SIMRAONGARH: The forgotten city and Its art

Simraongarh was the ancient capital of the Tirhut kingdom; situated in the eastern Terai, it was founded in 1097 by King Nanyadeva who, according to local history, originally came from Karnataka. The southern origin of the Tirhut clan (in Sanskrit, Mitthilla) can perhaps be historically explained by the conquests effected in the south of India by the Calukya; it is possible the kings of this dynasty paid intrepid mercenaries from Karnataka to continue their expansionist politics in the northern regions. This may have led to the formation of smaller states such as Tirhut and the Sena in Bengal, which with time appears to have become independent of the central power.