Barh
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2018}}{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Short description|Indian town in Patna district, Bihar}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Barh
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| other_name =
| settlement_type = town and subdivision
| image_skyline = Barh.jpg
| image_alt =
| image_caption =
| pushpin_map = India Bihar#India3
| pushpin_label_position = right
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Bihar, India
| coordinates = {{coord|25.48|N|85.72|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type1 = State
| subdivision_name1 = Bihar
| subdivision_type2 = Division
| subdivision_name2 = Patna
| subdivision_type3 = District
| subdivision_name3 = Patna
| established_title =
| established_date =
| named_for =
| government_type =
| governing_body = Nagar Parishad
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_footnotes =
| area_rank =
| area_total_km2 = 98000
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m = 47
| population_total = Approx 10 lakhs in district
| population_as_of = 2011
| population_rank =
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym = Barh
| population_footnotes =
| demographics_type1 = Languages
| demographics1_title1 = Official
| demographics1_info1 = Magahi, Hindi
| timezone1 = IST
| utc_offset1 = +5:30
| postal_code_type = PIN
| postal_code = 803212,803213,803214
| area_code_type = Telephone code
| area_code = 06132
| registration_plate = BR-01
| website = {{URL|patna.nic.in}}
| footnotes =
| official_name =
}}
Barh is a sub division of Patna District. It is a town and one of the 6 sub-division of Patna district, Bihar in India. It is located on the southern bank of the Ganges.{{Cite web|date=16 October 2013|title=Hindu Funerals, Cremation and Varanasi|url=http://factsanddetails.com/world.php?itemid=1343&catid=55&subcatid=354|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016111431/http://factsanddetails.com/world.php?itemid=1343&catid=55&subcatid=354|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 October 2013|access-date=30 July 2020}}
Population
{{As of|2011||alt=According to the 2011 Census of India}}, Barh had a total population of 316,348 residents, with 162,354 males and 153,994 females.{{Cite book|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/181774275|title=Census of India|publisher=Office of the Registrar General|oclc=181774275}}
Administration
The Barh sub-division (Tehsil) is headed by an IAS or state Civil service officer of the rank of Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM).
=Blocks=
The Barh Tehsil is divided into 7 Blocks, each headed by a Block Development Officer (BDO). List of Blocks is as follows:
- Athmalgola
- Mokama
- Belchi
- Ghoswari
- Pandarak
- Bakhtiarpur
- Barh
Politics
Barh is a part of the Barh Assembly constituency under the Munger Lok Sabha constituency. It is also the oldest subdivision in India.{{Cite web|date=31 October 2010|first=Navendu|last=Sharma|title=No Barh on caste politics|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/No-Barh-on-caste-politics/articleshow/6843849.cms|access-date=25 July 2020|website=The Times of India|language=en}}
History
= Peace Treaty of Barh =
In 1495, after the sack of Patna, Sikandar Lodi advanced towards Bengal, but a non-aggression pact was made between the Delhi and the Bengal armies. It was decided that the territory to the east of Barh would be controlled by Bengal's ruler, while those to the west would be controlled by the Delhi empire.{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/TheHistoryOfBengal | quote=bar. |title = The History of Bengal: From the First Mohammedan Invasion Until the Virtual Conquest of that Country by the English, A.D. 1757| publisher=Black, Parry, and Company |last1 = Stewart|first1 = Charles|year = 1813}}
= Sarai =
During the Mughal period, Barh had a large sarai with 200 rooms for travelers/traders built by Sher Shah Suri.[http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/18028/7/07_chapter%201.pdf The Prospects] shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in
= Rennell's Survey =
In 1776, James Rennell, also called the "Father of Indian Geography", surveyed Bengal and listed prominent destinations.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lib.umich.edu/online-exhibits/exhibits/show/india-maps/item/5156?exhibit=136&page=1193|title=A map of the north part of Hindostan or a geographical survey of the provinces of Bengal, Bahar, Awd, Ellahabad, Agra and Delhi · Online Exhibits|website=www.lib.umich.edu}}
File:Barhbuch.png travelogue]]
= Barh Railway line =
On 10 November 1877, the Barh railway station was opened to the public.{{Cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pIMIAAAAQAAJ&q=barh+railway+station&pg=RA1-PA310 |title = Report on the Administration of Bengal, 1877–78|year = 1878}}
= Plague =
Between the 1890s to 1910, Barh and Patna were afflicted by the plague. It is believed that the 1898 plague came by sea by rats aboard infected ships, though it first appeared in the British India Steam Navigation Company's wharf.{{Cite web|last=Clemesha|first=W. W.|title=An Account of Plague in Bengal|url=https://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC5180973&blobtype=pdf}} The two main factors for the spread of the plague were believed to be the high presence of rats and houses with poor hygiene and bad ventilation.
The population of the extended Barh subdivision decreased from 408,256 in 1891 to 365,327 in 1901 due to the plague.{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a-QaOP5nK-MC&q=patna+plague&pg=PA76 | title=Bihar and Orissa District Gazetteers Patna| isbn=9788172681210| last1=O'Malley| first1=L. S. S.| year=1924| publisher=Concept Publishing Company}}
= ''Sati'' incident =
In 1928, Sampati Kuer, a young widow from Berhna village, committed sati on the funeral pyre of her deceased husband. The British government suspected foul play and sentenced 10 people to prison, including her brother Murlidhar Pande, as sati was outlawed 100 years earlier by the British government.{{Cite web |url=http://14.139.60.114:8080/jspui/bitstream/123456789/33476/1/009_King-Emperor%20v.%20Vidyasagar%20Pande%20%2874-86%29.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=7 May 2018 |archive-date=7 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507221450/http://14.139.60.114:8080/jspui/bitstream/123456789/33476/1/009_King-Emperor%20v.%20Vidyasagar%20Pande%20%2874-86%29.pdf |url-status=dead }}
NTPC Barh
{{Main|Barh Super Thermal Power Station}}
NTPC Limited is India's largest power-generating company. The former Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, laid the foundation stone of the main plant of stage 1 of NTPC Barh Super Thermal Power Station on 6 March 1999.{{Cite web|date=4 July 2013|first1=Pranava K.|last1=Chaudhary|title=Barh thermal power plant to start power generation by year end|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Barh-thermal-power-plant-to-start-power-generation-by-year-end/articleshow/20902625.cms|access-date=27 July 2020|website=The Times of India|language=en}}