Bettiah

Bettiah lies in Champaran, near the northern edge of the Gangetic plain. Its ruling family traced its descent from Gangeshwar Dev, who settled at Jaithar in 1244. Under the Mughals, his descendant Agar Sen acquired extensive lands and received the title of Raja from Shah Jahan. Agar Sen's son Gaj Singh succeeded him in 1659 and built the family palace at Bettiah.

The Bettiah rajas became patrons of music, welcoming singers from Shah Jahan's court whose tradition helped give rise to the Bettiah school of dhrupad. A Roman Catholic mission was founded in the town in 1740. Five years later, three Christians arriving from Nepal received a house opposite the royal court, with rooms for worship, religious instruction and a clinic. By 1765, when the East India Company acquired the diwani, the Bettiah estate encompassed most of Champaran.