Bihar Riots Begin

Date: October 27, 1946 • Location: Patna, India

This milestone marked the outbreak and beginning of this historic period, which spanned 1946–1947.

Inter-religious riots in which Hindu mobs targeted Muslim families began in the Indian state of Bihar, resulting in thousands of deaths.

Communal riots occurred in Bihar, India from 24 October to 11 November 1946, in which Hindu mobs targeted Muslim families. The riots were triggered by the Great Calcutta Killings, as well as the Noakhali riots earlier that year. Mahatma Gandhi declared that he would fast unto death if the riots did not stop. The riots were part of a sequence of communal violence that culminated in the partition of India.