Dynasty that ruled Mithila (parts of India and Nepal) between 1097 and 1324 CE, preceded by the Palas and followed by the Oiniwar dynasty under the Delhi Sultanate. Established by Nanyadeva, the Karnat dynasty ruled from Simraungadh in present-day Nepal and later Darbhanga in present-day Bihar, India. Nanyadeva likely arrived in Mithila with the invading army of the Chalukyas from southern India, working as an official in the Pala court before usurping power. Karnat patronage for the arts strengthened the Maithili language, and the first known literary work in the language was produced in this period. Maithil Brahmins were highly culturally and politically influential in the Karnat state. Some Malla kings of Nepal trace their lineage to Karnat kings, likely as a result of northward migration following Islamic invasion in the fourteenth century.