Arrah (also spelled as Arra, Arah, transliterated as Ara) is a city and a

municipal corporation Municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. The term can also be used to describe municipally o ...

in Bhojpur district (formerly known as

Shahabad district Shahabad district or Arrah district, headquartered at Arrah (now part of Bhojpur) was a Bhojpuri speaking district in western Bihar, India, making the western border of Bihar with Uttar Pradesh. In 1972, the district was split into two distri ...

) in the

Indian state India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, for a total of 36 subnational entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into 800 districts and smaller administrative divisions by the respe ...

Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...

. During the

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

, it served as the administrative headquarters and was considered the most populous urban centre of the historical Shahabad district. It is the headquarters of Bhojpur district, located near the confluence of the

Ganges The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary rive ...

and

Sone The sone () is a unit of loudness, the subjective perception of sound pressure. The study of perceived loudness is included in the topic of psychoacoustics and employs methods of psychophysics. Doubling the perceived loudness doubles the sone ...

rivers, some from

Danapur Danapur Nizamat or Danapur is an Indian satellite town and one of six subdivisions (tehsil) in the Patna district of Bihar state.Patna Patna (; , ISO 15919, ISO: ''Paṭanā''), historically known as Pataliputra, Pāṭaliputra, is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, ...

. The city holds an important position in

Indian history Anatomically modern humans first arrived on the Indian subcontinent between 73,000 and 55,000 years ago. The earliest known human remains in South Asia date to 30,000 years ago. Sedentariness began in South Asia around 7000 BCE; by 4500 ...

, mainly because of its role in the

Siege of Arrah The siege of Arrah (27 July – 3 August 1857) took place during the Indian Mutiny (also known as the Indian Rebellion of 1857). It was the eight-day defence of a fortified outbuilding, occupied by a combination of 18 civilians and 50 members ...

, an important event during the

Indian Rebellion of 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against Company rule in India, the rule of the East India Company, British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the The Crown, British ...

. Today, Arrah is a cultural centre for the

Bhojpuri Bhojpuri may refer to: * Bhojpuri language, an Indo-Aryan language of India and Nepal * Bhojpuri grammar, grammatical rules of the language * Bhojpuri nouns, nouns of the language * Bhojpuri people, people who speak the language * Bhojpuri region ...

speaking region of India. Its economy is driven by agriculture and the trade of building materials, mainly

sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is usually defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural ...

and

bricks A brick is a type of construction material used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a unit primarily composed of clay. But is now also used informally to denote building u ...

from the riverine plains.

Etymology

Typonym

According to a Jain inscription found at Masarh village near the town, Arrah is mentioned there as ''Aramnagar'' ( transl. City of Aramas). That "Aramnagar" later become "Arrah". According to mythologies, the word "Arrah" or "Ara" is derived from the Sanskrit word ''Aranya'', which means forest. It suggests that the entire area around modern Ara was heavily forested in the old days. The name Shahabad ("city of the king") is also historically related to Arrah. This name is said to have originated with the

Mughal Mughal or Moghul may refer to: Related to the Mughal Empire * Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries * Mughal dynasty * Mughal emperors * Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia * Mughal architecture * Mug ...

emperor

Babur Babur (; 14 February 148326 December 1530; born Zahīr ud-Dīn Muhammad) was the founder of the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent. He was a descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan through his father and mother respectively. He was also ...

in 1529. In his memoir, the ''Baburnama'', Babur refers to the town he camped in as ārī or āre (آرِی). After a victory over local Afghan rulers, Babur established his camp at Arrah to proclaim his dominion over

. The title "Shahabad" was reportedly first given to the town itself before the name was extended to encompass the entire district.

In mythologies

According to the Hindu epic ''

Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...

'', sage Vishwamitra, the Guru of

Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...

, had his ''

Ashram An ashram (, ) is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery in Indian religions, not including Buddhism. Etymology The Sanskrit noun is a thematic nominal derivative from the root 'toil' (< Taraka. In

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...

it was the home of the powerful demon called ''Bakra'', whose daily food was human being supplied either by villages of ''Bakri'' or Chakrapur (or Ekchakra), as Arrah was then called.

Pandava The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, aɳɖɐʋᵊ IAST: Pāṇḍava) is a group name referring to the five legendary brothers, Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, who are central figures of the Hindu epic ''Mahabhara ...

came to Ekchakra during their wandering and they were entertained by a

Brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...

whose turn it was to supply a human for the demon. On hearing this,

Bhima Bhima (, ), also known as Bhimasena (, ), is a hero and one of the most prominent characters in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. As the second of the five Pandava brothers, Bhima was born to Kunti—the wife of King Pandu—fathered by Vayu, the ...

decided to go himself to the demon as he has eaten a Brahmin's salt, and killed the demon.

History

Ancient

The 7th-century Chinese explorer

Xuanzang Xuanzang (; ; 6 April 6025 February 664), born Chen Hui or Chen Yi (), also known by his Sanskrit Dharma name Mokṣadeva, was a 7th-century Chinese Bhikkhu, Buddhist monk, scholar, traveller, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making ...

described a place he called ''Mo-ho-so-lo'', which has been identified with the contemporary village of Masarh. He noted that the inhabitants were all '' Brāhmans who did not respect the law of

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...

'', This opinion supports historical analysis that

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

, despite its prominence in the Magadha region, never gained a significant hold in the

. Archaeological evidence strengthens this opinion, noting a contrast with the neighbouring district of Gaya; while Buddhist images and temples are numerous there, such remains almost disappear as soon as one crosses the Son River into the Arrah region. Xuanzang recounts that a

stupa In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...

was built in Arrah by the emperor

Asoka Ashoka, also known as Asoka or Aśoka ( ; , ; – 232 BCE), and popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was Emperor of Magadha from until his death in 232 BCE, and the third ruler from the Mauryan dynasty. His empire covered a large p ...

to commemorate the spot where the Buddha had converted a group of people whom he called "demons of the desert" who fed on human flesh. In ancient India, it was the part of

Magadha Magadha was a region and kingdom in ancient India, based in the eastern Ganges Plain. It was one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas during the Second Urbanization period. The region was ruled by several dynasties, which overshadowed, conquered, and ...

. In 684BC Arrah was the part of the region ruled by

Haryanka dynasty The Haryanka dynasty was the ruling dynasty of Magadha, according to the Buddhist text Mahavamsa between 544 BC and 413 BC though some scholars favour a later chronology (5th century BCE to first half of 4th century BCE). Initially, the capi ...

. During

Chandragupta Maurya Chandragupta Maurya (Sanskrit: elp:IPA/Sanskrit, t̪͡ɕɐn̪d̪ɾɐgupt̪ɐ mɐʊɾjɐ (reigned 320 BCE – c. 298 BCE) was the founder and the first emperor of the Maurya Empire, based in Magadha (present-day Bihar) in the Indian ...

Arrah was the part of the great

Magadh Magadha was a region and kingdom in ancient India, based in the Indo-Gangetic Plain, eastern Ganges Plain. It was one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas during the Second Urbanization period. The region was ruled by several dynasties, which overshado ...

empire. The

Pillars A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...

