Mithila (region)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the historical and cultural region in India and Nepal. For the proposal to create a state of Mithila in India, see Mithila (proposed Indian state). For other uses, see Mithila.
See also:
Ancient Mithila University, Mithila Madhya Parikrama, and Mithila State Movement

Mithila
Cultural region
Top to bottom:
Angika
and several other dialects of Maithili

Mithila (

Maithils.[1]

The name Mithila is commonly used to refer to the Videha Kingdom, as well as to the modern-day territories that fall within the ancient boundaries of Videha.[5] Till the 20th century, Mithila was still ruled in part by the Raj Darbhanga.

History

Main article: History of Mithila Region
See also: Videha

Vedic period

Mithila first gained prominence after being settled by

Panchala. The kings of the Videha Kingdom were called Janakas.[7] The Videha Kingdom was later incorporated into the Vajjika League, which had its capital in the city of Vaishali, which is also in Mithila.[8]

Medieval period

Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq leading his troops in the capture of the city of Tirhut. Depicted by eyewitness Muhammad Sadr Ala-i in his work Basātin al-uns, published ca.1410. Istanbul, Topkapi Palace Museum Library, Ms. R.1032.[9]

From the 11th century to the 20th century, Mithila was ruled by various indigenous dynasties. The first of these were the

Oiniwar Dynasty and the Khandwala Dynasty also known as Raj Darbhanga. The Malla dynasty and Licchavi dynasty of Nepal were also Maithil in origin. The rulers of the Oiniwar Dynasty and the Raj Darbhanga were Maithil Brahmins. It was during the reign of the Raj Darbhanga family that the capital of Mithila was shifted to Darbhanga.[10]

Tughlaq had attacked and taken control of Bihar, and from the end of the Tughlaq Dynasty until the establishment of the Mughal Empire in 1526, there was anarchy and chaos in the region. Akbar (reigned from 1556 to 1605) realised that taxes from Mithila could only be collected if there was a king who could ensure peace there. The Brahmins were dominant in the Mithila region and Mithila had Brahmin kings in the past.[citation needed]

Akbar summoned Rajpandit Chandrapati Thakur to

Ram Navami
in 1557 AD.

Lakshmeshwar Singh (reigned from 1860 to 1898) was the eldest son of Maharaja Maheshwar Singh of Darbhanga. He, along with his younger brother, Rameshwar Singh received a western education from Government appointed tutors as well as a traditional Indian education from a

Bihar famine of 1873–74
. He constructed hundreds of miles of roads in various parts of the Raj, planting them with tens of thousands of trees for the comfort of travellers, as part of generating employment for people effected by famine. He constructed iron bridges over all the navigable rivers

He built, and entirely supported, a first-class Dispensary at Darbhanga, which cost £3400; a similar one at Kharakpur, which cost £3500; and largely contributed to many others.

Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh

He built an Anglo-vernacular school at a cost of £1490, which he maintained, as well as nearly 30 vernacular schools of different grades; and subsidised a much larger number of educational institutions. He was also one of the founders of

Dalhousie Square in Kolkata
.

On the occasion of the Jubilee of the reign of Queen Victoria, Lakshmeshwar Singh was declared as a Knight Commander of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire, and was promoted to Knight Grand Commander in 1897. He was also a member of the Royal Commission on Opium of 1895, formed by British Government along with Haridas Viharidas Desai who was the Diwan of Junagadh. The Royal Opium Commission consisted of a 9-member team of which 7 were British and 2 were Indians and its chairman was Earl Brassey.

Geography

Mithila region of Nepal
Mithila region of Nepal
Mithila region of India
Mithila region of India

Mithila is a distinct geographical region with natural boundaries like rivers and hills. It is largely a flat and fertile

alluvial plain criss-crossed by numerous rivers which originate from the Himalayas. Due to the flat plains and fertile land Mithila has a rich variety of biotic resources; however, because of frequent floods people could not take full advantage of these resources.[11]

Seven major rivers flow through Mithila:

Kosi, Mahananda, Bagmati, Kamala, Balan, and the Budhi Gandak.[12] They flow from the Himalayas in the north to the Ganges river in the south. These rivers regularly flood, depositing silt onto the farmlands and sometimes causing death or hardship.[citation needed
]

Culture

Main article: Mithila culture
Map of full Mithila
Map of full Mithila

Men and women in Mithila are very religious and dress for the festivals as well. The costumes of Mithila stem from the rich traditional culture of Mithila.

