Karnats of Mithila

Karnatas of Mithila
Karnata dynasty
Karnatas of Mithila Karnata dynasty
1097 CE–1324 CE
	Shatkona seal from the Karnat capital of Simraungadh
	South Asia; 1250 CE DELHI SULTANATE (MAMLUKS) AHOM LOHA; RAS QARLUGHIDS MARYUL GUGE KUMAON SOOMRAS MAKRAN; SULTANATE MONGOL; EMPIRE VAGHELAS CHUDASAMAS PARAMARAS CHANDELAS GUHILAS BUNDELAS KHANGARS JAISALMER MARWAR AMBER AMARKOT KARNATAS NAGVANSIS KAKATIYAS CHODAS EASTERN; GANGAS YADAVAS PANDYAS CHOLAS HOYSALAS KADAMBAS CHERAS ◁ ▷ Approximate location of the Karnata dynasty, with contemporary polities circa 1250.
Capital	Nanapura, Champaran (First capital during Nanyadeva's reign); Simraungadh (Main capital); Darbhanga (Second capital);
Common languages	Sanskrit, Maithili
Religion	Hinduism
Government	Monarchy
Historical era	Medieval India
• Established	1097 CE
• Disestablished	1324 CE
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 had its main stronghold in the citadel of Simraungadh which was situated on the Bihar-Nepal border with excavations showing that parts of the fort were situated in what is now Indian territory while the rest falls within what is now Nepalese territory.^[4] The city of Darbhanga also became the second capital during the reign of Gangadeva.^[5] The kingdom controlled the areas we today know as Tirhut or Mithila in the Bihar state of India and Nepal.^[6]^[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]

^ 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.
^ Schwartzberg 1978, p. 32, 146.
^ 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.
^ Vidale, M; Lugli, F (1992). "Archaeological Investigation at Simraongarh" (PDF). Ancient Nepal: 2. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
^ 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.
^ 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.
^ Mishra, V. (1979). Cultural Heritage of Mithila. Allahabad: Mithila Prakasana. p. 13.
^ Magazine, New Spolight. "Sylvain Lévi's Le Népal". SpotlightNepal. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
^ Majumdar, Ramesh Chandra (1957). The Struggle For Empire. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1957. p. 47.
^ Levi, Sylvain (2015-02-18). Le Népal: Étude Historique D'Un Royaume Hindou - Scholar's Choice Edition. Creative Media Partners, LLC. ISBN 9781297173240.
^ Somers, George E. (1977). Dynastic History Of Magadha. Abhinav Publications. ISBN 9788170170594.
^ Mukherjee, Ramkrishna; Mukherjee, Roopali (1974). Rise and Fall East India. NYU Press. ISBN 9780853453154.
^ Choudhary, Radhakrishna (1970). History of Muslim rule in Tirhut, 1206-1765, A.D. Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office. p. 61.
^ Pankaj Jha (20 November 2018). A Political History of Literature: Vidyapati and the Fifteenth Century. OUP India. ISBN 978-0-19-909535-3.
^ Saṅgīt, Mahābhāratī (2011). "Nānyadeva". The Oxford Encyclopaedia of the Music of India.
^ Jyotiśvara. (1998). Varṇa-ratnākara of Jyotiriśvara of Kaviśekharācārya. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi. pp. ix. ISBN 81-260-0439-8. OCLC 40268712.

[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.

[FOOTNOTESchwartzberg197832,_146-2] 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.

[Investigation-4] Vidale, M; Lugli, F (1992). "Archaeological Investigation at Simraongarh" (PDF). Ancient Nepal: 2. Retrieved 6 August 2020.

[Sinha1974-5] 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.

[Jha1997-6] 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.

[7] Mishra, V. (1979). Cultural Heritage of Mithila. Allahabad: Mithila Prakasana. p. 13.

[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.

[Choudhary1970-13] Choudhary, Radhakrishna (1970). History of Muslim rule in Tirhut, 1206-1765, A.D. Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office. p. 61.

[Jha2018-14] 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). "Nānyadeva". The Oxford Encyclopaedia of the Music of India.

[Intro-16] Jyotiśvara. (1998). Varṇa-ratnākara of Jyotiriśvara of Kaviśekharācārya. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi. pp. ix. ISBN 81-260-0439-8. OCLC 40268712.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]