, important facts, and FAQs to boost your preparation.

🔍 What is Pre-History of Bihar?

Pre-history refers to the period before written records, known mainly through archaeological evidence like:

  • Stone tools
  • Pottery
  • Rock paintings

It is divided into three main phases:

  • Palaeolithic Age
  • Mesolithic Age
  • Neolithic Age

🪨 Palaeolithic Age in Bihar (Old Stone Age)

🔑 Key Features:

  • Use of large, rough stone tools
  • Humans were hunters and gatherers

📍 Important Sites:

  • Munger
  • Nalanda

👉 These regions provide evidence of the earliest human activity in Bihar.

🏹 Mesolithic Age (12000 BC – 6000 BC)

This phase shows gradual development in human lifestyle.

📍 Evidence Found In:

  • Munger
  • Hazaribagh
  • Ranchi
  • Singhbhum
  • Santhal Pargana

🔎 Key Discoveries:

  • Tools found at Paisra (Munger)
  • Rock paintings in:
    • Nawada
    • Kaimur
    • Jamui

👉 These paintings depict daily life, hunting scenes, and environment.

🌾 Neolithic Age in Bihar (2500 BC – 1345 BC)

This period marks the beginning of settled life.

🔑 Key Features:

  • Agriculture started
  • Animal domestication
  • Permanent settlements

📍 Major Sites:

  • Chirand (Saran)
  • Chechar (Vaishali)
  • Maner (Patna)
  • Sanaur (Rohtas)

🔎 Findings:

  • Bone tools (Chirand)
  • Pottery:
    • Black & Red Ware
    • Ochre Painted Pottery
    • Spotted vessels

🔶 Chalcolithic Age (2000 BC – 700 BC)

Also called the Copper Age.

🔑 Key Features:

  • Use of copper + stone tools
  • Beginning of metal usage

📍 Important Sites:

  • Chirand (Saran)
  • Maner (Patna)
  • Champa (Bhagalpur)
  • Chechar-Kutubpur (Vaishali)
  • Sonpur (Saran)
  • Taradih (Gaya)

👉 Evidence includes copper tools and pottery remains.

📜 Vedic Age in Bihar

🏛️ Kingdom of Videha

  • Mentioned in Ramayana
  • Ruled by King Janaka
  • Capital: Mithila

🔹 Vedic Periods

📌 Early Vedic (1500–1000 BC)

  • Aryans in North-West India

📌 Later Vedic (1000–600 BC)

  • Aryans moved to Eastern India including Bihar
  • Growth of agriculture and kingdoms

📚 Important Texts

  • Rigveda
  • Satapatha Brahmana

👉 These texts describe:

  • Aryan expansion
  • Political and social systems

🏙️ Rise of Janapadas

  • Small states called Janapadas emerged
  • Later formed Mahajanapadas

👉 Indicates early political organization in Bihar.

🎯 Why This Topic is Important for BPSC?

  • Frequently asked in Prelims
  • Useful in Mains answer writing
  • Strong foundation for Bihar history

💡 Preparation Tips

  • Focus on important sites (Chirand, Maner, Chechar)
  • Revise pottery types and tools
  • Practice previous year questions
  • Make short notes

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is the Pre-History of Bihar?

👉 It refers to the period before written records, known through tools, pottery, and rock paintings found in regions like Munger and Nalanda.

Q2. Which are the important prehistoric sites in Bihar?

👉 Important sites include:

  • Chirand
  • Maner
  • Chechar
  • Taradih
  • Sonpur

Q3. Why is Chirand important in Bihar history?

👉 Chirand is a major Neolithic site where bone tools and pottery were discovered, showing early human settlement.

Q4. What is the Chalcolithic Age in Bihar?

👉 It is the Copper Age (2000–700 BC) when humans started using copper along with stone tools.

Q5. Who was King Janaka?

👉 King Janaka was the ruler of Videha, with capital at Mithila, mentioned in the Ramayana.

Q6. Which Vedic text mentions Bihar?

👉 The Satapatha Brahmana mentions the spread of Aryans into Bihar.

Q7. Is Bihar history important for BPSC?

👉 Yes, Bihar-specific history is very important and scoring in BPSC exams.

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