Oiniwar dynasty

The Oiniwar dynasty, or Oiṇīvāra dynasty also known as the Sugauna dynasty, was a Maithil ruling dynasty of territories that form part of the Mithila region of the Indian subcontinent. They governed the area between 1325 and 1526, being preceded by the Karnat dynasty. Following the demise of the dynasty, emerged the dynasty of the Raj Darbhanga. One of the Oiniwar Dynasty's most notable rulers was Shivasimha who was known for his patronisation of the art as well as leading military campaigns against neighbouring polities.

History
The rulers of the Oiniwar dynasty governed Mithila between 1325 and 1526 however their rule has not been well-documented. They were Srotriya Maithil Brahmins whose first significant figure was Jayapati Thakur. His grandson, Nath Thakur, served the local kings of the Karnat dynasty and was rewarded with a grant of the village of Oini in modern-day Madhubani district in recognition of his scholarship. As was then customary, he took the name of the granted place as his own and the dynasty that followed from him became known as the Oiniwar.

There is an alternative theory that the family were generally considered to be significant scholars and that this reputation and the influence that flowed from it resulted in them being awarded the village of Sodapura, which later caused them also to be known as the Srotiyas or Soit.

In 1325, following the collapse of the Karnat dynasty in 1324, Nath Thakur became the first Oiniwar ruler. The dynasty that followed him comprised a further 20 rulers. The recent studies and appearance of Aurangzeb dictat from 1685 AD suggest that this family continued to be treated as King of Mithila and the Khandwalas were subordinate to them. It was not until the early 18th century that the Khandwalas became prominent and were recognised as King by AliVardi Khan.

Demise
The last of the Oiniwar rulers was Laxminath Singh Deva. . He had been trying to assert himself as an independent ruler and in the process was killed by Nusrat Shah of Bengal. Following Laxminath Singh Deva's death there was a period of lawlessness in the region lasting around 30 years where various Rajput clans were battling for power. After this emerged the dynasty of the Raj Darbhanga.

Capitals
Unlike the Karnats who preceded them, who kept the large citadel of Simraungadh as their capital, the Oiniwars mainly operated out of various villages in Mithila.

The dynastic capitals were also frequently relocated. At some unknown time, it was moved from Oini in present-day Muzaffarpur district to the village of Sugauna in modern-day Madhubani district, thus giving rise to the rulers also being known as the Sugauna Dynasty. It was moved again, to Devakuli, during the reign of Devasimha, and then to Gajarathpura (also known as Shiva Singhpura) during the early years of the reign of his son, Shivasimha. When the latter died in 1416, his queen, Lakshima, governed for 12 years and then was succeeded by his brother, Padmasimha, who moved the capital once more. Named Padma, after its founder, this was near to Rajnagar and a long way from the previous seat. Padmasimha, who ruled for three years, was succeeded by his wife, Vivasa Devi, and she, too, founded a new capital which is today the village of Vishual.

Military
The military of the Oiniwar dynasty was considered to be the main pillar of the King's power. The army was under the command of a senapati or the commander-in-chief who had direct control of the military. The military had a four-fold structure with infantry, cavalry, elephants and chariots. The poet, Vidyapati who worked in the court of the Oiniwars, noted that the core of the army consisted of Kshatriyas and Brahmins the vanguard consisted of mercenaries from Kurukshetra, Matsya, Surasena and Panchala.

In a battle with a Muslim Sultan during the reign of King Sivasimha, many different warriors were mentioned including Commander Suraja, Śri Śakho Sanehi Jha, Pundamalla who was an expert in archery and Rajadeva (Raut) who was considered to be a matchless warrior.

Society
The frequent moving of capitals and also the founding of new villages resulted in a range of new infrastructure financed by the dynasty, taking such forms as roads, temples, ponds and forts. In addition, the rulers were significant patrons of Maithili culture. Their era has been called the epitome of the Maithili language. The contributions of the poet and scholar Vidyapati, who flourished during the reign of Shiva Simha Singh, are particularly notable. This was a significant change from the Karnat era, whose rulers were not native to the area and which had been culturally stagnant.

Slavery
Multiple deeds of sale for the purchase of slaves have been found dating back to the fifteenth and sixteenth century in Mithila, during the rule of the Oiniwar dynasty which indicates that slavery was practiced during this period. These deeds were written on palm leaves and are in the Maithili language. A number of these deeds date back to the reign of Bhairavasimha and his name is indicated in the writing. One deed has also been found dating to the rule of Bhairavasimha's son, Ramabhadra.

Several intermediaries were generally used in the selling of slaves who helped to fix the price and witnesses were used to confirm the sale. Conditions were attached to the deed including that the slave was not allowed to flee and the owner had authorisation to bring the slave back even if they were to flee under the royal throne (rajasimhasanatalagatapi). The deeds for sale in Mithila would also indicate the tasks expected of the slave. Many of the deeds that have been recovered also indicate that individuals would have offered themselves up to be enslaved for a price.

Historiography
The chief source of information regarding the Oiniwars is the writings of the poet, Vidyapati who served in the courts of seven kings and two queens belonging to the dynasty. The Kīrtilatā for example was a prose poem by Vidyapati which was commissioned by the Oiniwar king, Kirtisimha. Other sources of information regarding the Oiniwars include inscriptions and mentions in local texts. One notable inscription is the Bhagirathpur inscription which was discovered in the village of Bhagirath in Darbhanga district on the stone frame of a temple. This inscription was left by Oiniwar king, Kansanarayana who is considered to be the last King of the Oiniwars. The inscription is useful as it provides a breakdown of his genaology.

Coinage
So far, coins of two rulers belonging to the Oiniwar dynasty have been discovered; Sivasimha and Bhairavasimha. Several gold coin specimens were recovered from the reign of Sivasimha in 1913. These gold coins bore the legend, Sri Sivasya and due to their limited number, it was likely that the coins were meant for limited circulation rather than for general use.

Bhairavasimha also issued silver coins in his name which were recovered from the village of Bairmo in Darbhanga district. These coins were examined by the historian and numismatist, Dineshchandra Sircar who deciphered the text as: mahārajā-śrī-Darppanārāyan-ātmaja-Tirabhukti-rāja-śri-Bhairavasimhasya. This translates to; "Bhairavasimha, Lord of Tirabhukti and son of Lord Darppanārāyana". These coins were likely issued in the fifteenth year of his reign roughly corresponding to 1489-1490.

Rulers
A geneaology of the Oiniwars can be reconstructed as follows: