Its name is a combination of two words: Bihar, derived from vihara (meaning monastery) . Its name is a combination of two words: Bihar, derived from vihara (meaning monastery), also the name of the state; and Sharif (meaning noble).The city is a hub of education and trade in southern Bihar, and the economy centers around agriculture supplemented by tourism, the education sector and household manuf
acturing. The ruins of the ancient Nalanda Mahavihara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are located near the city. Under the Pala Empire, Odantapuri, a major Buddhist monastic university was built at the site of Bihar Sharif. It eventually became the capital of Magadha, and then part of the Muslim Delhi Sultanate in the late 12th century, though local Rajputs soon re-established effective control. In the early 14th century, it was permanently captured by the Delhi Sultanate. Bihar Sharif was later ruled by other Muslim dynasties and then the British until Indian independence in 1947. The city has important Jain, Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim heritage and landmarks. Bihar Sharif is one of the hundred Indian cities selected to gain funds under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship Smart Cities Mission.Bihar Sharif was selected in the preliminary list of 100 cities in July 2015 that were to compete for the Smart Cities project. As far as funding is concerned, the municipal corporation would continue to receive annual funding until the completion of the Smart Cities project, which was initially supposed to come to an end in the fiscal year 2019-20 but is now likely to be extended up to the fiscal year 2021–22. According to Ease of Living Index 2020, Bihar Sharif has been ranked most liveable among cities in Bihar which have population under 1 million.It was ranked 1st in Bihar and 28th among cities with under 1 million population in India with an overall ranking of 63rd among 111 Indian cities.
