| Voice of East Champaran
: Bali Ram

East Champaran is a tropical area. 90% of the population is tribes
and they live below the poverty line. The quality of education is
very poor. Parents are hardly aware about the importance of education.
Health infrastructure is very poor. It needs lot of improvement.
There are many NGOs that work for the upliftment of the tribes.
But they lack funds.
Government needs to support the NGO and together we can make the
difference.
East Champaran
District
Area, Population & Sex Ratio
Geographical Area : 3968.0 Km2
Population in East Champaran (Census 2011)
Total Population
Total : 5,082,868
Male : 2,674,037
Female : 2,408,831
Under 6 population
Total : 993,569
Male : 516,736
Female : 476,833
Disabled population
Total disabled population : 122856
In seeing : 84057
In speech : 7096
In hearing : 3066
In movement : 20668
Mental : 7969
Rank ( VoiceOfBharat.org Analysis
)
Backwardness : 273
Sex Ratio Rank : 146
(Rank one is least sex ratio - Cenus 2001)
HIV Category District : C
(HIV Sentinel Surveillance 2004 -2006)
Disability : 9 (Census 2001)
Literacy Ratio : 575 (Census 2001)
Minority : Does not figure in MCD

Brief About East Champaran District
First Creation of Champarn District : 1866 On 1st of December 1971
Champaran district was split up Into two districts, viz. Purbi Champaran
and Paschim Champaran , The headquarter of Purbi Champaran district
is at Motihari . Presently Purbi Champaran consists of Six Subdivisions
and Twenty Seven Blocks. Nepal makes its northern boundary, Sitamadhi
and Sheohar eastern while Muzaffarpur South and with part of Gopalganj
bounds it in western side.
Origin of Name
The name Champaran owes its origin to Champa-aranya
or Champkatanys. Champa or Champaka means Magnolia and aranya mess
forest. Hence, Champaranya means Forest of Magnolia (CHAMPA) trees.
It is popularly believed that the nomenclature here was made while
the vest forest part was inhabited by solitary ascetics. It is needless
to say that has Purbi means Eastern Side.
Ancient History
The history of Purbi Champaran is a part of parent
Champaran district. In the prehistoric period, Champaran constituted
a part of the ancient kingdom of Videha .The Aryan Videhas were
ordained to settle east of the Gandak or Narayani river. Among the
Greatest of the Videha kings was Sirdhwaj
Janak an erudite scholar as well as lord temporal
and lord spiritual for his subjects. Yajnavalkya was his chief priest
who codified the Hindu law known as Yajnavalkya Smriti. Both of
his wife Gargi and Maitreyi was renowned scholar. It is Gargi who
is credited to compose some of mantras. After the fall of Videhan
empire Champaran was ceded to oligarrochial republic of Vrijjan
confederacy, with Oligarchcal Vaishali as its capital of the Vriggian
confederacy Lichohavis were the most powerful and prominent.
For a true imperialist Ajatshatru the emperor of Magadh
the power and fame of Vaishali was eyesore. By tact and force he
annexed Lichhavis and occupied its capital, Vaishali. He extended
his way over the present district of Purbi Champaran which lasted
for nearly hundred years. After the Mauryas , the Sungas and the
kanvas ruled over Magadh and its vast territories. Archaeological
evidences found in Champaran bear testimony of Sunga and Kanva rules
here.
The Kushans, who were migrant Turks, overran the entire
northern India in the first century AD Probably Champaran was a
part of the Kushan empire at that time. Banphar Rajputs in the 3rd
century AD got way by the Kushans . Champaran later become a part
of the Gupta empire. Alongwith Tirhut, Champaran was possibly annexed
by Harsha during whose reign Huen- Tesang, the famous Chines pilgrim,
visited India. During 750 to 1155 AD Palas were in the possession
of Eastern India and Champaran formed the part of their territories.
Towards the close of the 10th century Gangaya Deva of the Kalacheeri
dynasty conquered Champaran .He gave way to Vikramaditya of the
Chalukya dynasty, who was accompanied by adventures from the Carnatic
.It is believed that one of the adventures counted the Saka dynasty
of Bangal another, Nanyadeva, founded the Carnatic dynasty of Mithila
with its capital at Siaraon on the Indo- Nepal border.