Lord Vishnu. Also wear Balla on their wrist and Mithila Paag on their Head. In ancient times there was no colour option in Mithila, so the Maithil women wore white or yellow Saree with red Border but now they have a lot of variety and colour options and wear Laal-Paara (the traditional red-boarded white or yellow Saree)[13] on some special occasions, and also wear Shakha-Pola[14] with lahthi in their hand. In Mithila culture, this represents new beginnings, passion and prosperity. Red also represents the Hindu goddess Durga
, a symbol of new beginnings and feminine power. During Chhaith, the women of Mithila wear pure cotton dhoti without stitching which reflects the pure, traditional Culture of Mithila. Usually crafted from pure cotton for daily use and from pure silk for more glamorous occasions, traditional attire for the women of Mithila includes Jamdani, Banarisi and Bhagalpuri and many more.

Dhuno-Naach
is performed in Begusarai, Khagaria, Katihar, Naugachia during Durga Puja and Kalipuja with Shankha-Dhaak Sound. Many festivals are celebrated throughout the year in Mithila.
Kali puja
is celebrated as perhaps the most important of all the celebrations of Mithila.

Mithila Paag

Main article: Paag

The Paag is a headdress in the

Maithil people. It is a symbol of honour and respect and a significant part of Maithil culture
.

The Paag dates back to pre-historic times when it was made of plant leaves. It exists today in a modified form. The Paag is wore by the whole Maithil community. The colour of the Paag also carries a lot of significance. The red Paag is worn by the bridegroom and by those who are undergoing the sacred thread rituals. Paag of mustard colour is donned by those attending wedding ceremonies and the elders wear a white Paag.

This Paag now features place in the popular Macmillan Dictionary. For now, Macmillan Dictionary explains Paag as “a kind of headwear worn by people in the Mithila belt of India.”[15]

Paag

On 10 February 2017,

India Posts released a set of sixteen commemorative postage stamps
on "Headgears of India". The Mithila Paag was featured on one of those postage stamps.

Languages and dialects

Main article: Maithili language

People of Mithila primarily speak in Maithili and its various dialects including its perceived dialects

Hindi and Nepali for official or administrative purposes.[citation needed
]

This language is an

Tirhuta is formerly the primary script for written Maithili. Less commonly, it was also written in the local variant of Kaithi. Today it is written in the Devanagari
adopted script.

Maithil Cuisine

Main article: Maithil cuisine
Pilukia
Dahi
Maachh
Ghughnee
Traditional Maithil cuisine

Maithil cuisine is a part of Indian cuisine and Nepalese cuisine. It is a culinary style which originated in Mithila. Some traditional Maithil dishes are:

Madhubani/Mithila Painting

Main article:
Madhubani/Mithila Painting
Mithila Painting of Radha-Krishna

Madhubani art or Mithila painting is practiced in the Mithila region of India and Nepal.

It was traditionally created by the women of different communities of the Mithila region. It is named after Madhubani district of Bihar, India which is where it originated.[17]

National Institute Of Mithila Art

This painting as a form of wall art was practiced widely throughout the region; the more recent development of painting on paper and canvas originated among the villages around Madhubani, and it is these latter developments that may correctly be referred to as Madhubani art.[18]