Ashoka Ashoka, also known as Asoka or Aśoka ( ; , ; – 232 BCE), and popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was List of Mauryan emperors, Emperor of Magadha from until #Death, his death in 232 BCE, and the third ruler from the Mauryan dynast ...

are found at the Masarh village in Arrah tow

The region's inclusion in the

Gupta Empire The Gupta Empire was an Indian empire during the classical period of the Indian subcontinent which existed from the mid 3rd century to mid 6th century CE. At its zenith, the dynasty ruled over an empire that spanned much of the northern Indian ...

is established by an inscription at the Mundeshvari Temple referencing a ruling chief in 635 A.D. and another at Deo Barunarak talking about the later Gupta king Jivita Gupta II. After the decline of the Guptas, the area experienced a period of instability and relapsed into barbarism and anarchy, finally coming under the control of local aboriginal chiefs before the medieval era. Apart from such inscriptions, very early Hindu relics are almost as rare as Buddhist ones in the district, with few temples like Deo Barunark dating to a very early period. It was also the part of the

Pala Empire The Pāla Empire was the empire ruled by the Pala dynasty, ("protector" in Sanskrit) a medieval Indian dynasty which ruled the kingdom of Gauda Kingdom, Gauda. The empire was founded with the election of Gopala, Gopāla by the chiefs of Kingdo ...

and the Chero empire.

Bihiya Behea or Bihiya is a nagar panchayat town and Block in Bhojpur district in the Indian state of Bihar. The Behea block comprises 76 rural villages, along with the town of Bihiya itself and 22 uninhabited villages. As of 2011, the population of th ...

and Tirawan were the capitals of Chief Ghughulia and Raja Sitaram Rai respectively. Colonial-era accounts note that while the Cheros had lost political dominance, their descendants were still present in the region, particularly concentrated in the

and the reclaimed jungles around

Jagdispur Jagdishpur is a nagar panchayat town of the district Bhojpur of the state of Bihar in eastern India. It was the capital of the eponymous Jagdishpur Raj ruled by Rajputs of the Ujjainiya clan. One of its rulers, Kunwar Singh, was a major ...

. Historical sources also identify the Bhars and Savars as other principal early inhabitants of the larger Shahabad district..

Medieval

After the takeover of the region by

Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji Ikhtiyār al-Dīn Muḥammad Bin Bakhtiyār Khaljī, also known as Bakhtiyar Khalji, was a Turko-Afghan Military General of the Ghurid ruler Muhammad of Ghor, who led the Muslim conquests of the eastern Indian regions of Bengal and parts of Bi ...

around 1193 A.D., the area of modern-day Arrah came under the nominal control of the

Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate or the Sultanate of Delhi was a Medieval India, late medieval empire primarily based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for more than three centuries.

, though it was largely managed by local

Rajput Rājpūt (, from Sanskrit ''rājaputra'' meaning "son of a king"), also called Thākur (), is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating fro ...

chiefs. For a period, it became part of the Jaunpur Kingdom in 1397 before being reclaimed by the rulers of

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

. Historical accounts suggest that even into the

Mughal era The Mughal Empire was an early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to the highlands of pre ...

, the control of the central government was not stable, and local

zamindars A zamindar in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semi-autonomous feudal lord of a ''zamindari'' (feudal estate). The term itself came into use during the Mughal Empire, when Persian was the official language; ''zamindar'' is th ...

often acted with practical independence. A major battle in the region's medieval history was the prolonged struggle between the indigenous

Chero The Chero is a caste found in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh in India. History and origin The community claims to have originally been tribal people. The Chero are essentially one of many tribal communities, such as the Bhar ...

people and the immigrant

Ujjainiya The Ujjainiya Parmār (also spelled as Ujjaini or simply Ujjainiya) are a Rajput clan that inhabits the Bhojpur region in the state of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. They were an offshoot of the Parmara Rajputs that claims Agnivanshi descent. They ...

Rajputs, who arrived from

Malwa Malwa () is a historical region, historical list of regions in India, region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic plateau, volcanic upland north of the ...

in the 14th century. Led by Hunkar Shahi, the Ujjainiyas eventually displaced the Cheros, founding their territory as Bhojpur (Currenltly a village in

Buxar district Buxar district is one of the 38 districts of Bihar, India. Located in the southwestern part of the state, it is a primarily agricultural district. The district headquarters is at the town of Buxar. Buxar district was carved out from Bhojpur d ...

) in honour of their ancestor, Raja Bhoj. The struggle continued for centuries, with the Cheros temporarily recapturing the territory in 1607 before being defeated again by the Ujjainiyas in 1611. The power of the Cheros was finally broken in the 16th century when

Sher Shah Suri Sher Shah Suri (born Farid al-Din Khan; 1472 or 1486 – 22 May 1545), also known by his title Sultan Adil (), was the ruler of Bihar from 1530 to 1540, and Sultan of Hindustan from 1540 until his death in 1545. He defeated the Mughal Empire, ...

dispatched his general, Khawás Khán, to subdue them, an act considered one of Sher Shah's major military accomplishments. In 1604 Chieftain Narayan Mal got a land grant from

Jahangir Nur-ud-din Muhammad Salim (31 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir (; ), was List of emperors of the Mughal Empire, Emperor of Hindustan from 1605 until his death in 1627, and the fourth Mughal emperors, Mughal ...

. After that Raja Horil Singh shifted the capital to Dumrao and established

Dumraon Raj The Dumraon Raj was a feudal principality in the Bhojpuri region, Bhojpur region ruled by the Ujjainiya dynasty. The principality was founded when Raja Horil Singh founded a separate capital for himself in the town of Dumraon. The name Dumraon ...

. In 1529,

conquered

to subdue the local Afghan rulers and, after defeating the allied chiefs, he established his camp in Arrah to rejoice and assert his rule over the region. The ''Shahabad District Gazetteer'' records a local tradition identifying the place of his camp as being near the present-day Judge’s Court. His personal memoirs record anecdotes from his time in the city, including riding out from his camp to see the local water lilies, whose seeds he noted resembled pistachio nuts. Unterredung zwischen Bahadur Khan und Mir Muizz al-Mulk

Unterredung zwischen Bahadur Khan und Mir Muizz al-Mulk

During the

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...

, Arrah was as an important ''pargana'' (administrative unit). During Akbar's rule, It was granted as a ''jagir'' (feudal land grant), first to Mi’r Mu’izzul-Mulk, who soon faced a rebellion in 1580 from other nobles in the province. Later when the '' jagirdar'' of Arrah was Farhat Khan, the town became a center of a major conflict with the local Ujjainiya chieftain, Gajpati. These rebels temporarily seized control of Arrah from Mi’r Mu’izzul-Mulk. According to

Akbarnama The ''Akbarnama (; )'', is the official chronicle of the reign of Akbar, the third Mughal Emperor (), commissioned by Akbar himself and written by his court historian and biographer, Abul Fazl. It was written in Persian, which was the literary l ...

