Karnats of Mithila

Karnatas of Mithila
Karnata dynasty
1097–1324
Shatkona seal from the Karnat capital of Simraungadh of Karnat dynasty
Shatkona seal from the Karnat capital of Simraungadh
Approximate location of the Karnata dynasty, with contemporary polities circa 1250.[1][2]
Capital
Common languages
Religion
GovernmentMonarchy
Historical eraMedieval India
• Established
10 July 1097
• Disestablished
1324
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Pala Empire
Delhi Sultanate
Oiniwar dynasty

The Karnats of Mithila[3] or Karnata dynasty (Karṇāṭa) was a dynasty established in 1097 CE by Nanyadeva. The dynasty controlled the areas we today know as Tirhut or Mithila in the state of Bihar, India and adjoining parts of South Eastern Nepal.[4][5] The main power centre of the Karnats was the citadel of Simraungadh which was situated on the Bihar-Nepal border.[6] The city of Darbhanga also became the second capital during the reign of Gangadeva.[7]

According to French orientalist and indologist Sylvain Lévi, Nanyadeva established his supremacy over Simraungadh probably with the help of the Chalukya king Vikramaditya VI.[8][9][10] After the reign of Vikramaditya VI in 1076 CE, he led a successful military campaign against the Pala Empire and the Sena dynasty.[11][12] During the reign of Harisimhadeva, the Karnats also carried out raids into Nepal with the Karnat army under the leadership of the general and minister, Caṇḍeśvara Ṭhakkura.[13]

Under the Karnats, Mithila enjoyed almost full sovereignty from 1097 until 1324.[14] The Karnat kings referred to themselves with the title of Mithileśwara[15] and the first recorded piece of Maithili literature, the Varna Ratnakara was also composed during their rule.[16]

  1. ^ Chandra, Satish (2004). Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals-Delhi Sultanat (1206-1526) - Part One. Har-Anand Publications. pp. 19–20. ISBN 978-81-241-1064-5.
  2. ^ Schwartzberg 1978, p. 32, 146.
  3. ^ Choudhary, Radha Krishna (1954). "THE KARṆĀTS OF MITHILĀ, (C. 1097-1355 A. D.)". Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute. 35 (1/4): 91–121. JSTOR 41784923.
  4. ^ Jha, M. (1997). "Hindu Kingdoms at contextual level". Anthropology of Ancient Hindu Kingdoms: A Study in Civilizational Perspective. New Delhi: M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. pp. 27–42. ISBN 9788175330344.
  5. ^ Mishra, V. (1979). Cultural Heritage of Mithila. Allahabad: Mithila Prakasana. p. 13.
  6. ^ Vidale, M; Lugli, F (1992). "Archaeological Investigation at Simraongarh" (PDF). Ancient Nepal: 2. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  7. ^ CPN Sinha (1974). "A Critical Evaluation of sources for identification of Gangeyadeva of Tirabhukti". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 35: 39–42. JSTOR 44138754.
  8. ^ Magazine, New Spolight. "Sylvain Lévi's Le Népal". SpotlightNepal. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  9. ^ Majumdar, Ramesh Chandra (1957). The Struggle For Empire. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1957. p. 47.
  10. ^ Levi, Sylvain (2015-02-18). Le Népal: Étude Historique D'Un Royaume Hindou - Scholar's Choice Edition. Creative Media Partners, LLC. ISBN 9781297173240.
  11. ^ Somers, George E. (1977). Dynastic History Of Magadha. Abhinav Publications. ISBN 9788170170594.
  12. ^ Mukherjee, Ramkrishna; Mukherjee, Roopali (1974). Rise and Fall East India. NYU Press. ISBN 9780853453154.
  13. ^ Choudhary, Radhakrishna (1970). History of Muslim rule in Tirhut, 1206-1765, A.D. Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office. p. 61.
  14. ^ Pankaj Jha (20 November 2018). A Political History of Literature: Vidyapati and the Fifteenth Century. OUP India. ISBN 978-0-19-909535-3.
  15. ^ Saṅgīt, Mahābhāratī (2011). "Nanyadeva". The Oxford Encyclopaedia of the Music of India.
  16. ^ Jyotiśvara. (1998). Varṇa-ratnākara of Jyotiriśvara of Kaviśekharācārya. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi. pp. ix. ISBN 81-260-0439-8. OCLC 40268712.