Darbhanga

Darbhanga is one of the key historic centres of the Mithila region in north Bihar, and its modern identity was strongly shaped by the powerful Darbhanga Raj (Khandavala dynasty), a major estate that rose to prominence from the 16th century and later became one of the most influential zamindaris of British India. The city developed as the estate’s administrative and cultural hub, with palaces and institutions that still define its landscape.

Under British rule, the area was part of Sarkar Tirhut until 1875, when it was constituted as a separate district; key subdivisions had already been created earlier—Darbhanga Sadar (1845), Madhubani (1866), and Samastipur/Tajpur (1867). Darbhanga city was constituted as a municipality in 1864, reflecting its growing urban administration and trade importance in the alluvial plains.

After independence, administrative reorganization in 1972 carved out Madhubani and Samastipur as separate districts, leaving a trimmed Darbhanga district centred around the city. Today, Darbhanga remains an important educational, cultural, and administrative centre of Mithila, with its royal legacy still visible in local heritage and institutions.