MEDIEVAL PERIOD
During 1211 and 1226 first Muslim influences was experienced
when Ghyasuddin Iwaz the muslim governor of Bangal extended his
a way over Tribhukti or Tirhut .It was however, not a complete conquest
and he was only able to have Tirhut from Narsinghdeva a simyaon
king, in about 1323 Gnyas- Uddip.Tughiar annexed irabhuk and placed
it under Kameshwar Thakur established Sugaon or Thakur dynasty,
As Harsinghdeo the last simraon king had taken shelter in Nepal
Kameshwar Thakur a Brahmin Rajpandit was installed to regal status.
The sugaon dynasty hold Tirabhukti as a tributary province for about
a century after the capture of Harsinghdeo . The most famous of
the dynasty was Raja Shiva Singh who was adorned by the immortal
poet laureate Vidyapati, during the period of Lakshmi Nath Deva
Tirabhukti was attached by Sultan Alleuddin Hussain Shah of Bengal
and Sikender Lodi of Delhi . A treaty was concluded in 1499 according
to which 'Tirahukti , left to Sikandar Lodi subsequently, Sikander
Lodi attacked Tirabhukti and made the prince a tributary chief.
However, in contravention of the treaty conducted by his father
.Nasrat Shah, son of Allauddin Shah attacked Tirbhukti in 1530 annexed
the territory, killed the Raja and thus put an end to the Thakur
dynasty . \
Nasrat Shah appointed his son -in -law as viceroy
of Tirhut and the coformard it was governed by Muslim Governor .In
1526 Babar dynosted Sikandar Lodi but Champaran could not coming
prominence till the last days of the Muslim rule.
During the close of the Mughal empire, Champaran witnessed
ravages of contending armies. prince Al Gauhar later known as Shah
Alam invaded Bihar in 1760 and Khadin Hussain, the Governor of Purnit
invited with his army to join him. In the mean time, Nawab Sirajudaulla
of Bengal had already been defeated and killed as a result of the
joint conspiracy of Mir Jagarkhan and the British, in June, 1757
. Before Khadim Hussain could meet Shah Alam's forces captain Knox
led a British force and defeated him at Hajipur. There after he
fled to Bettiah.
BRITISH PERIOD
With the rest of Bengal Champaran passed into the
hands of East India Company in 1764 but military expeditious were
still I. necessary to curb the independent spirit of the chiefs.
In 1766 , Robert Barkar easily defeated the local chiefs and forced
them to pay tribute or revenue which they had destined till them.
however , the Raja of Bettiah did not pay revenues regularly and
revolted but was crushed. He fled to Bundelkhand and his estate
was consequently confiscated. But to the British it was difficult
to manage the affairs of the estate in the make of strong popular
resentment. At the time of uprising the estate was restored by the
Raja in 1771 .
In the mean time for reaching consequences were taking
place in neighboring Nepal. A confrontation was going,. In between
the Gurkhas, under Prithvi Narayan of Newar line and British forces.
Ultimately a treaty was concluded at Sugauli .There remained peace
for 25 years followed by treaty but trouble started after 1840 when
a Gurkha troops entered the estate of Raja Ramnagar and extended
their claim over his territory. However, Gorkha troops had to retreat
due to determined resistance. Later, the Nepalese proved faithfully
allies of the British in suppressing the National Movement of 1857.
The repression of the Wahabi movement at Patna furthered
of seething discontent of tenants against the activities of the
administration as well as the Indigo --Planters. The cultivators
were forced to grow indigo even in the face of recurring losses
in this account . More over many kinds of illegal realization were
effected by the landlords. The administration was the cut do - sac
of the oppressions.
