History of the Mithila region facts for kids

Mithila (also known as Mithilanchal, Tirhut, or Tirabhukti) is a special area with its own culture and history in the Indian subcontinent. The people who live here are called Maithils, and they speak a language called Maithili.

Most of the Mithila region is in India, mainly in the state of Bihar. To the north, it's bordered by the huge Himalayas mountains. To the south, west, and east, it's surrounded by the Ganges, Gandaki, and Mahananda rivers. Part of Mithila also stretches into the southeastern Terai area of Nepal. This region was also known as Tirabhukti, which was an old name for Tirhut.

Discovering Ancient Mithila

The name Mithila is thought to come from an old king named King Mithi. He built a city called Mithilapuri. Because he was born from his father's body, he was given the special name Janaka.

After King Mithi, the kings who ruled Mithila also used the title Janaka. The most famous Janaka was Seeradhwaja Janaka, who was the father of Sita, a very important figure in the ancient Indian epic, the Ramayana. There were 52 kings in this Janaka family line.

This region was also known as Videha. The kingdom of Videha is first mentioned in ancient texts like the Yajurveda Samhita. Mithila is also talked about in many other old stories and books, including Buddhist Jatakas, the Brahamanas, the Puranas (especially the Brhadvisnu Purana), and famous epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

According to one ancient text called the Shatapatha Brahmana, a leader named Videgha Mathava moved from the Saraswati Valley to Mithila during the Vedic period. He then started the Videha kingdom. Many lists of kings from this time are found in the Mahabharata and Jatakas. All these kings either used the title Videha or Janaka.

Mithila During the Vedic Period

During the Vedic period, which was a very old time in Indian history, Mithila was the main center of the Videha kingdom.

Mithila Under the Vajji League

After the Videha kingdom ended, Mithila came under the control of the Vajjika League. This was a group of different clans working together. The most famous clan in this group was the Licchavi. Their capital city was Vaishali, which is in modern-day Bihar. Eventually, a powerful king from Magadha named Ajatashatru conquered Mithila from the Vajji League.

Mithila Under the Pala Empire

From the 6th to the 11th century, Mithila was part of the Pala Empire. It remained under their rule until the empire started to break apart in the 12th century.

The Karnata Dynasty of Mithila

The Karnata dynasty began in the 11th century and lasted until the 14th century. It was founded by a king named Nanyadeva. Their capital city was Simraungadh in Mithila.

During the rule of King Harisimhadeva, the royal priest was Jyotirishwar, who wrote an important book called Varna Ratnakar. When Ghiyasuddin Tughlak invaded Mithila, King Harisimhadeva and many Maithil people had to leave and went to Nepal. There, they started a new dynasty.

Here are some of the important kings from this dynasty:

• Nanyadeva: He was a strong warrior and also loved music. He studied and organized different musical styles called Ragas. He believed that certain music speeds fit different emotions. For example, a medium speed was good for happy or romantic feelings, a slow speed for sad feelings, and a fast speed for brave, angry, amazing, or scary feelings. He wrote a book about music called 'Saraswati Hridayalankar'.
• Gangadeva
• Narasimhadeva
• Ramasimhadeva
• Shaktisimhadeva
• Harisimhadeva: He was very important for starting a system called Panji Vyavastha or Panji Prabandha for Maithil Brahmins and Maithil Kayasthas. This system helped keep track of family histories. He also strongly supported art and literature.

The Oiniwar Dynasty

In 1325, after the Karnat dynasty fell, Nath Thakur became the first Maithil ruler. The dynasty that followed him was called the Oiniwar Dynasty. This dynasty had 20 more rulers after Nath Thakur.

The Raj Darbhanga Rulers

The Khandwala dynasty ruled as the Raj Darbhanga. This began with Mahesh Thakur, who passed away in 1558. The last ruler was Kameshwar Singh. His rule started in 1929 and ended in 1947 when India became independent. At that time, all the princely states, including Raj Darbhanga, joined the Union of India.