, Mi’r Mu’izzul-Mulk granted an interview to another rebel , Bahádur, but took an uncompromising stance, stating that "his crimes could only be cleansed with blood." During this period, Unable to confront Gajpati's large force, Farhat Khan retreated in the fort at Arrah. The ensuing struggle involved battles near the fort and on the

Sone River Sone River, also spelt Son River, is a perennial river located in central India. It originates near Amarkantak Hill in Pendra (Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district), Chhattisgarh and finally merges with the Ganges river near Maner in Patna, Biha ...

, which ultimately led to the deaths of both Farhat Khan and his son Farhang Khan. Babur crossing the river Son

Modern

British Rule

Colonial-era ethnographers like

George Abraham Grierson Sir George Abraham Grierson (7 January 1851 – 9 March 1941) was an Irish administrator and linguist in British India. He worked in the Indian Civil Service but an interest in philology and linguistics led him to pursue studies in the languag ...

characterised the Bhojpuri-speaking people of the Shahabad district as having a strong warlike tradition. Grierson described them as an “alert and active nationality," noting that the region provided a "rich mine of recruitment" for the

Bengal Army The Bengal Army was the army of the Bengal Presidency, one of the three presidencies of British India within the British Empire. The presidency armies, like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the East India Company (EIC) until the Gover ...

of the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

. In spite of its role as the administrative center for the whole

under British rule, Arrah's appropriateness for this position drew early disapproval. In a survey of the region in 1812-13, the British official

Francis Buchanan Francis Buchanan (15 February 1762 – 15 June 1829), later known as Francis Hamilton but often referred to as Francis Buchanan-Hamilton, was a Scottish surgeon, surveyor and botanist who made significant contributions as a geographer and zoolo ...

documented his incomprehension over the choice, concluding that Arrah was not a center of trade, was hard to access, and was not salubrious (healthy). He suggested a complete administrative restructuring, proposing that a more central and healthier place for the courts could be found if the district's boundaries were redrawn along the natural barriers of the Ganges, Son, and Karmanasa rivers. His observations pointed to broader planning issues, as he also found that many police houses were awkwardly and non-centrally located within their respective subdivisions. The 18th century, which saw the downfall of the Mughal Empire and the rise of

Britishers This glossary of names for the British include nicknames and terms, including affectionate ones, neutral ones, and derogatory ones to describe British people, Irish People and more specifically English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish peopl ...

, was a turbulent period for the region. The area around Arrah witnessed military campaigns, including a battle at

in 1744, where the rebellious general of

Alivardi Khan Alivardi Khan (1671 – 9 April 1756) was the fourth Nawab of Bengal from 1740 to 1756. He toppled the Nasiri dynasty of Nawabs by defeating Sarfaraz Khan in 1740 and assumed power himself. During much of his reign Alivardi encountered frequen ...

, Mustafá Khán, was defeated and killed. The following year, a large

Maratha Army The Maratha Army was the land-based armed forces of the Maratha Confederacy, which existed from the late 17th to the early 19th centuries in the Indian subcontinent. 17th century Shivaji, The great the founder of Maratha Kingdom, raised a small ...

under

Raghuji Bhonsle Raghuji I (Raghuji Bhonsle, ; 1695 – 14 February 1755) was a Maratha general who is credited with the Maratha expansion into Gondwana, Odisha, and Bengal, thereby establishing Maratha supremacy in these areas. He was granted the title of ...

made a major incursion into Bihar, camping in the vicinity of the district. The local zamindars of Bhojpur often acted as independent powers; in 1762, when the

Nawab of Bengal The Nawab of Bengal (, ) was the hereditary ruler of Bengal Subah in Mughal India. In the early 18th-century, the Nawab of Bengal was the ''de facto'' independent ruler of the three regions of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa which constitute the mod ...

Mir Qasim Mir Qasim () was the Nawab of Bengal from 1760 to 1763. He was installed as Nawab with the support of the British East India Company, replacing Mir Jafar, his father-in-law, who had himself been supported earlier by the East India Company afte ...

, marched to Shahabad to assert his authority, these zamindars resisted and then fled to seek refuge with the

Nawab of Awadh The Nawab of Awadh or Nawab of Oudh was the title of the rulers of Kingdom of Awadh (anglicised as Oudh) in northern India during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Nawabs of Awadh belonged to an Iranian dynasty''Encyclopædia Iranica'', R. B. B ...

. In 1764, the Nawab of Awadh,

Shuja-ud-daula Shuja-ud-Daula (19 January 1732 – 26 January 1775) was the third Nawab of Oudh and the Vizier of Delhi from 5 October 1754 until his death 26 January 1775. He was a key 18th-century Mughal ally who despised the Maratha-backed Imad-ul-Mulk. ...

, led an army into Shahabad which caused widespread devastation, burning and plundering the countryside before entrenching itself at Buxar. Def-of-arrah-1857-ILN

After the

Battle of Buxar The Battle of Buxar was fought between 22 and 23 October 1764, between the forces of the British East India Company, under the command of Major Hector Munro, against the combined armies of Balwant Singh, Maharaja of the Benaras State; Mir Qa ...

the British took control over Arrah. However, British control was not immediately secure. The area was affected by the revolt of

Chait Singh Rafa'at wa Awal-i-Martabat Maharaja Shri Chet Singh Sahib Bahadur (died 29 March 1810), commonly known as Raja Chet Singh, a Bhumihar king from the Narayan dynasty, was the 3rd ruler of Benares State, Kingdom of Benaras in northern India. Chet S ...

, the Raja of Benares, in 1781. Chait Singh's family had previously seized parts of the north-western Shahabad district to establish a strategic base, and his rebellion continued the pattern of regional opposition to centralised authority.

Revolt of 1857

According to historical accounts, after the outbreak of the rebellion in May 1857, the government officers in Arrah, including Magistrate Herwald Wake, resolved to remain in the town. A local railway engineer, Vicars Boyle, fortified a small two-storied building (present

Arrah House Maharaja College is a constituent college of Veer Kunwar Singh University, Arrah in the Bihar State of India.Maharaja College Official Website https://maharajacollege.ac.in/ It was founded on 13 September 1954. It is one of the oldest co-educa ...

) to serve as a defensive position. On 25 July, sepoy regiments that had mutinied at

Dinapore Danapur Nizamat or Danapur is an Indian satellite town and one of six subdivisions (tehsil) in the Patna district of Bihar state.Kunwar Singh Veer Kunwar Singh, also known as Babu Kunwar Singh was a chief organiser of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 from the Bhojpur region of Bihar. He was originally the ruler of Jagdishpur estate. He led a selected band of armed soldiers against th ...

and his forces, which numbered around 2,000 men. The small European and Eurasian contingent, accompanied by 50 Sikh policemen, barricaded themselves inside Boyle's fortified house on 26 July and withstood a week-long siege. Kunvar singh

On 26 July, the small European and Eurasian contingent of roughly 16 individuals, accompanied by 50 Sikh policemen, barricaded themselves inside Boyle's fortified house. For a week, this garrison was besieged by a force estimated to be in the thousands. An initial British force of about 415 soldiers dispatched from Dinapore to end the siege was ambushed on 29 July. The force, whose white summer uniforms made them visible targets in the dark, was forced to retreat and sustained heavy casualties. During this retreat, two civilians, Ross Mangles and

William Fraser McDonell William Fraser McDonell VC (17 December 1829 – 31 July 1894) was a British civil servant, judge and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth fo ...

