RAJMAHAL

historic town, east-central Bihar state, northeastern India. It lies west of the Ganges River. The town is located in the Rajmahal Hills, which run northsouth for 120 miles (190 km) from the Ganges River almost to Dumka. They rise to 1,861 feet (567 m) and are inhabited by the Sauria Paharias. The valleys are cultivated by tribal Santals. Man Singh, a Mauryan governor of Bengal, chose the site for his capital in 159596 because of its strategic command of the Teliagarh Pass and Ganges River. The capital of Bengal was transferred to Dacca (now Dhaka) in 1608, but Rajmahal temporarily regained its administrative position from 1639 to 1660. Buildings of historic interest in the town include the Akbar Masjid, or mosque (c. AD 1600), and the 18th-century palace of Mir Qasim, nawab of Bengal. Pop. (1981) 12,426.