Main festivals

  • Chhaith: Prayers during Chhath puja are dedicated to the solar deity, Surya, to show gratitude and thankfulness
  • Puranas
    .
  • Aghaniya Chhaith (Chhotka Pabni): Very popular with the name of "Chhotka-Pabni" and Dopaharka Aragh in Mithila.Celebrated in Aghan Shukla-paksha Shasthi tithi.
  • Baisakkha Chhaith (Chhotka Pabni): This is celebrated in month of Baishakh Shukla-paksha Shasthi tithi and It is also called Chhotka-Pabni(Dopaharka Aragh) in Mithila.
  • Chaurchan: Along with Lord Ganesha, Lord Vishnu, Goddess Parvati and the moon god is worshipped. The story of Chorchan Puja is also heard on this day after that arghya is offered to the moon god (Chandra Deva).[19][20]
  • Jitiya: celebrated mainly in Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh[21] and Nepal; mothers fast (without water) for wellbeing of their children.[22]
  • Vivaha Panchami: Hindu festival celebrating the wedding of Rama and Sita. It is observed on the fifth day of the Shukla paksha or waxing phase of moon in the Agrahayana month (November – December) as per Maithili calendar and in the month of Margashirsha in the Hindu calendar.
  • Sita Navami
  • holy river Ganges descended from heaven to earth on this day.[23]
  • Kalpwas: Celebrated in Every Kartik Month in Simaria Dhaam, Begushorai.
  • Kojagiri
    (Lachhmi Puja): harvest festival marking the end of monsoon season
  • Paata Puja (Durga Maay Aagmon)
  • Khutti Puja (Ritual of Durga Puja)
  • Mohalaya
  • Durga Puja: a ten-day festival,[24][25] of which the last five are of the most significance.[26] is an important festival in the Shaktism tradition of Hinduism.[27][28][29] It marks the victory of goddess Durga in her battle against the shape-shifting asura, Mahishasura.[30][31][A] Thus, the festival epitomizes the victory of good over evil, though it is also in part a harvest festival celebrating the goddess as the motherly power behind all of life and creation.[33][34]
  • Kali Puja: dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali, celebrated on the new moon day Dipannita Amavasya of the Hindu month Kartik
  • Saraswati Puja: marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated by people of Dharmic religions in the South Asian countries in different ways depending on the region. Vasant Panchami also marks the start of preparation for Holika and Holi, which take place forty days later.[35]
  • Rama Navami: celebrates the descent of Vishnu as the Rama avatar, through his birth to King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya in Ayodhya, Kosala.[36]
  • Basanti Puja
    (Chaiti Durga Puja)
  • Til Sakraait
  • Aakhar Bochhor
  • Pahun Shashthi
  • Naag Panchami
  • Barsaait
  • Vishwakarma Puja
  • Holi

People

Main article:
Hindu.[37]

The people of Mithila can be split into various

Brahmins, Kayasthas, Kanu, Kewats, Bhumihars, Rajputs, Koeris, Baniyas, Kamatas, Ahirs, Kurmis, Dushads, Koeris, Kujras, Manush and many more.[38]

Notable people

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

The following are notable residents (past and present) of Mithila region.

Demands for administrative units

Proposed Indian state

Main article:
Mithila, India

There is an ongoing movement in the Maithili speaking region of Bihar and Jharkhand for a separate

Indian state of Mithila.[55]

Proposed Nepalese province

See also: Madhesh Province

There was a movement in the Maithili speaking areas of Nepal for a separate province.

Province No. 2 was established under the 2015 Constitution, which transformed Nepal into a Federal Democratic Republic, with a total of 7 provinces. Province No. 2 has a substantial Maithili speaking population and consists most of the Maithili speaking areas of Nepal. It was demanded by some Mithila activists that Province No. 2 be named 'Mithila Province'.[57]
On 23 December 2021, four different names for the Province No. 2 were presented by the various parties of the
Provincial Assembly of Madhesh Province. The four names were ‘Madhesh Pradesh’, ‘Janaki Pradesh’, ‘Madhya Madhesh Pradesh’ and ‘Mithila Bhojpura’.[58]

Among the four names, Madhesh Pradesh (Madhesh Province) was chosen and finalized on 17 January 2022. The name was finalized with 80 percent majority in the Provincial Assembly. Janakpur was named as the capital of the province.[59]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ In the Shakta tradition of Hinduism, many of the stories about obstacles and battles have been considered as metaphors for the divine and demonic within each human being, with liberation being the state of self-understanding whereby a virtuous nature & society emerging victorious over the vicious.[32]