, were recognised for their actions in saving the lives of wounded soldiers, and both were subsequently awarded the Victoria Cross. Ross Mangles

The siege concluded on 2 August, when a second British force of around 150 soldiers and volunteers, led by

Vincent Eyre Major-general (United Kingdom), Major-General Sir Vincent Eyre (22 January 1811 – 22 September 1881) was an officer in the British Indian Army, Indian Army, who saw active service in India and Afghanistan. Early life Born in Portsdown Hill, Po ...

, advanced from

Buxar Buxar is a nagar parishad city in the state of Bihar, India, sharing border with Balia and Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh. It is the headquarters of the eponymous Buxar district, as well as the headquarters of the community development ...

. Eyre's column engaged and defeated Kunwar Singh's army in a battle near the village of Gujrajganj and reached the besieged garrison The relief of the Arrah house did not end the rebellion in the area. For several months afterward, the forces of Kunwar Singh remained in control of the countryside, particularly the jungles around

. British campaigns to subdue them, first under

Edward Lugard Sir Edward Lugard (8 May 1810 – 31 October 1898) was a British Army officer who served as Adjutant-General (India), Adjutant-General in India (1857–58) and later as Permanent Under-Secretary of State for War (1861–71) at the War Office. ...

and later under General Douglas, were hampered by the difficult terrain and monsoon rains. During this period, rebel parties were highly active in the region and at one point swooped down upon Arrah, and fired a number of bungalows. The conflict in the district only subsided in October 1857, after a large-scale operation to encircle the rebels. Though the main body of Kunwar Singh's forces managed to break through the cordon and escape towards the

Kaimur hills Kaimur Range (also spelt Kymore) is the eastern portion of the Vindhya Range, about long, extending from around Katangi in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh to around Sasaram in Rohtas district of Bihar. It passes through the Rewa and Mirza ...

, they suffered heavy losses during a pursuit led by

Henry Havelock Major-general (United Kingdom), Major-General Sir Henry Havelock (5 April 1795 – 24 November 1857) was a British general who is particularly associated with India and his recapture of Siege of Cawnpore, Cawnpore during the Indian Rebellion of ...

Later 19th century

The latter half of the 19th century was marked by development of agriculture after the start of the Sone Canal System, which spurred a period of population growth in the district largely driven by an influx of immigrants. The late 19th and early 20th centuries were marked by significant demographic volatility due to famine, fever, and plague. The city was affected by the

fourth Cholera Pandemic Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * ''The Fourth'', a 1972 Soviet drama ...

. According to a 1873 report by the

Civil Surgeon In the United States, a civil surgeon is designated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to conduct medical examinations of immigrants applying for certain visas, adjustment of status, and other immigration benefits. Civil sur ...

of Shahabad, J. H. Thornton, the disease first appeared in the town of Arrah on 7 May 1873. While its initial progress was slow, the cases increased after 20 June. The report provides figures for Arrah and its neighbouring villages (a total population of about 40,000 at the time). From 7 May until the report was written in late July, the town recorded 836 cases and 372 deaths. The period between 28 June and 19 July was the most devastating, accounting for a majority of the casualties. The epidemic also notably broke out in the Arrah jail on 25 June, which was the subject of a separate special report. Measures like burning sulphur fires were employed throughout the town but proved ineffective. The epidemic only began to abate with the arrival of the monsoon. The district was affected by the famine of 1896-97, and fever was a persistent cause of high mortality. Plague, however, was particularly devastating to the urban population after its appearance in the district around 1901. In the year 1903, Arrah experienced an exceptionally high mortality rate of 53.56 per thousand residents. The primary driver of this was plague, which alone was responsible for a death rate of 35.04 per thousand in the town that year. This series of public health crises contributed to a notable decline in the city's population in the first decade of the 20th century. In 1911 the king of England George V visited Arrah and prayed at the Holy Saviour Church. During this late 19th-century period, public health conditions in the town were noted as being more advanced than in surrounding rural areas, with Arrah being the only town in the district to possess a pure water-supply, though drainage remained an issue. The era also saw social upheaval, including an outburst of religious excitement in 1893-94 related to an anti-cow-killing agitation in the district.

Geography

Arrah is located at the elevation of 192 m from the sea level at the bank of

Son river Sone River, also spelt Son River, is a perennial river located in central India. It originates near Amarkantak Hill in Pendra (Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district), Chhattisgarh and finally merges with the Ganges river near Maner in Patna, Biha ...

Ganga River The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary riv ...

and Gangi River. Arrah lies at the confluence of the

Ganga The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary riv ...

and the

Son River Sone River, also spelt Son River, is a perennial river located in central India. It originates near Amarkantak Hill in Pendra (Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district), Chhattisgarh and finally merges with the Ganges river near Maner in Patna, Biha ...

, other small rivers that flow in the town are Gangi River. The

joins the Ganges about 10 miles north of

Maner Maner, also known as Maner Sharif, is a historic town and a block in Patna district of Bihar, India. Situated approximately 24 km west of Patna on NH-922, it is renowned for its Mughal-era dargahs and as an important Sufi pilgrimage center. ...

, at a point roughly halfway amid Arrah and

Danapur Danapur Nizamat or Danapur is an Indian satellite town and one of six subdivisions (tehsil) in the Patna district of Bihar state.Masarh, for instance, was once situated close to the Ganges, but by the late 1800s, the river had moved nine miles away. A gradual southward shift of the riverbed was observed to have begun around 1860. The geography of the region around Arrah consists mainly of flat

alluvial plains An alluvial plain is a plain (an essentially flat landform) created by the deposition of sediment over a long period by one or more rivers coming from highland regions, from which alluvial soil forms. A '' floodplain'' is part of the process, b ...

which slope northwards towards the Ganges. This area can be subdivided into two parts: a narrow strip of recent alluvial deposits along the Ganges, and a larger expanse of older alluvium to the south. The soil of the plains of Arrah were historically classified with specific names. Early 19th-century surveys documented the terminology for the primary clay soils that sustained the city: Karel or Kebal for the ash-colored varieties and Gorangth for the yellowish ones. The northern riparian tract was historically subject to regular flooding from the Ganges, often remaining underwater for up to four months during the rainy season. This annual inundation deposited a rich layer of silt, which created exceptionally fertile soil for magnificent cold weather crops. Following the floods, the land would be ploughed and sown with

wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...

barley Barley (), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains; it was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent around 9000 BC, giving it nonshattering spikele ...

, and pulse, which were known to produce abundant harvests with relatively little effort.. Historically, the plains of they city were divided using local lexicons. The lowlands along the Ganges, subject to flooding every year, were called Hetha, while the adjacent uplands above the old river bank were known as Uparar. The Ganga river acts as northern boundary of the town and due to alluvial deposit the area is very fertile and considered as best wheat growing area of Bihar. The eastern boundary of the town is the Son river which separates and Bhojpuri and Magahi speaking regions of Bihar. During the

Arrah was the part of Bengal presidency. The land of the city is fertile and most used for cultivation with very low forest cover. The main crops that are grown here are rice, mango and mahuaa.