In the beginning of 1857 movement the position of
Britishers was precarious. Major Hoimes who was commanding the 12th
Irregular cavalry, stationed at sugauli was apparently panicked
and proclaimed martial law on his own authority. This measure had
not attracted hole-hearted support of higher authorities. Major
Holmes lad repressive measures and executed some sepoys. Consequently
members of the cavalry revolted again the authority. The Major his
wife and other members of his family were stained. The Soldiers
proceeded towards Siwan to join other forces who had risen against
the British authority. The revolt was, however calmed down to enlist
support Honorary Magistrates from among the indigo planters were
appointed and also authorized them to recruit local police. Some
of the big estate holders like the Raja of Bettiah even gave support
to the British Gurukha troops of the British were asset to them.
The later history of the district is inter woven with
the saga of exploitation of the indigo planters. Britain used to
get supplies of indigo from her American colonies which ceased after
war of .Independence fought in 1776 leading to their freedom. Britain
had to depend upon India for supplies of Indigo. Europeans steered
many factories in the indigo producing areas of Bengal and Bihar.
Estate of Bettiah and Ramnagar gave lease of land
to them on easy terms for cultivation of indigo. The arrangement
made for the cultivation of indigo were (1) Zirat and (2)Tenkuthiya
. Apparently ,nothing went wrong by the introduction of both the
systems. But actually, the peasants suffered a lot due to both the
systems. The wages paid to laborers were extremely low and entirely
inadequate. The were forced to labor hard and were severely punished
for alleged slackness on their part Sri Raj kumar shukla, an indigo
cultivator of the district having heard about the None Co-operation
Movement had by Gandhijee in South Africa met and apprised him about
miserable plight of indigo Cultivators in the Champaran District.
He persuaded him to visit the district. Almost at same time;The
Indian Nation congress in December ,1916 passed at Lucknow a resolution
for requesting Government to appoint a committcd of both officials
and non-officials to enquire into the agrarian trouble facing the
district.
Gandhijee paid historic visit to Champaran. His visit
was stoutly opposed by the British rulers. An order asking him to
leave Champaran was served upon him as soon as he arrived at Motihari.
Gandhijee defied the order of the several prominent persons who
rallied round him mention may be made of Dr .Rajendra Prasad Acharya
Kriplani ,Mahadeo Desai, C.F. Andrews, H.S.Pollock, Anugrah Narayan
Singh, Raj Kishore Prasad, Ram Nawami Prasad and Dharnidhar Prasad
after considerable struggle Govt. was compelled to lift the ban
on Gandhi's stay here for he first time on Indian soil Satyagarh,
was successfully put to test. Eventually, a committee of enquiry
was appointed by the Govt. under the chairmanship of Sri Frank shy,
Gandhijee was also made one of the member of the committee. On the
basis of vauled a recommendations of the committee, the Champaran
Agraria low (Bihar and Orissa Act I of 1918) was passed. In course
of time, the development of synthetic dyes made the cultivation
of indigo redundant.
In 1920,Gandhijee made an extensive tour of Bihar
before launching the non-co-operation movement, which earned full
support in the district as well. In 1929 a group of volunteers from
Champran district came to demonstrate a against the Simon commission
in the same year the 21st session of the Bihar students conference
was held at Motihari. As a reaction against the failure of Round
table conference held in 1932 there was popular gathering at Motihari
to take pledge for Independence. Police lathi charge and fired upon
the gatherings. people of Champaran will be remember for their active
and significant participation in the National movement
| HQ |
Motihari |
| Sub Divisions |
Motihari Sadar, Areraj, Raxaul, Sikarahna,
Pakridayal. |
| Blocks |
Kesharia,Kalyanpur, Motihari,
Sugauli, Harsiddhi, Pakridayal, Maheshi, Adapur, Chiraian,
Paharpur, Raxaul, Turkaulia, Areraj, Ramgarhwa, Ghorasahan,
Madhuban, Chakai, Patahi, Dhakha, Chhauradano, Sangrampur,
Phenhara, Tetaria, Kotwa, Banjaria, Piprakothi, Vankatwa. |
| Agriculture |
Rice Paddy (Home of Basmati rice), Sugar Cane,
Jute, Lentils. |
| Industry |
Sugar Factories, Button Factory. |
| Rivers |
Gandak, Sikrahna. |
|