▁ancient ▁seats ▁of ▁learning , ▁the ▁most ▁prominent ▁being ▁the ▁N al anda ▁University ▁near ▁Raj g ri h , ▁about ▁ 1 2 0   km ▁from ▁Pat na . ▁Pat na , ▁which ▁had ▁already ▁lost ▁its ▁stat ure ▁as ▁the ▁political ▁centre ▁of ▁India , ▁lost ▁its ▁prest ige ▁as ▁the ▁educational ▁and ▁cultural ▁center ▁of ▁India ▁as ▁well . ▁ ▁Foreign ▁inv aders ▁often ▁used ▁abandoned ▁vi har as ▁and ▁tem ples ▁as ▁military ▁canton ments . ▁They ▁set ▁up ▁their ▁headquarters ▁in ▁N al anda ▁region ▁and ▁called ▁it ▁Bi har , ▁which ▁is ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁term ▁V ih ar . ▁The ▁region ▁roughly ▁en comp ass ing ▁the ▁present ▁state ▁of ▁Bi har ▁was ▁d otted ▁with ▁Buddh ist ▁vi h ara , ▁which ▁were ▁the ▁ab odes ▁of ▁Buddh ist ▁mon ks ▁in ▁the ▁ancient ▁and ▁medieval ▁period . ▁The ▁town ▁still ▁exists ▁and ▁is ▁called ▁Bi har ▁or ▁Bi har ▁Sh ar if ▁( N al anda ▁District ). ▁Later ▁on ▁the ▁headquarters ▁was ▁shift ed ▁from ▁Bi har ▁to ▁Pat ana ▁( current ▁Pat na ) ▁by ▁Sher ▁Shah ▁S uri ▁and ▁the ▁whole ▁Mag ad ha ▁region ▁was ▁called ▁Bi har . ▁ ▁The ▁M ugh als ▁▁ ▁The ▁M ug hal ▁period ▁was ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁un remark able ▁provincial ▁administration ▁from ▁Del hi . ▁The ▁most ▁remarkable ▁period ▁of ▁these ▁times ▁was ▁under ▁Sher ▁Shah , ▁or ▁Sher ▁Shah ▁S uri . ▁Sher ▁Shah ▁S uri ▁ha iled ▁from ▁S