The Son River

The

outlines the eastern border of the Arrah region. It joins the Ganges about 10 miles north of

, at a point roughly midway between Arrah and

Danapur Danapur Nizamat or Danapur is an Indian satellite town and one of six subdivisions (tehsil) in the Patna district of Bihar state. The canal system itself was not immune; the Arrah Canal was breached during a flood in July 1876 and again during a severe flood in September 1901, when its banks broke and floodwaters poured into many parts of Arrah, destroying some of the small hamlets on its outskirts. The riverbed consists almost entirely of sand, which gives the water a reddish, gold-tinged look. This is reflected in its old name, ''Hiranyabáhu'' ("golden-armed"), which historians identify with the Erannoboas river mentioned by the Greek historian

Megasthenes Megasthenes ( ; , died 290 BCE) was an ancient Greek historian, indologist, diplomat, ethnographer and explorer in the Hellenistic period. He described India in his book '' Indica'', which is now lost, but has been partially reconstructe ...

in the 3rd century BCE. Ancient sources note that the Son's course has gradually shifted westward over centuries; in ancient times, it flowed much further east and joined the Ganges near the ancient city of

Pataliputra Pataliputra (IAST: ), adjacent to modern-day Patna, Bihar, was a city in ancient India, originally built by Magadha ruler Ajatashatru in 490 BCE, as a small fort () near the Ganges river.. Udayin laid the foundation of the city of Pataliput ...

. Mughal-era texts like the ''

Ain-i-Akbari The ''Ain-i-Akbari'' (), or the "Administration of Akbar", is a 16th-century detailed document regarding the administration of the Mughal Empire under Emperor Akbar, written by his court historian, Abu'l Fazl, in the Persian language. It forms ...

'' mention local beliefs that the river had the power to petrify objects and contained sacred ''shaligram'' stones..

Fauna

Colonial-era source describe the region around Arrah as having once been abundant in wildlife, though populations diminished significantly with the expansion of cultivation after the introduction of the canal system. In the plains and the alluvial tract bordering the Ganges, animals such as the

nilgai The nilgai (''Boselaphus tragocamelus'') (, literally meaning "blue cow") is the largest antelope of Asia, and is ubiquitous across the northern Indian subcontinent. It is the sole member of the genus (biology), genus ''Boselaphus'', which was ...

(''Boselaphus tragocamelus''),

black buck The blackbuck (''Antilope cervicapra''), also known as the Indian antelope, is a medium-sized antelope native to India and Nepal. It inhabits grassy plains and lightly forested areas with perennial water sources. It stands up to high at the sh ...

spotted deer The chital or cheetal (''Axis axis''; ), also called spotted deer, chital deer and axis deer, is a deer species native to the Indian subcontinent. It was first described by Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben in 1777. A moderate-sized deer, mal ...

, and

hog deer ''Axis'' is a genus of deer occurring in South and Southeast Asia. As presently defined by most authorities, four species are placed in the genus. Three of the four species are called hog deer. The genus name is a word mentioned in Pliny the Elde ...

(''Cervus axis'') were found. Animals common throughout the district included the wild

pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), also called swine (: swine) or hog, is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is named the domestic pig when distinguishing it from other members of the genus '' Sus''. Some authorities cons ...

jackal Jackals are Canidae, canids native to Africa and Eurasia. While the word has historically been used for many canines of the subtribe Canina (subtribe), canina, in modern use it most commonly refers to three species: the closely related black-b ...

fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

, and

hare Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores and live Solitary animal, solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are precociality, able to fend for themselves ...

. The rivers like the Son and Ganges were home to the fish-eating crocodile (

gharial The gharial (''Gavialis gangeticus''), also known as gavial or fish-eating crocodile, is a crocodilian in the family (biology), family Gavialidae and among the longest of all living crocodilians. Mature females are long, and males . Adult males ...

) and the mugger crocodile, the latter of which was known to sometimes attack people. The area was also noted for a wide variety of game-birds, with the barred-headed goose, black-backed goose, and grey goose being very common, alongside numerous species of wild duck,

teal alt=American teal duck (male), Green-winged teal (male) Teal is a greenish-blue color. Its name comes from that of a bird—the Eurasian teal (''Anas crecca'')—which presents a similarly colored stripe on its head. The word is often used ...

partridge A partridge is a medium-sized Galliformes, galliform bird in any of several genera, with a wide Indigenous (ecology), native distribution throughout parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. Several species have been introduced to the Americas. They ar ...

quail Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally placed in the order Galliformes. The collective noun for a group of quail is a flock, covey, or bevy. Old World quail are placed in the family Phasianidae, and New ...

, and

peafowl Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...

Climate

The climate is characterised by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. The

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

sub-type for this climate is " Cwa" (Humid Subtropical Climate).

Geology

Arrah is situated within the geological landscape of the Bhojpur district, which is primarily characterised by an unconsolidated to semi-consolidated sequence of Quaternary sediments. These sediments unconformably overlie the

Pre-Cambrian The Precambrian ( ; or pre-Cambrian, sometimes abbreviated pC, or Cryptozoic) is the earliest part of Earth's history, set before the current Phanerozoic Eon. The Precambrian is so named because it preceded the Cambrian, the first period of the ...

Vindhyan The Vindhya Range (also known as Vindhyachal) () is a complex, discontinuous chain of mountain ridges, hill ranges, highlands and plateau escarpments in west-central India. Technically, the Vindhyas do not form a single mountain range in the ...

Supergroup rocks at a depth of approximately 100 to 1200 meters below ground level. While the Vindhyan Supergroup rocks are not exposed on the surface, they have been encountered in borewells in the southern part of the district at a depth of around 150 meters. Tectonically, the region is located between two sub-surface ridges: the Munger-Saharsa Ridge to the east and the Vindhyan Ridge to the west. The area is intersected by major regional faults, most notably the NE-SW trending West Patna Fault (WPF), which passes through the middle of the area. Movements along these active faults, which accommodate the stress from the Indian Plate's northward movement, have been responsible for major historical earthquakes in the broader region, such as those in 1833, 1934, and 1988. The main geological formations of the region are: * Mohanpur Formation (Middle to Upper

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...

): Comprises oxidised yellow plastic clay and mottled silty clay with kankar. * Ramgarh Formation (

Holocene The Holocene () is the current geologic time scale, geological epoch, beginning approximately 11,700 years ago. It follows the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene to ...

): A linear deposit of unconsolidated sandy silt, clayey silt, and sand. * Durgawati Formation (Holocene): The youngest formation, representing the deposits of the present-day floodplain and river channels, consisting of unconsolidated sandy silt, clay, and pebbly sand. While the Bhojpur district contains all three types of land, Arrah is situated primarily on the Mohanpur Formation.

