Bihar and Jharkhand have been the arena of diverse social and political struggles since colonial times. The formation of the state of Jharkhand, which was earlier a part of Bihar and known as Chotanagpur, has been the result of movements for statehood, some of which have not only created a democratic space in these regions, but also brought about a paradigm shift in Indian politics. Colonial and Contemporary Bihar and Jharkhand tries to capture the complexities of some of these diverse movements.