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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Maithils
Maithils (Tirhuta: মৈথিল, Devanagari: मैथिल), also known as Maithili people, are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group from the Indian subcontinent, who speak the Maithili language as their native language. They inhabit the Mithila region, which comprises Northern and Eastern Bihar and Northeastern Jharkhand in India and some adjoining districts of Nepal constituting Madhesh Province in addition to some terai districts of Bagmati and Koshi Provinces.

The Maithil region forms an important part of Hinduism as it is said to be the birthplace of Sita, the wife of Ram and incarnation of Lakshmi.

History

Main article: History of Mithila Region

Vedic period

See also: Videha, Vajjika League, and Licchavis of Vaishali

Mithila first gained prominence after being settled by Indo-Aryan speaking peoples who established the Videha kingdom. During the late Vedic period (c. 1100–500 BCE), Videha became one of the major political and cultural centers of South Asia, along with Kuru and Pañcāla. The kings of the Videha Kingdom were called Janakas.

The Videha Kingdom later became incorporated into the Vajjika League which was based in Mithila. The Licchavis of Vaishali were one of the constituent tribes of the Vajjika league and the territory of the Licchavis formed a single territorial unit along with Videha within the Mithila region. The Licchavis remained in Vaishali up to the Gupta period with the fourth century A.D. Gupta Emperor, Samudragupta, being the son of a Licchavi princess from Vaishali.

Medieval period

From the 11th century to the 20th century, Mithila was ruled by various indigenous dynasties. The first of these were the Karnatas of Mithila who ruled from 1097-1324 A.D. They were followed by the Oiniwar dynasty who ruled from 1325–1526 A.D.

During the Mughal-era, Mithila was controlled by a dynasty of zamindars called the Raj Darbhanga who were tributaries to the Mughals. It was during this period that the capital of Mithila was moved to Darbhanga.

Maithili-speaking dynasties and kingdoms

Region

Main articles: Mithila (region); Mithila, India; and Mithila, Nepal

India

Jagannath Mishra, former chief minister of Bihar and a Maithili speaker

Majority of Maithils normally reside north of the Ganges; based around Darbhanga and the rest of North Bihar. Native Maithili speakers also reside in Delhi, Kolkata, Patna, Ranchi and Mumbai.

Indian Mithila comprises Tirhut, Darbhanga, Kosi, Purnia, Munger, Bhagalpur and Santhal Pargana divisions.

Darbhanga in particular played an important role in the history of Mithila and is considered one of its "core centers". It was the center of Raj Darbhanga who ruled most of the region. Madhubani was also where Madhubani paintings originated from which is a major part of Maithil culture. Sitamarhi is claimed by many to be the birthplace of Goddess Sita with Sita Kund being a major pilgrimage site. Baliraajgadh, situated in present-day Madhubani district, is thought to be the capital of ancient Mithila Kingdom. Maithils played a major role in building the Baidyanath Temple which is an important pilgrimage site for them. There is an ongoing movement in the Maithili-speaking region of Bihar and Jharkhand for a separate Indian state of Mithila.

Nepal

Ram Baran Yadav former President of Nepal from 2008-2015 and a native Maithili speaker

The adjoining districts of the eastern Terai form Nepalese Mithila. This area was part of the kingdom of Videha. The kingdom appears in the Ramayana. Many people claim Janakpur to be the birthplace of Goddess Sita but this is disputed as many consider Sitamarhi as Her birthplace. Maithils in Nepal have been working towards a "Free Maithil state".

There is 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 Maithili speaking majority and consists of most of the Maithili speaking areas of Nepal. It has been demanded by some Mithila activists that Province No. 2 be named 'Mithila Province'. Province no. 2 was given the name Madhesh Province on 17 January 2022.

Language

Manuscript of the Varna Ratnakara, the earliest prose work in the Maithili language and dated to the early 14th century

The common language of the Maithil people is Maithili, which is one of the recognised regional languages of India and the second national language of Nepal listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution and the Interim Constitution of Nepal. The Tirhuta script, also known as the Mithilakshar script, was used as the original script of the language. However, during the 20th century most Maithili writers gradually adopted Devanagari script for Maithili. Some traditional pandits still use Tirhuta script for pātā (ceremonial letters related to important functions, such as marriage).

Culture

Main article: Mithila culture

Men and women in Mithila are very religious and dress for festivals as well. The costumes of Mithila stem from the rich traditional culture of Mithila. Panjabi Kurta and Dhoti with a Mithila Painting bordered Maroon coloured Gamchha which is the Symbol of Passion, Love, Bravery and Courage are common clothing items for men. Men wear a Gold ring on their nose which symbolizes prosperity, happiness and wealth inspired by Lord Vishnu. Also, wear a 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 a 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) on some special occasions, and also wear Shakha-Pola with a lanthi in their hand which is Mandatory to wear after marriage in Mithila. 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, Bhagalpuri and many more. Many festivals are celebrated throughout the year in Mithila. Chhaith, Durga Puja and Kali puja is celebrated as perhaps the most important of all the celebrations of Mithila.

The Paag is the traditional headgear of the Maithil people

Household structure

Traditionally Maithils lived in Badaghars called longhouses with big families of many generations, sometimes 40–50 people. All household members pool their labour force, contribute their income, share the expenditure and use one kitchen.

Religion

The religious practices of the Maithils is based on orthodox Hinduism as Mithila has historically been a principal seat of Hindu learning.

Politics

Maithils hold significant influence in the politics of both India and Nepal. They dominate the polity of Bihar, India's third most populous state, by virtue of their majority in 144 of the 243 constituencies of the Bihar Legislative Assembly. Maithils are the largest ethnolinguistic group in the Nepalese Madhesh Province and the second largest ethnolinguistic group in Province No. 1.

Notable people

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

Historical

Statue of the 11th century philosopher Udayana
Statue of Maithili language poet, Vidyapati

Modern

See also