Demographics

Current demographics

As per the 2011 census,

Arrah Municipal Corporation Arrah Municipal Corporation or Arrah Nagar Nigam, AMC, is the civic body that governs Arrah, a city of Bihar in India. Arrah Municipal Corporation consists of democratically elected members, is headed by a Mayor, and administers the city's i ...

had a total population of 261,099, out of which 139,319 were males and 121,780 were females. It had a sex ratio of 874. The population below 5 years was 34,419. The effective literacy rate of the 7+ population was 83.41 per cent. However, the population is not uniformly housed; a 2019 study identified 20 distinct slum pockets within the city, reflecting challenges in urban housing and development.

Historical demographics

In the early 19th century, the population of the old

was estimated at around 1.4 million. Following the first regular census in 1872, the population grew gradually, reaching over 2 million by 1891. This growth was attributed in large part to the development of cultivation and the arrival of immigrants due to the construction of the Son Canals. A significant portion of this migration was concentrated in the Arrah. However, the census of 1901 recorded a district-wide population decline. This was primarily due to a severe eruption of plague just before the census, which, while not causing extreme mortality, created widespread alarm that caused an migration of temporary settlers and labourers. This effect was reportedly most noticeable in the Arrah. Despite this impermanent decline, the population density around Arrah was the highest in the district, with a recorded density of 890 persons per square mile. Throughout this period, Arrah was the main urban centre, accounting for approximately two-fifths of the total urban population of the Shahabad district. The district was also a major source of indentured labour for the British colonies; in the decade ending in 1901, the Shahabad district supplied nearly half of all emigrants from the province of Bengal. Social statistics from the colonial era noted that the Shahabad district had a marked excess of females over males, with a ratio of 1,096 females per 1,000 males. Religiously, the population was predominantly

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

. The 1901 census recorded a small

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

community of 375 people in the district, mostly of European or Eurasian descent, with a congregation of about 50 local Christians attached to the Lutheran mission in Arrah. The Jain population, numbering 449 at the time, was noted as being "almost entirely confined to the town of Arrah.

Historical caste composition

According to the 1901 Census of India, the five most numerous Hindu castes in the Shahabad district were the

Ahir Ahir or Aheer (derived from the Sanskrit word: abhira) is a community of traditionally non-elite pastoralists in India, most of whom now use the Yadav surname, as they consider the two terms synonymous. The Ahirs are variously described as a ...

Koeri The Koeri (spelt as Koiry or Koiri), also referred to as Kushwaha and more recently self-described as Maurya in several parts of northern India are an Indian non-elite caste, found largely in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, whose traditional oc ...

s, and

Chamar Chamar (or Jatav) is a community classified as a Scheduled Caste under modern India's Reservation in India, system of affirmative action that originated from the group of trade persons who were involved in leather tanning and shoemaking. They a ...

s, who together accounted for nearly half the total population. The Ahirs (or Goálás) were the largest single caste, making up 13% of the district's population. They were noted as being particularly dominant in the Arrah, which was home to nearly 50,000 members of the caste. While their traditional occupation was herding, a large number had taken up agriculture

Languages

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

is the official language with

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

being the additional official.

is the most commonly spoken language, followed by Hindi and

Government and politics

Administration

The Arrah sub-division (

Tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluk, or taluka () is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the area within a Zila (country subdivision), district including the designated populated place that ser ...

) is headed by an IAS or state Civil service officer of the rank of

Sub Divisional Magistrate A sub-divisional magistrate, also known as assistant collector, sub collector, revenue divisional officer, or assistant commissioner, is the administrative head of a Subdivision (India), sub-division in an Indian district, exercising Executive (g ...

(SDM).

Blocks

The Arrah Tehsil is divided into 8

Block Block or blocked may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Block programming, the result of a programming strategy in broadcasting * W242BX, a radio station licensed to Greenville, South Carolina, United States known as ''96.3 ...

s, each headed by a Block Development Officer (BDO). List of Blocks is as follows: # Arrah # Agiaon #

Barhara Barhara, also spelled Badahara (Hindi: बडहरा) is a Gram Panchayat and corresponding community development block in Bhojpur District of Bihar, India. It is situated on the bank of the river Ganges. By the time of July–August most of ...

Koilwar Koilwar or Koelwar (Hindi: कोइलवर) is a nagar panchayat (town) and one of the 14 community development block in Bhojpur District, Bihar, Bhojpur district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Bihar. As of 2011, th ...

# Udwant Nagar # Sandesh # Sahar # Garhani

Civic administration

Arrah is the headquarters of the Bhojpur district. On 1 June 1865, the town constituted into a municipality which later became municipal corporation, which currently divides the city in 45 wards. Each ward elects its ward commissioner and, the Mayor is chosen through indirect election in which ward commissioners from respective wards cast their votes.

Modern challenges

Solid waste management

Solid waste management is a major challenge for the city. A 2025 study by researchers at

Veer Kunwar Singh University Veer Kunwar Singh university was established on 22 October 1992 with its headquarters at Arrah, under the ''Bihar University Act 1976'' s amendment Act 9 of 1992 It is named after Kunwar Singh, the well-known national hero and a distingui ...

noted that with a projected 2024 population of 369,944, Arrah generates approximately 110 tons of solid waste daily. The average per capita generation is 0.450 kg per day. The composition of this waste is sourced from residential areas (50%), street sweeping and drains (30%), commercial establishments (15%), and institutions (5%). According to the study, the Ara Municipal Corporation, which handles waste management with 1212 employees, faces significant challenges. Of the 110 tons generated daily, only 2 tons are processed through composting. The remaining 108 tons are disposed of without treatment, a situation exacerbated by the lack of a scientific landfill site in the city. The research highlights that waste generation varies spatially across the city's 45 wards, with higher population density directly correlating with higher waste production.

Groundwater contamination

These Quaternary sediments make the region part of the vast Ganga Basin, which holds nearly 40% of India's replenishable groundwater. However, these same geological conditions present significant environmental challenges. A major concern is the geogenic contamination of groundwater, particularly with elevated levels of

arsenic Arsenic is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol As and atomic number 33. It is a metalloid and one of the pnictogens, and therefore shares many properties with its group 15 neighbors phosphorus and antimony. Arsenic is not ...

(As). Bhojpur district, for which Arrah is the headquarters, is one of the worst-affected areas in Bihar. A 2003 study recorded an alarming arsenic level of 1654 µg/L in the groundwater of Semaria Ojhapatti village. This is critically high compared to the World Health Organisation's safe limit of 10 µg/L and the Indian government's permissible limit of 50 µg/L, posing a severe health risk to the population that relies on groundwater for drinking.

Sand mining and environmental impact

While mining of

Sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is usually defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural ...

is a district-wide activity, its environmental and regulatory aspects are relevant to Arrah as the administrative headquarters. The increasing demand for sand due to rapid urbanisation has led to extensive mining in the district, which has notable environmental impacts. Unsustainable extraction can lead to the erosion of river banks and alter the river's geometry and bed elevation. To mitigate these impacts, mining in the district is regulated by the Sustainable Sand Mining Guidelines, 2016 and the Enforcement & Monitoring Guidelines for Sand Mining (EMGSM) January 2020. These guidelines stipulate: * A mining depth restricted to 3 metres or the water level, whichever is less. * Prohibitions on diverting streams for mining. * Measures to control noise and air pollution. * Requirements for the reclamation of mined-out areas and restoration of affected flora. * The implementation of risk assessment and disaster management plans for mining operations.

