Raj Gharanas
Darbhanga is a city of palaces, ponds, art and culture: a legacy of the Darbhanga Raj.
The Darbhanga Raj, home to the Khandavala dynasty, has bequeathed a rich and fascinating
heritage of sociocultural traditions. Since Mahamahopadhyaya Mahesh Thakur was granted
authority of revenue administration of Sarkar Tirhut by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1557,
eighteen persons occupied the 'gaddi' of the Raj. The last occupant, Maharajadhiraja
Kameshwar Singh, passed away in 1962. The legacy of this dynasty, however, lives on.
The history of India in these parts from the latter part of Mughal rule to modern times is intertwined with that of Darbhanga Raj, as also with Banaili and Bettiah Raj.
By British times, Darbhanga Raj was the largest and richest of the great zamindari estates. It
controlled most of Mithila until after Independence when the Republic of India brought an end
to all the rajas and princely states. |
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