SASARAM

also spelled Sahsaram city, administrative headquarters of Rohtas district, Bihar state, northeastern India. Located at a major road and rail junction, it is an agricultural trade centre; carpet and pottery manufacture are important. The red sandstone mausoleum of Emperor Sher Shah of Sur (154045), an excellent example of Pathan architecture, stands in the middle of an artificial lake. Sasaram also contains the mausoleum of Sher Shah's father and the unfinished tomb of his son. Nearby is a rock edict of the 3rd-century-BC Indian emperor Asoka. The town was constituted a municipality in 1869. Pop. (1991 prelim.) 98,220.