Economy

The economy of Arrah is closely tied to the broader economic activities of the Bhojpur district, for which it serves as the main administrative and commercial center. The city's economy has a low degree of industrialisation, with industries covering just 0.51% of its land area. While agriculture has been historically significant, the regional economy has seen a major influence from the mineral sector in recent years. The alluvial deposits of Ganga river is considered suitable for brick making, the city mainly produces the revenue through building materials like sand and bricks. Historically, the region's economy has been defined by its agriculture, which was significantly transformed by the Sone Canal System in the late 19th century. The Arrah Canal, a major component of this system, was designed to irrigate nearly 150,000 acres in the old

. A 1875 report stated that the canal system was expected to provide the district with "an entire immunity from future famines". Across the Bhojpur district, sand mining from the Son and Ganga rivers is a major economic driver. Although the mining ghats (sites) are located along the rivers, the industry's administration, logistics, and economic benefits are centered in Arrah. The sand extracted in the district is a key component in concrete and is used extensively in construction. Industrial sand from the region is also used to make glass, as foundry sand, and as an abrasive.

District mineral production and revenue

The production of sand for the entire Bhojpur district from 2015 to 2019 was as follows: * 2015: 160,633,523 cft * 2016: 60,211,630 cft * 2017: 58,707,174 cft * 2018: 244,904,600 cft * 2019: 281,811,800 cft Consequently, the revenue generated from the mineral sector for the Bhojpur district saw a significant increase: * 2015-2016: ₹9625.6 lakhs * 2016-2017: ₹9270.6 lakhs * 2017-2018: ₹7966.61 lakhs * 2018-2019: ₹17353.15 lakhs * 2019-2020: ₹19623.42 lakhs

Culture

Arrah's native language is

Bhojpuri cuisine Bhojpuri cuisine is a style of food preparation common among the Bhojpuri people of Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh in India, and also the Terai region of Nepal. Bhojpuri foods are mostly mild and tend to be less hot in terms of spic ...

includes Litti-Chokha, Makuni (

Paratha Paratha (, also parantha/parontah) is a flatbread native to the Indian subcontinent, with earliest reference mentioned in early medieval Sanskrit, India. It is one of the most popular flatbreads in the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East. ...

stuffed with roasted gram flour), Dal Pitthi, Pittha, Aaloo Dum, Jaaur (Kheer). The main snack and sweets are Khurma (sweets made of

Chhena Chhena () or chhana () is a kind of acid-set cheese originating in the Indian subcontinent that is made from water buffaloDalby, A 2009, ''Cheese: A Global History'', Reaktion Books, p. 73, Kapoor, S & Kapoor, A 2006, ''Sanjeev Kapoor's No-oil V ...

Thekua Thekua (also spelt as ''Thokwa'' or ''Thekariis'')'','' also known as Khajuria, Tikari and Thokni, is an ''Indo-Nepalese sweet dish'' popular in Southern Nepal and the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Thekua is a reve ...

, Pudukiya, Patal ke Mithai, Anarsa, Gargatta and Laktho. Some of the drinks are Satuā, Amjhor, Taadi and Māthā.

Cityscape

Urban structure and land use

Arrah's urban structure is its significant semi-agrarian landscape. Within the city's 3,136-hectare boundary, nearly half of the land (49.01%) is used for agriculture, a stark contrast to the area dedicated to urban functions. Residential zones comprise just 9.47% of the total area, concentrated in compact zones, while the primary commercial hub is centered around Ara Chowk. Industrial use is minimal at 0.51%, with other uses like administrative, educational, and recreational facilities occupying smaller portions of the landscape.

Notable sites

Arrah is a holy place for Jains and there are 44 Jain temples in the city. There is a centuries-old Jain temple of Parashanatha in the Masarh village. One such temple is located at Dhanupra on the Arrah-Koilwar road, which was built in 1815. Some notable places of Arrah are:

Aranya Devi Temple

This is a temple of Aranya Devi (Forest Goddess). She is said to be the deity goddess of Ara town. Here one statue is of Adi Shakti and the second is established by the Pandavas. The temple is very old and draws many devotees every day. It is situated at the top of stone boulders.

Maulabagh Mosque

This mosque was built in 1814 under the auspices of John Deane, a member of the East India Company's service. The structure is described as being of a mixed

Saracenic upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Roma ...

style with three domes and eight minarets, and is maintained by an endowment fund. He had a

Mohammedan ''Mohammedan'' (also spelled ''Muhammadan'', ''Mahommedan'', ''Mahomedan'' or ''Mahometan'') is a term for a follower of Muhammad, the Islamic prophet. It is used as both a noun and an adjective, meaning belonging or relating to, either Muhamm ...

wife with whom he lived 20 years with 6 children. After his death in 1817, he was buried in the outer garden of Maulabagh Mosque (called as Bibi Jaan ke Hata or Handa) where his tomb can still be seen. This mosques is also mentioned by British officers in their writings.

Jama Masjid

The city's Jama Masjid is a Saracenic building featuring four minarets. Historical accounts state that it is said to have been constructed during the time of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

Koilwar Bridge

Koilwar Bridge, also known as Abdul Bari Bridge, is a 1.44 km long, 2-lane wide rail-cum-road bridge built in 1862 over

connecting the city of Arrah to Patna.

Ramna Maidan

Ramna Maidan is a park with 60 acres of land, one of the largest urban parks in Arrah.

Arrah–Chhapra Bridge

Arrah–Chhapra Bridge, also known as Veer Kunwar singh Setu, connects Arrah and

Chhapra Chhapra (ISO 15919, ISO: ''Chaparā'') is a city and headquarters of the Saran District in the Indian state of Bihar. It is situated near the junction of the Ghaghara River and the Ganges River. Chhapra grew in importance as a river-based mar ...

. It is the world's longest multi span

extradosed bridge An extradosed bridge employs a structure that combines the main elements of both a prestressed box girder bridge and a cable-stayed bridge. The name comes from the word ''wikt:extrados, extrados'', the exterior or upper curve of an arch, and refe ...

in the world with a length of 1920m.

Masarh

Masarh is a village 10 km from Arrah. Lion capitals of Mauryan period have been found here. Masarh has been identified with Mo-ho-so-lo of the Chinese pilgrim Huen Tsang.

Arrah House

is a small British building in the premises of Maharaja College.

Holy Saviour Church

Holy Saviour Church is a church in Arrah, built by the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

in 1911, when King of United Kingdom

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...

visited the city.

Transport

The Arrah city is very well connected by roads, highways and Rail routes to various cities like

Patna Patna (; , ISO 15919, ISO: ''Paṭanā''), historically known as Pataliputra, Pāṭaliputra, is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, ...

Danapur Danapur Nizamat or Danapur is an Indian satellite town and one of six subdivisions (tehsil) in the Patna district of Bihar state.Bihta Bihta is a town and Block under Danapur Tehsil in Patna district in the Indian state of Bihar. Bihta is part of Maner assembly constituency under the Pataliputra Lok Sabha. It is located around west of Patna. Bihta is also an upcoming sate ...

