The name of the district apparently comes from "Begum" (queen) and "Sarai" (inn). The Begum of Bhagalpur used to visit "Simaria Ghat" (holy place on the banks of the Ganges) for a month of pilgrimage, which later took to the slang of Begusarai. Begusarai was established in 1870 as a subdivision of Munger District. In 1972, it was given district status after a strong pressure on the government by Late Rai Saheb Bhubneshwari Sahai, a charismatic leader of the local community who was also the first person in the district to be awarded the prestigious title of Rai Saheb under the British Raj
