Mithila Darpan of Ras Bihari Lal Das: Tirhut in Early Twentieth Century (Kameshwar Singh Bihar Heritage Series-8)

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The book contains comprehensive account of Mithila (north eastern region of the state of Bihar) including its puranic descriptions, a long profile of its political history and those socio-cultural and economic features which its author found distinguishing the region in early twentieth century. It is the first work about Mithila written in Hindi. It includes various legends regarding historical events as well as ancient sites. The institution of panji (genealogical records) has been quite ealaborately dealt with. Besides, the socio-economic conditions of Tirhut in the early twentieth century have been adequately described. Mithila Darpan can significantly contribute to the development of regional history, regional sociology and regional anthropology in this country.

It is a matter of great pleasure for Maharajadhiraja Kameshwar Singh Kalyani Foundation that, we are publishing the second edition of Mithila Darpan this year. It is to mention that, all the copies of Mithila Darpan published in 2005, under the Kameshwar Singh Bihar Heritage Series have been sold out.

Mithila Darpan was first published in 1905. It was written in Hindi by Ras Bihari Lal Das. This book covers not only political account of Mithila but also its socio-cultural, environmental and economic features. Somehow it was not available to researchers. Hence, in the year 2005, Maharajadhiraja Kameshwar Singh Kalyani Foundation published this book under Kameshwar Singh Bihar Heritage Series, which was the brain child of late Prof. Hetukar Jha (former Head of the Dept. of Sociology, Patna University and Honorary Managing Trustee of the Foundation). Kalyani Foundation has published twenty two books in this series, till this date.

Mithila Darpan, written in Hindi, was published first in 1915. It contains a comprehensive account of Mithila (north eastern region of the state of Bihar) including its puranic descriptions, a long profile of its political history beginning from the eleventh century A.D., and those socio-cultural, environmental and economic features which its author found distinguishing the region in early twentieth century. It is, perhaps, the first book written about Mithila in the twentieth century. Earlier, in the second half of the nineteenth century, two books viz. Riaz-i-Tirhut and Aina-i-Tirhut had been published in Urdu in 1868 and 1883 respectively. In Maithili, such books came out after the publication of Mithila Darpan in Hindi. For example, Mahamahopadhyaya Parmeshwar Jha completed writing Mithila Tattva Vimarsha (in Maithili) by 19192. But, this was published much later (in 1949). Chetanath Jha in his Khandavala Raj Darpan, which was published in 1920, mentions that he had consulted Mithila Tattva Vimarsha³. Mithila Bhashamay Itihas written by Mahamahopadhyaya Mukund Jha Vakshi came out, perhaps, before the publication of Mithila Tattva Vimarsha. History of Tirhut written by S.N.Singh in English was published in 19225.

All these books deal with the political history of Mithila and also throw much light on its socio-cultural conditions of past centuries. Some other books such as Shrimat Khandavala Kula Vinod, written in the eighteenth century by Gopal Jha, Khandavala Raj Darpan, written by Chetanath Jha, etc., were also brought out before independence.