Sasaram Sasaram (), also spelled as Shahasaram, is a historical city and a municipal corporation region in the Rohtas district of Bihar state in eastern India. The city served as the capital of the Sur dynasty during Sher Shah Suri's rule over India in ...

and

in Bihar; and

Ghazipur Ghazipur, is a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Ghazipur city is the administrative headquarters of the Ghazipur district, one of the four districts that form the Varanasi division of Uttar Pradesh. It is located on the Ganges (Ganga) ...

Mughalsarai Mughalsarai (; English language, English: ''Mughal tribe, Mughal Tavern''), officially known as Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Nagar, is a city and a municipal board in the Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh. Located around from Chandauli town ...

and

Varanasi Varanasi (, also Benares, Banaras ) or Kashi, is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.* * * * The city has a syncretic tradition of I ...

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

Roads

* Patna-Arrah-Buxar ( NH-922) * Arrah-Dinara-Mohania ( NH-319) * Arrah-Chhapra Bridge * Arrah-

Bikramganj Bikramganj is a ''nagar parishad'' city and community development block in Rohtas district, Bihar, India. In the 2011 census, Bikramganj had a population of nearly 4 lakh in 17,968 households. The main commodities produced in Bikramganj are ri ...

( SH-12)

Railway

* Arrah Junction: ARA (0 km) *

railway station: KWR (14 km) * Udwantnagar railway station: UWNR (5 km) *

railway station: BEA (21 km)

Airway

Patna Airport Jay Prakash Narayan Airport is a domestic airport serving Patna, the capital of Bihar, India. It is named after the independence activist and political leader, Jayprakash Narayan. It is the 20th-busiest airport in India. To meet demand, the A ...

(50 km) * Bihta Airport (30 km)

Bullet train

The Varanasi-Howrah high-speed rail corridor (HSR) is proposed to pass through Bhojpur district with a Bullet train station at Udwant Nagar. It will cross the

near Jalpura Tapa and enter

Patna district Patna district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar state in eastern India. Patna, the capital of Bihar, is the district headquarters. The Patna district is a part of the Patna division. The Patna district is divided into 6 Subdivisio ...

Historical river and canal navigation

While the Arrah Canal was engineered for navigation, transport on the Son River itself was historically limited and challenging. Commercial navigation in the lower reaches near Arrah was irregular due to unsafe rapids upstream and the "extraordinary violence of the floods" during the rainy season. Although ferry boats operated for much of the year, the principal traffic on the Son was not cargo vessels but large rafts of bamboo and timber floated downstream from the southern forests. The Arrah Canal provided a more reliable route. Contemporary sources described many canal boats loaded with grain or stone using the canal system to travel towards the Ganges, destined for

Calcutta Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...

. These boats were typically 15 to 25 feet long and were propelled by teams of men pulling them along towpaths.

Education

Schools in Arrah are either government-run or private schools. Schools are affiliated by

Central Board of Secondary Education The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is a national-level board of education in India for public and private schools, controlled and managed by the Government of India. Established in 1929 by a resolution of the government, the Board ...

and

Bihar School Examination Board The Bihar School Examination Board (abbreviated BSEB) is a statutory body under section 3 of the Bihar School Examination Act - 1952, which is functioning under the Government of Bihar devised to conduct examinations at secondary and senior sec ...

is located here. Harprasad Das Jain College, Maharaja Collage, and Jagjiwan College are some of the premier institutions for higher education. Jain Siddhant Bhawan is a Jain Library in Arrah which is illustrious for collecting centuries older manuscripts in various languages. In 2018, Bihar government has opened Government Engineering Colleges in each district of Bihar under the Department of Science and Technology. Government Engineering College, Bhojpur located south of Ramna Road, beside Maharaja College.

Sports

Cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

is the most popular sport, however other sports such as volleyball, basketball, and athletics are also played. Veer Kunwar Singh Stadium is the stadium situated in the Ramna Maidan which hosts various cricket, football, and hockey tournaments. Other grounds in the town are Ramna Maidan, Maharaja college ground, Airport Ground, and Jain College Ground. From 5–7 December 2019, East Zone Inter University

Kabaddi Kabaddi (, ) is a contact team sport played between two teams of seven players. It is one of the traditional games of South Asia. In this game, a raider enters the opposing half of the court to touch defenders and attempt to return within 30 ...

championship took place in the premises of Maharaja College in which 47 universities of 12 different states participated.

Popular culture

In folk tradition

* There is a very famous Bhojpuri saying about this place, Ara jilā Ghar Ba ta, kawana bāt kē dar bā" ( trans. If you belong to Arrah, there is nothing to fear). * Arrah also has mentions in many Bhojpuri Folk songs like

Arrah Hile Chhapra Hile Baliya Hilela "Arrah Hile Chhapra Hile Baliya Hilela" is a Bhojpuri folk song, It gained popularity in 1977 when it was recreated in the first colored Bhojpuri movie Dangal. The song was sung by Manna Dey and written by Kulwant Jani. This song became very fam ...

. * The famous bhojpuri song "Tu lagawelu jab Lipistic, hilela Arrah district" sung by

Pawan Singh Pawan Singh (popularly known as Powerstar) (born 5 January 1986) is an Indian politician, playback singer, actor, music composer, stage performer. He is known for his works in Bhojpuri Film Industry. He began his musical career by working be ...

Films and songs

* Some shots of the feature film ''

Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British ...

'' were shot in Arrah near the Koilwar bridge. * Shots of the first Bhojpuri film ''

Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo ''Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo'' () is a Bhojpuri film released in 1963 directed by Kundan Kumar. It was the first-ever Bhojpuri film, and starred Kumkum, Ashim Kumar and Nazir Hussain. It had music by Chitragupta, lyrics by Shailendra ...

'' were shot at Arrah railway station. * The story of the Bollywood film '' Anaarkali of Aarah'' was based on a dancer of Arrah and her confrontation with the Vice-chancellor of Bir Kuber University (originally Veer Kunwar Singh University).

Books

* English book Two Months In Arrah, written in 1857, by a surgeon in British army named J.J. Halls, is an account of the

Notable people

Bibliography

* *

References

External links

Official Website of Bihar State
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Bhojpur district, India

Etymology

Typonym

In mythologies

History

Ancient

Medieval

Modern

British Rule

Revolt of 1857

Later 19th century

Geography

The Son River

Fauna

Climate

Geology

Demographics

Current demographics

Historical demographics

Historical caste composition

Languages

Government and politics

Administration

Blocks

Civic administration

Modern challenges

Solid waste management

Groundwater contamination

Sand mining and environmental impact

Economy

District mineral production and revenue

Culture

Cityscape

Urban structure and land use

Notable sites

Aranya Devi Temple

Maulabagh Mosque

Jama Masjid

Koilwar Bridge

Ramna Maidan

Arrah–Chhapra Bridge

Masarh

Arrah House

Holy Saviour Church

Transport

Roads

Railway

Airway

Bullet train

Historical river and canal navigation

Education

Sports

Popular culture

In folk tradition

Films and songs

Books

Notable people

See also

Bibliography

References

External links