References

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  2. ^ Mishra, V. (1979). Cultural Heritage of Mithila. Allahabad: Mithila Prakasana. p. 13.
  3. ISBN 9789380186283
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  4. ^ Ishii, H. (1993). "Seasons, Rituals and Society: the culture and society of Mithila, the Parbate Hindus and the Newars as seen through a comparison of their annual rites". Senri Ethnological Studies 36: 35–84. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017.
  5. ^ a b Kumar, D. (2000). "Mithila after the Janakas". The Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 60: 51–59.
  6. ^ Michael Witzel (1989), Tracing the Vedic dialects in Dialectes dans les litteratures Indo-Aryennes ed. Caillat, Paris, pages 13, 17 116–124, 141–143
  7. ^ Witzel, M. (1989). "Tracing the Vedic dialects". In Caillat, C. (ed.). Dialectes dans les litteratures Indo-Aryennes. Paris: Fondation Hugot. pp. 141–143.
  8. ^ Hemchandra, R. (1972). Political History of Ancient India. Calcutta: University of Calcutta.
  9. JSTOR 23350289
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  12. ^ "Rivers of Bihar | Bihar Articles". Bihar.ws. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
  13. ^ Maithil women wore Red Boarded Yellow or White Saree during Jhijhiya Naach. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  14. ^ "Mithila as well as Bengal wearing शाखा पोला" www.jhajistore.com". Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  15. ^ "Maithili 'paag' finds place in Macmillan Dictionary".
  16. S2CID 147345446
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  17. ISBN 9788170171560. Archived
    from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  18. ^ Carolyn Brown Heinz, 2006, "Documenting the Image in Mithila Art," Visual Anthropology Review, Vol. 22, Issue 2, pp. 5-33
  19. ^ "Chauth Chand 2022: आज मनाई जाएगी चौठ चन्द्र पूजा, चांद की इस तरह होती है पूजा". Prabhat Khabar (in Hindi). Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  20. ^ "Chaurchan Puja 2022 Wishes & Chauth Chandra Puja HD Images: Celebrate This Bihar Festival of the Moon on Ganesh Chaturthi Sharing Chaurchan Photos, Messages & Wallpapers | 🙏🏻 LatestLY". LatestLY. 30 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  21. ^ "Jivitputrika Vrat 2020: जीवित्पुत्रिका व्रती महिलाएं आज खोलेंगी व्रत, जानें पारण करने के लिए हर एक शुभ समय और विधि".
  22. ^ "Jivitputrika Vrat 2016 (Jitiya 2016) Date & Hindu Panchang - Indian Astrology". 18 July 2016. Archived from the original on 25 January 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  23. ^ Agnihotri, Sanjana (14 June 2016). "All you need to know about Ganga Dussehra". India Today. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  24. ^ Doniger 1999, p. 306.
  25. ^ Lochtefeld 2002, p. 208.
  26. ^ Parmita Borah (2 October 2011). "Durga Puja - a Celebration of Female Supremacy". EF News International. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  27. ^ McDermott 2001, pp. 172–174.
  28. ^ Foulston & Abbott 2009, pp. 162–169.
  29. ^ Rodrigues 2003, pp. 7–8.
  30. ^ Daniélou 1991, p. 288.
  31. ^ McDaniel 2004, pp. 215–219.
  32. ^ McDaniel 2004, pp. 20–21, 217–219.
  33. ^ Kinsley 1988, pp. 111–112.
  34. ^ Donner 2016, p. 25.
  35. ISBN 978-1-57607-089-5
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  36. ^ Hindus around the world celebrate Ram Navami today, DNA, 8 April 2014
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  38. ISBN 9788175330344
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  39. ^ "Members : Lok Sabha". loksabha.nic.in. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  40. ^ Ministry of Culture, Government of India. "Maghfoor Ahmad Ajazi". amritmahotsav.nic.in.
  41. ^ Sajjad, Mohammad (6 January 2013). "Maghfur Aijazi: A freedom-fighter and a builder of Indian democracy". TwoCircles.net. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  42. ^ "Nidhi appointed NC Vice-Prez, Khadka Gen Secy". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  43. ^ "Ramdhari Singh Dinker - Hindi ke Chhayavadi Kavi". www.anubhuti-hindi.org. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
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  46. ^ Lal, C. K. "Art and identity". My Republica. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  47. ^ "Seasons India :: Hindi Literature of India". www.seasonsindia.com. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  48. ^ "Shri Gopal Jee Thakur| National Portal of India". www.india.gov.in. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  49. ^ IANS (10 December 2013). "BJP's Shahnawaz Hussain on IM hit list". Business Standard India. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017 – via Business Standard.
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  51. ^ "PM's 'lack' of leadership has made UPA 'sinking ship': BJP". NewIndianExpress.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  52. ^ "8th Lok Sabha – Members Bioprofile – AZAD, SHRI BHAGWAT JHA". Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
  53. ^ "I want self-reliant Bihar; Sushil Modi is our guardian, says new deputy CM Tarkishore Prasad". 19 November 2020.
  54. ^ Reed, Stanley (1950). The Indian And Pakistan Year Book And Who's Who 1950. Bennett Coleman and Co. Ltd. p. 679. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  55. ISBN 9788170226918. Archived
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  56. ISBN 9781136649561. Archived
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  57. ^ "Samiti vows to protest for Mithila Province".
  58. ^ "Five names proposed for Province 2". Khabarhub. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  59. ^ Pradhan, Shirish B. (18 January 2022). "Nepal's Province 2 renamed 'Madhes Pradesh'". ThePrint. Retrieved 14 September 2022.

Bibliography

  • Tukol, T. K. (1980). Compendium of Jainism. Dharwad: University of Karnataka.

External links

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Mithila".
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