Being Maithil

Maithil

Maithil are the people from Mithila region of Bihar, the area bounded on the north by Himalaya, by Ganga on its south, Gandaki River in the west, and Kosi River on its east.

 

 

 

 

Even as the above remain the historical boundaries the realm King Janaka of Janakpur who ruled Mithila, during the British rule the northern boundary of Mithila moved south when a part of the northern Mithila was ceded to Nepal in 1815-16 in exchange for Kumaon and Garhwal states hills that now form the parts of present Uttarakhand state. Thus, Maithil includes also the Maithili-speaking people from the foothills of Nepal called tarai. Maithili-speaking people in the plateau region of Jharkhand, and the Maithili-speaking diaspora in other parts of India and the world also called Maithils due to their linguistic and cultural identity.
But for long time, wrongfully though, the community of Maithil brahmin and karan kayastha alone were considered Maithil, and stereotype Maithil was derived from their composite image. This weakened Maithil linguistic identity and cultural cohesiveness. Now with spread of education and awareness, sense of belonging is taking roots across the Maithili-speaking population albeit with injured pride among subaltern population due to years of discrimination as unworthy other. This is also the reason behind limited awareness about Maithil identity among the poor and uneducated compared to their caste identity. As a result, Maithil Brahmins would readily identify himself as Maithil, but many others with limited awareness, although Maithili-speaking, would often identify himself with is caste or religion. Thus, if caste is as essential as Adhar card, Maithil identity remains optional of which a majority of the population remains historically unaware.

Characteristics of Maithils

 

 

Is there any single attribute that defines Maithil? Answer is, no. But Maithili language is the easiest to identify them.
Maithils are by nature tradition-bound, god-fearing and many possess strong tribal loyalties. They observe religious events, and fasts faithfully. Migrants travel to home from faraway places during Chhath, Durgapuja, and Holi. This trend is slowly changing as the communities have started creating mini Mithila or Bihar, wherever they live.
Maithils are hardworking but fatalist. They take setbacks in their stride and never lose hope. Mithila being in the Sub-Himalayan region is crisscrossed by rivers. It frequently faces periodic floods and earthquakes which wipe out life and livelihood. Every time people start up from scratch with God as the only help. Even so, the Earth and the Rivers remain object of worship since they form the life blood for agriculture.

Maithil and Indian identity

Indian identity derives many of its facets from Maithil culture. Also, since Mithila- Tirabhukti- for long remained safe from foreign invasion it preserved India cultural ethos. In 1324 Gayasuddin Tughalak invaded Mithila. Yet, after a brief interlude Mithila regained its sovereignty and it helped in large measure to preserve which was under threat from the invaders elsewhere. Also, from pre-historic time Mithila remained the cradle for Sanskrit learning. Scholars and philosophers wrote copiously on philosophy and logic, Dharmashastra, grammar, and literature. They also wrote smritis, bhashyas, and commentaries.  King Janaka,Yagyavalak, Udayanacharya, Mandan Mishra, Bachaspati Mishra are few prominent among the scores  who represent the tradition.

Post-Muslim invasion Jyotirishwara, Kameshwar, Vidyapati, Manabodh remained the leading light whose creations both in Sanskrit and vernacular kept Maithili identity intact. Jyotirishwara’s Varnratnakara is a unique text from the North.

Today Vidyapati Thakur remains a unifying force across caste and creed. His lyrics inspired the Vaishnava, the Shaivas, Shaktas throughout north India. Today, Vidyapati’s song- jay-jay Bhairavi- has become the common anthem to rally Maithils. ‘Jay-jay Bharavi’ is sung in a chorus at the beginning of almost all religious and secular functions related to Mithila and Maithili today.

Later Sanskrit pundits from Mithila continued to spread out throughout India in search of livelihood. Their Sanskrit erudition found patrons among the princely states and their institutions. They, earned laurels and brought wealth home. Mahesha Thakur, who wrote commentaries on astronomy and Indian philosophy, established the Khandawala dynasty Mithila, later known as Darbhanga Raj, in 1527.   

On the negative side Maithils like all Indian are extremely self-assured, proud and opiniated. They are very conscious of self-respect, also politically alive and articulate. Many suffer from laziness when in Mithila. Outside Mithila they work hard and shine.

 

Tirabhukti/Tirhut and Mithila¹

Tirhut is one of the most ancient landmarks in Indian history. Ancient Tirhutians and their kings were renowned for their love for learning and prowess in arms. They were rich and well-known for their mental and spiritual endowments. Their sense of justice was proverbial among the people they ruled.

Boundaries of ancient Mithila is defined neither in the Valmiki Ramayana nor in Puranas. But Valmiki’s Ramayana, Vishnu and Markandeya puranas indicate existence of two kingdoms north of Ganga River, viz.  those of Vaishali and Mithila. But their dividing lines has not been indicated. It appears both the kingdoms together came to be known under general name of Tira-bhukti which is said to have had more extensive boundaries than modern Tirhut.
According to ‘Mithila Khanda’, reputed to be a part of the Brihad-Vishnupurana, it is bounded on the east by Kausiki, on the west by Saligrami/ Narayani (modern Gandak), on the south by the river Ganga and on the north by the Himalaya.
It is 180 miles long ( east to west) and about 125 miles broad( north to south) i.e. old districts of Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Champaran, parts of Munger, Bhagalpur and Purnea.

Mithila finds mention in Valmiki Ramayana (cir. 500 BC); Tirhut has no reference there. It says, Mithila was named after Mithi. The Bhagawatapurana explains how the country came to be known as Mithila. Maharaja Nimi is reputed to be its first King. He was doomed to die by the curse of his preceptor, Vashishtha, who was enraged by Nimi employing another priest, Gotama, to officiate at a sacrifice without Vashishtha’s permission. After Nimi’s death great rishis of the time assembled and implored Nimi’s spirit to re-assume human form. As he refused to do so, they bestowed on him a mystical blessing that he should live forever in the human eye. They then took his dead body and placed it in a churn in the hope they might produce a son in his likeness. They were successful and a son emerged from the churn and was named Mithi, who succeeded his father as a King.
Nimi, whose death was due to curse, was called Videha- one whose body is gone. His successors have been known as Vaideha. As Mithi was self-born, he and his successors came to be known as Janaka.
There is much difference as to the derivation of Tirhut, the modern name of Mithila. The probable theory is that it is corruption of Tira-bhukti, which in Sanskrit means those who live on river banks. This is true of modern Tirhut crisscrossed by more than twelve rivers. This is the derivation given by Brihad-Vishnupurana, which mentions Tira-bhukti, as one of the twelve names of Mithila. As such the word Tirhut occurs for the first time in Trikanda Sesa Kosa (circa 1200AD) of Purashottam Deva.
The Muhammadan writers of 12 century have used the same form. Pundit Ganganatha Jha (17 century AD) explains that Tira-bhukti is so called because it extends up to the Tira (bank) of river Ganga. There is another explanation by some modern writers for Tirhut that they explain is the corruption of Trihutam i.e. country of three sacrifices viz. sacrifice at the birth of Janaki; Dhanushayagna of Rama breaking the great celestial bow, and the yagna in the honour of marriage of Ram and Sita.
Seal bearing name of Tira-bhukti dating back to 4 century A.D. have been discovered from excavation at Basarha in Muzaffarpur district in year 1903.

References:

1.     Singh Shyama Narayan. History of Tirhut from the earliest time to the end of nineteenth century. Calcutta: Baptist Mission Press 1922.