Barbigha is a city and a municipality in the Sheikhpura district of Bihar, India. It is well connected by road to the state capital of Patna. National highways NH33 and NH333A also pass through Barbigha, and Bihta-Sarmera four lane state highway passes from Gopalbad near it.[citation needed]
Etymology
The name "Barbigha" is believed to be derived from two Hindi words, Barah and Bigha, meaning twelve bighas (approximately 3 hectares). This suggests that the town originally encompassed this area at the time of its founding.
History
The earliest known historical mention of Barbigha dates back to 1812, when Francis Buchanan referred to it as Barabigha, a spelling variation of the name. At that time, it was noted to consist of nearly 1,000 households, similar to its divisional headquarters, Sheikhpura.[1] Another Account of 1838 notes it to be a marketplace.[2] Data from 1867 to 1872 reported the population of Barbigha as 6,362.[3][4] The Census of India in 1881, conducted by Emil Jung, recorded the population as 7,904.[5]
There are mentions of a post office as early as 1894[6] and a police station as early as 1901 in historical records related to Barbigha.[7][8] In the same year, the Sheikhpura and Barbigha police stations were transferred from the Jamui subdivision to the Monghyr subdivision.[9] The same Barbigha police station reported the discovery of a hoard of 96 treasure trove coins of the Sultans of Delhi during the period of 1919-1920. A report from 1903 mentions the ongoing construction of the district road to Sheikhpura to serve as feeder of South Bihar Railway.[10]
Demographics
According to the 2011 Census, Barbigha had a population of 136,167, more than double that of its district headquarters, Sheikhpura. The town comprises 21,797 households, with 65.94% of the population living in rural areas. The population includes 70,611 males and 65,556 females, with 22.3% classified as Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes. The sex ratio is 928 females for every 1,000 males, slightly above the state average of 918, while the child sex ratio is 945, compared to the Bihar state average of 935.[11]
Barbigha has grown to become the biggest town market of the Sheikhpura district, serving as a commercial market for the surrounding villages. Sri Krishan Singh (First Chief Minister of Bihar) was from Barbigha and Rastrakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar served as headmaster of a high school in Barbigha.
^"Ortsbevölkerung: Britisch Indien" [Local Population: British India]. Die Bevölkerung der Erde [The Population of the Earth] (in German). Gotha: Perthes' Geographical Institute. 1876. p. 101.
^Koneb, Dr. W, ed. (1853). "Der Census von Indien im Jahre 1881. Von Emil Jung. (Schluss)" [The Census of India in the Year 1881. By Emil Jung. (Conclusion).]. Zeitschrift der Gesellschaft für Erdkunde zu Berlin [Journal of the Society for Geography in Berlin] (in ge). Vol. 21. University of Michigan. p. 261.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
^Khandekar, G.H. (1894). The Indian Companion. Poona. p. 196. Barbigha. — Town with post office{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^Superintendent, ed. (1903). Indian museum notes. Vol. 5. Calcutta: Calcutta. p. 167.
^The Agricultural Ledger 1901. Vol. 8. Calcutta. 1902. p. 83. From Barbigha police-station three varieties were received at the same time —{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^O'malley, L S S (1905). "Jamui-Jaynagar". Bihar And Orissa District Gazetteers: Monghyr (Revised ed.). Gulzarbagh. pp. 217–218. The Sheikhpura thana, which then formed part of it has since been transferred, with jthe Barbigha outpost, to the Monghyr subdivision,{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^"Miscallanrous Public Development". Report On The Administration Of Bengal (1902-03). Calcutta. 1904. p. 81. District roads from Barbigha to Sheikptim, from Serari to Ohowiiali, and from Jainiangla to Seniri station, in tho Jfonghyr district, wt're under construction, 'rheso roads will servo as feeilers to tlio South Uiliar Railway, and the Dintrict Board will contribute one-third of tludr cost.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
