Maithil
Encyclopedia
Maithil properly means the native speaker of Maithili
language, and includes all the natives of Mithila
. They are natives of some districts south of the Ganges near Bhagalpur and Monghyr, most of North Bihar and adojining Terai of Nepal. All castes living in Mithila
and speaking Maithili
are Maithils. Most of North Bihar excluding some western districts, centered around Darbhangā-Madhubani and some areas south of the Ganges including Bhāgalpur and Munger, and region from Rauthatta to Birātnagar in Nepāl centered at Janakpur in south-eastern Nepal form modern Mithila
This area was known as the kingdom of Videha with capital at Mithila or Mithilanagar which has not been identified by archaeologists but folklore ascribes it to Janakpur in Nepal. It was a Kingdom written about in Hindu folklore (Videha Kingdom
) and is the birthplace of the Goddess Sita according to Ramayana
and other ancient texts.
The common language between these people is Maithili
which has found a place in the Eighth Schedule of Indian Constitution. The Maithili language
is very ancient. The modern day Bengali and related scripts have evolved from Maithili. Oldest specimen of this Mithilakshar
or Tirhuta script is at a Shiva Temple inscription in Tilkeshwarsthāna near Kusheshwarsthāna in Darbhangā district, in which it is mentioned in Eastern Māgadhi Prākrit that the temple was built on "Kāttika sudi" (i.e., Kārtika Shukla pratipadā or first tithi in the bright half of the Hindu lunar month of Kārtika) in "Shake 125" (AD 203),i.e., on the day following Diwāli which is still regarded as very auspicious for installing the icon in a temple. The script of this inscription has little difference with modern script of Maithili. But in 20th century, most of Maithili writers gradually adopted Devanagari for the accepted vehicle of Maithili. Some traditional pandits still use this Tirhutā or Mithilākshara script for sending 'pātā' (ceremonial letters related to some important function such as marriage) to each other. Fonts for this script were developed in 2003 AD.
Maithils come from a culturally rich and ancient society who have created great works of Maithili
literature.
Maitil's diet includes grains, many types of fresh water fish for the majority and occasionally goat. Mustard seeds and mustard oil are very common ingredients in Maithil cuisine. Tilkor taruya is special dish of maithil. These ingredients give their cuisine a unique taste unlike any other cuisine in India.
The term Maithil also denotes Maithil Brāhamana which is one of the principal branches of (or Brahmins), being a part of (cf. Indian caste system and History of the Indian caste system
). Typical Maithil Brahmin
surnames are Mishra, Jha, Chaudhary, etc.
Maithili language
Maithili language is spoken in the eastern region of India and South-eastern region of Nepal. The native speakers of Maithili reside in Bihar, Jharkhand,parts of West Bengal and South-east Nepal...
language, and includes all the natives of Mithila
Mithila
Mithila was a city in Ancient India, the capital of the Videha Kingdom. The name Mithila is also commonly used to refer to the Videha Kingdom itself, as well as to the modern-day territories that fall within the ancient boundaries of Videha...
. They are natives of some districts south of the Ganges near Bhagalpur and Monghyr, most of North Bihar and adojining Terai of Nepal. All castes living in Mithila
Mithila
Mithila was a city in Ancient India, the capital of the Videha Kingdom. The name Mithila is also commonly used to refer to the Videha Kingdom itself, as well as to the modern-day territories that fall within the ancient boundaries of Videha...
and speaking Maithili
Maithili language
Maithili language is spoken in the eastern region of India and South-eastern region of Nepal. The native speakers of Maithili reside in Bihar, Jharkhand,parts of West Bengal and South-east Nepal...
are Maithils. Most of North Bihar excluding some western districts, centered around Darbhangā-Madhubani and some areas south of the Ganges including Bhāgalpur and Munger, and region from Rauthatta to Birātnagar in Nepāl centered at Janakpur in south-eastern Nepal form modern Mithila
Mithila
Mithila was a city in Ancient India, the capital of the Videha Kingdom. The name Mithila is also commonly used to refer to the Videha Kingdom itself, as well as to the modern-day territories that fall within the ancient boundaries of Videha...
