Geographical region encompassing parts of southern Nepal and northeastern India. The language spoken here is Maithili. Also historically known as Mithilanchal, Tirhut, and Tirabhukti, Mithila has been a prominent cultural and political centre since antiquity and is mentioned in major texts throughout history, including the Shatapatha Brahmana, the Ramayana, the Jatakas, and the Puranas. Indo-Aryan settlers introduced Vedic worship in the region early on with the establishment of the Videha kingdom, which was followed by the Vajji mahajanapada, the Pala empire, and the Karnat dynasty. From the fourteenth century on, the Maithil dynasties Oiniwar and Darbhanga Raj were tributaries of the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire respectively. The Jain Tirthankara Mahavira belonged to the Naya clan of Mithila; the place is also associated with other significant Tirthankaras.