The Gandhavariya (also known as Gandhawariya and Gandhawaria) are a Rajput clan based in northern Bihar. In past they ruled over parts of Madhepura district [1] and Saharsa district during medieval times after the decline of the Oiniwar Dynasty. [2]
One of the theories put forward about the origins of the Gandhavariyas is that they originate from a branch of the Karnat dynasty of Mithila that remained in the region after the Karnat king, Harisimhadeva fled to Kathmandu following the invasion of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq. [3]
The writer Jyotirishwar Thakur recorded the existence of the Gandhavariyas Rajaputas in his 14th century book Varṇa Ratnākara and detailed how they held sway over much of North Bihar. [4] The traditions of the Gandhavariyas record that prior to their ascendancy in the region, they were engaged in a war with the Bhar who the Gandhavariyas claim to have finished. [5]
The zamindari estate of Sonbarsa Raj was established by Raja Ranjit Singh who belonged to the Gandhavariya clan. They also controlled Baruari and Barail. [3]
Saharsa is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar, India. Saharsa city is the administrative headquarters of this district. Saharsa district is a part of the Kosi Division and it became a district on 1 April 1954 and has subsequently become smaller with other districts being carved from it, most notably Madhepura in 1981.
Maithils, 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 Darbhanga Raj, also known as Raj Darbhanga and the Khandwala dynasty, was a Maithil Brahmin dynasty and the rulers of territories, not all contiguous, that were part of the Mithila region, now divided between India and Nepal.
Mithila, also known as Tirhut, Tirabhukti and Mithilanchal is a geographical and cultural region of the Indian subcontinent bounded by the Mahananda River in the east, the Ganges in the south, the Gandaki River in the west and by the foothills of the Himalayas in the north. It comprises certain parts of Bihar and Jharkhand of India and adjoining districts of the Koshi Province, Bagmati Pradesh and Madhesh Province of Nepal. The native language in Mithila is Maithili, and its speakers are referred to as Maithils.
Mithila is a geographical and cultural region located in the Indian subcontinent. The native language is known as Maithili and its speakers are referred to as Maithils. The majority of the Mithila region falls within modern-day India, more specifically in the state of Bihar. Mithila is bounded in the north by the Himalayas, and in the south, west and east by the Ganges, Gandaki and Mahananda respectively. It extends into the southeastern Terai of Nepal. This region was also called Tirabhukti, the ancient name of Tirhut.
The Sonbarsa Raj was a medieval chieftaincy and later a zamindari (estate) during British Raj in modern-day Bihar, in erstwhile Bhagalpur district. It was controlled by the Gandhavariya Rajputs.
Chinnamasta Bhagawati also called Shakhada Bhagawati and Shakhadeswori is a temple and Shakti Peethas in Eastern Nepal. It was established in 13th century by Shaktisimhadeva, the fifth ruler of the Karnata dynasty. The temple is in Chhinnamasta Rural Municipality, Saptari, 10 km from Rajbiraj near the Indian border. It is the oldest and most revered religious site in the Saptari district and draws thousands of devotees from Nepal and India during Bada Dashain and other festivals to worship the Hindu goddess Bhagawati.
Simraungadh, Simraongarh or Simroungarh is a municipality situated in Bara district of Nepal.
Harisimhadeva was a King of the Karnat dynasty who ruled the Mithila region of modern-day parts of North Bihar in India and South Nepal.
The Oiniwar dynasty, or Oiṇīvāra dynasty also known as the Sugauna dynasty, was a Maithil ruling dynasty of territories that form part of the Mithila region of the Indian subcontinent. They governed the area between 1325 and 1526, being preceded by the Karnat dynasty. Following the demise of the dynasty, emerged the dynasty of the Raj Darbhanga. One of the Oiniwar Dynasty's most notable rulers was Shivasimha who was known for his patronisation of the art as well as leading military campaigns against neighbouring polities.
Rajputs in Bihar are members of the Rajput community living in the eastern Indian state of Bihar. They traditionally formed part of the feudal elite in Bihari society. Rajputs were pressed with the Zamindari abolition and Bhoodan movement in post-independence India; along with other Forward Castes, they lost their significant position in Bihar's agrarian society, leading to the rise of Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
Nanyadeva was the founder of the Karnat dynasty of Mithila. He established his capital in Simraungadh and ruled the greater Mithila region for 50 years. He is known for his patronage of scholars. He has been described as belonging to the Karnat Kshatriya Kula and began to rule Mithila from the citadel of Simraungadh which was situated on the modern India-Nepal border, in 1097 CE. Various inscriptions and land grants belonging to Nanyadeva have been found within the region to testify to his reign.
The Karnats of Mithila or Karnata dynasty 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. The main power centre of the Karnats was the citadel of Simraungadh which was situated on the Bihar-Nepal border. The city of Darbhanga also became the second capital during the reign of Gangadeva.
Gangadeva was the second ruler of the Karnat dynasty of Mithila. He succeeded his father Nanyadeva as king in 1147 and ruled until 1187.
Caṇḍeśvara Thakkura was a Maithili-language political theorist and general during the 14th century. He served as minister for peace and war and chief judge in the court of Harisimhadeva who was the last King of the Karnat dynasty of Mithila. This dynasty ruled parts of modern-day north Bihar and Southern Nepal. His family had their origins in the village of Bisfi in modern-day Madhubani district, Bihar.
Ramasimhadeva was the fourth King of the Karnat dynasty of Mithila. He came into power around 1227 CE and succeeded his father, Narasimhadeva.
Malladeva was the son of King Nanyadeva from the Karnat dynasty, and a prince of Mithila. According to some scholars, Malladeva has been referred to as the "forgotten King of Mithila" as most records and traditions mention that his brother Gangadeva succeeded his father as ruler of the dynasty. Nevertheless, Malladeva seems to have founded his own stronghold in the village of Bheet-Bhagwanpur in Darbhanga in modern-day Bihar, India. An inscription found in the village reads: "Om Shree Malladevasya" and many Karnat-era sculptures have been found in the area.
Alauddin Khalji's invasion of Mithila was a military campaign conducted by Alauddin Khalji of the Delhi Sultanate against the Karnat dynasty of Mithila, led by Shaktisimharadeva, in 1297-98 C.E in present-day Northern Bihar.
Simraungadh, was a fortified city and the main capital of the Karnats of Mithila, founded by its first ruler, Nanyadeva in 1097. At the present time, the excavations show that the city is located on the India-Nepal border. There is also a municipality by the same name in Nepal. The archaeological site is currently split between Bara district in Nepal in the north and East Champaran in Bihar, India in the south, both falling within the Mithila cultural region.