This area was known as the kingdom of Videha with capital at Mithila or Mithilanagar which has not been identified by archaeologists but folklore ascribes it to Janakpur in Nepal. It was a Kingdom written about in Hindu folklore (Videha Kingdom
Videha Kingdom
In the Ramayana, Videha was the kingdom of the royal sage Seeradhwaja Janaka, the father of Sita, Raghava Rama's wife. Rama's brothers married Sita's sisters, so the Videha Kingdom was closely allied to the Kosala Kingdom. Mithila was the capital of Videha, now identified with Janakpur, a town in...
) and is the birthplace of the Goddess Sita according to Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
and other ancient texts.
The common language between these people is Maithili
Maithili language
Maithili language is spoken in the eastern region of India and South-eastern region of Nepal. The native speakers of Maithili reside in Bihar, Jharkhand,parts of West Bengal and South-east Nepal...
which has found a place in the Eighth Schedule of Indian Constitution. The Maithili language
Maithili language
Maithili language is spoken in the eastern region of India and South-eastern region of Nepal. The native speakers of Maithili reside in Bihar, Jharkhand,parts of West Bengal and South-east Nepal...
is very ancient. The modern day Bengali and related scripts have evolved from Maithili. Oldest specimen of this Mithilakshar
Mithilakshar
Tirhuta or Mithilakshar is the script traditionally used for the Maithili language, an Indo-European language spoken in the Indian state of Bihar, Jharkhand, parts of West Bengal and eastern Nepal...
or Tirhuta script is at a Shiva Temple inscription in Tilkeshwarsthāna near Kusheshwarsthāna in Darbhangā district, in which it is mentioned in Eastern Māgadhi Prākrit that the temple was built on "Kāttika sudi" (i.e., Kārtika Shukla pratipadā or first tithi in the bright half of the Hindu lunar month of Kārtika) in "Shake 125" (AD 203),i.e., on the day following Diwāli which is still regarded as very auspicious for installing the icon in a temple. The script of this inscription has little difference with modern script of Maithili. But in 20th century, most of Maithili writers gradually adopted Devanagari for the accepted vehicle of Maithili. Some traditional pandits still use this Tirhutā or Mithilākshara script for sending 'pātā' (ceremonial letters related to some important function such as marriage) to each other. Fonts for this script were developed in 2003 AD.
Maithils come from a culturally rich and ancient society who have created great works of Maithili
Maithili language
Maithili language is spoken in the eastern region of India and South-eastern region of Nepal. The native speakers of Maithili reside in Bihar, Jharkhand,parts of West Bengal and South-east Nepal...
literature.
Maitil's diet includes grains, many types of fresh water fish for the majority and occasionally goat. Mustard seeds and mustard oil are very common ingredients in Maithil cuisine. Tilkor taruya is special dish of maithil. These ingredients give their cuisine a unique taste unlike any other cuisine in India.
The term Maithil also denotes Maithil Brāhamana which is one of the principal branches of (or Brahmins), being a part of (cf. Indian caste system and History of the Indian caste system
History of the Indian caste system
Indian society has consisted of thousands of endogamous clans and groups called jatis since ancient times. The Brahminical scriptures and texts tried to bring this diversity under a comprehensible scheme which hypothesised four idealised meta groups called varna...
). Typical Maithil Brahmin
Maithil Brahmin
Maithil Brahmins form part of ancient Vedic Brahmins. Maithil s are a part of Panch-gauda , a group of highest-ranking castes among Brahmin, who still strive to follow rites and rituals according to ancient Hindu canons. Maithil Brahmin is a community of highly cohesive, and traditional Brahmins...
surnames are Mishra, Jha, Chaudhary, etc.