Gaya is the 35th largest hindi speaking city of India with a total population of 4,60,000. Bhojpuri is the major language. As headquarters of the Gaya District, Gaya is the 2nd largest city of Bihar. Highest employment in the district is in Agriculture, Metal and the Textile industry. Gaya has 74% Agricultural workers, 22% workers in Industry and Services and 4% Household workers. The district is a good agricultural belt, its fertile soil drained by the Phalgu River; Paddy, Wheat, Potato and Lentils being the main agricultural crops cultivated. Gaya is an ancient city, with its documented history dating back to the era of Gautama Buddha. About 11 km from the town of Gaya is Bodh Gaya, the sacred site where Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment under a Bodhi tree. Historically, Gaya witnessed the rise and fall of the many dynasties of the Magadh Region and for a period of about 2300–2400 years (6th century BC to 18th century AD), Gaya has been central to the cultural history of the region. The Sisunaga dynasty founded by Sisunaga, exercised control over Patna and Gaya around 600 BC. King Bimbisara, the fifth in line, ruled around 519 BC, his reign characterized by numerous interactions and exchanges with other cultures. Having attained an important place in the history of civilizations, the area experienced the sacred presence of Gautam Buddha and Mahavir during the reign of Bimbisara. After a short spell of control by the Nanda dynasty, Gaya and the entire Magadha region came under the Mauryas led by Ashoka, who governed the entire region from Pataliputra (modern Patna). Later under Samudragupta of Magadh, Gaya flourished as the headquarters of the Bihar district of the Gupta Empire. Gaya then passed on to the Pala Empire with Gopala as the ruler and it is believed that the present temple of Bodh Gaya was built during the reign of his son Dharmapala. In the 12th century, Gaya was invaded by Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji and remained as a part of the Mughal Empire until its annexure by the British after the battle of Buxar in 1764.
