Transformation of Bihar: European Discourses (from Late 16th to Early 19th Century)

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Bihar created the first pan-Indian Empire and simultaneously hosted the first recorded foreign envoy. Megasthenes, who has left behind in his Indika, a brilliant description of society and polity of Pataliputra (modern Patna), then and now the capital of Bihar. For more than a century, students of Indian history have repeatedly studied Megasthenes' work to reconstruct a picture of ancient India's socio-economic, cultural and administrative life.

Under Magadhan ruler Ashoka the Great, Buddhism spread beyond the borders of India and became the religion of masses extending from the Caspian to the Pacific. Bihar came into limelight on the international scene.

The Buddhists flocked to India to pay homage to the places associated with Lord Buddha. The Chinese Buddhists and their rulers felt they needed to know the teachings and philosophy of the Lord at first hand. Therefore, among Chinese pilgrims came scholar monks who stayed for long years in India. For them a visit to Bodh Gaya where the Lord gained enlightenment was a must. They studied Buddhist scriptures for several years in the Universities of Nalanda and Vikramshila. Some of them owing to their prolonged stay in Bihar became well acquainted with the local society and on their return wrote about Bihar and other parts of India. The most famous Chinese monk-scholars were Fa-hian, Hiuen Tsiang and I- Once the Chinese had completed the translation of Buddhist scriptures, the flow of Chinese monk-pilgrims ceased around the eight century A.D.