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{{Short description|Late medieval Buddhist dynasty in Magadha}}
{{Infobox country
|native_name =
|conventional_long_name = Pīṭhīpatis of Magadha
|common_name = Pithis
|religion = [[Buddhism]]<ref name=Amar2019>{{cite journal |last1=Amar |first1=Abhishek S. |title=Reassessing the Muslim Attacks and the Decline of Buddhist Monasteries in the Thirteenth Century Magadha |journal=Encountering Buddhism and Islam in Premodern Central and South Asia |date=2019 |pages=48–75 |isbn=978-3-11-062986-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mQaxDwAAQBAJ&q=Encountering+Buddhism+and+Islam+in+Premodern+Central+and+South+Asia}}</ref>
|common_languages = [[Sanskrit]]
|era = [[Medieval India]]
|status =
|government_type =
|life_span =
|year_start = c. 1120
|year_end = c. 1290
|p1 = Pala Empire
|s1 = Delhi Sultanate
|image_map =
{{South Asia in 1175|center|| {{location map~ |South Asia |lat=25|N |long=86|E |label=|position=|label_size=|mark=Orange dot (semi-transparent).png|marksize=15}}}}
| map_caption = {{center|Approximate location of the Pithipatis ([[File:Orange dot (semi-transparent).png|10px]]), with contemporary polities circa 1175.<ref name= Amar2019 /><ref name=Balogh2021 />}}
|event_start =
|date_start =
|event1 =
|date_event1 =
|event2 =
|date_event2 =
|event_end =
|date_end =
|capital = [[Bodh Gaya]]
|leader1 =
|leader2 =
|year_leader1 =
|year_leader2 =
|title_leader = }}
{{History of Bihar}}

The '''Pithipatis of Magadha'''<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Misra |first1=BN |title=The Pithipatis of Magadha |journal=Culture Through the Ages Prof. B.N. Puri Felicitation Volume |date=1996 |pages=145–160 |isbn=978-81-7320-019-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TuZtAAAAMAAJ&q=BN%20Puri%20felicitation%20volume}}</ref> (also known as the '''Pithis''') were the rulers of [[Magadha]] from the 11th to 13th century CE in what is now [[Bihar]], [[India]]. They were centred in [[Bodh Gaya]] and Pithi refers to the [[Vajrasana, Bodh Gaya|diamond throne]] where the [[Buddha]] was said to have gained enlightenment.<ref name=Balogh2021>{{cite book |last1=Balogh |first1=Daniel |title=Pithipati Puzzles: Custodians of the Diamond Throne |date=2021 |publisher=British Museum Research Publications |pages=40–58 |isbn=9780861592289 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Lk0NzgEACAAJ}}</ref>

The Pithipati chiefs styled themselves with the title of [[Acarya]] in addition to Pīṭhīpati.<ref name=Balogh2021 /> Pithipati Buddhasena also termed himself as ''magadhādipati'' (ruler or [[Pati (title)|lord]] of Magadha).<ref name=Sircar1978>{{cite journal |last1=Sircar |first1=D. C. |title=Bodhgayā Inscription of Pithipati Ācārya Buddhasena |journal=Senarat Paranavitana Commemoration Volume |date=1978 |pages=255–256 |doi=10.1163/9789004646476_033 |isbn=978-90-04-64647-6 |url=https://brill.com/edcollchap/book/9789004646476/B9789004646476_s033.xml|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The realm of the Pithipatis at its peak seems to have extended from the Magadha region up to the western and southern parts of [[Munger district]] as inscriptions of the Pithipatis have been found in these regions.{{sfn|Prasad|2021|p=389}}<ref name=Sinha1977>{{cite book |last1=Prasad Sinha |first1=Bindeshwari |title=Dynastic History of Magadha |date=1977 |publisher=Abhinav Publications |page=220 |url=https://archive.org/details/dynastic-history-of-magadha-cir.-450-1200-a.-d./page/219/mode/2up}}</ref>
[[File:Bodh gaya before restoration.jpg|thumb|The [[Mahabodhi Temple]] prior to its restoration. The Pithipatis maintained authority over the temple for a period|293x293px]]

==Origin==
[[File:Inscription of Pithipati Jayasena.png|thumb|Inscription of Pithipati Jayasena inside the Mahabodhi Temple sanctum, 13th-century CE]]
The historian, [[Dineshchandra Sircar]], noted that the Pithipatis appear to have originally been religious authorities and priests before eventually coming into power themselves at some point in the 11th century during the Pala rule of the region and the Pithis themselves were likely subordinates of the Pala dynasty.<ref name=Sircar>{{cite book |last1=Sircar |first1=Dineshchandra |title=Some Epigraphical Records of the Medieval Period from Eastern India |date=1979 |publisher=Abhinav Publications |pages=31–32 |isbn=9788170170969 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-O18xhA_BXUC&dq=buddhasena+magadha&pg=PA31}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Sarao |first1=KTS |title=The History of Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya |date=2020 |publisher=Springer |page=206 |isbn=9789811580673 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H5n9DwAAQBAJ&q=Buddhasena}}</ref>

Pithipati inscriptions refer to the dynasty/clan name as ''Chinda'' and ''Chikkora''. Kumaradevī, the daughter of Devaraksita, calls her father a Chikkora, while a later descendant, Jayasena, calls his ancestors Chinda indicating the use of different family names. The Chindas/Chikkoras were descended from the [[Chindaka Naga]]s who ruled the [[Bastar district|Bastar region]] of what is now the modern-day state of [[Chhattisgarh]]. They were noblemen of the area who served as advisors to the [[Kalachuris of Ratnapura]]. Vallabharaja, the first Pithipati, arrived in Bodh Gaya and converted to [[Buddhism]], whereupon he adopted the monastic name of Devaraksita.<ref name=Balogh2021 />

==History==

[[File:Votive Stupa - Pala School - Circa 11th Century CE - Bodhgaya - Bihar - Indian Museum - Kolkata 2013-04-10 7822.JPG|thumb|Votive Stupa from 11th century Bodh Gaya]]

The first king of this dynasty was Vallabharāja whose rule of Bodh Gaya is confirmed by the Sarnath inscription of his daughter, Kumaradevi in the 12th century. Kumaradevi was one of the wives of [[Govindachandra (Gahadavala dynasty)|Govindachandra]] of the [[Gahadavala dynasty]]. Vallabharāja likely arrived in Bodh Gaya from the area of [[Ratanpur]] and began a campaign against [[Ramapala]].<ref name=Balogh2021 /> During this conflict, he established [[Bodh Gaya]] as his base of operations and conquered it from the previous ruling family known as the Yakspāla. It has been speculated that he was aided in his campaign by [[Govindachandra (Gahadavala dynasty)|Govindachandra]] and that Kumaradevi's marriage to Govindacharandra was part of the terms of this alliance. After gaining control of Bodh Gaya he converted to [[Buddhism]] and took on the new name, ''Devaraksita''. At this point, he made peace with the Palas by marrying the daughter of Mahana Pala (uncle of Ramapala).<ref name=Balogh2021 />

The Pithipatis were contemporaries and neighbours of the Gahadavalas to the west, the [[Pala Empire|Pala dynasty]] to the east and the [[Karnats of Mithila]] to the north.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Choudhary |first1=Radha Krishna |title=THE KARṆĀTS OF MITHILĀ, (C. 1097-1355 A. D.) |journal=Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute |date=1954 |volume=35 |issue=1/4 |pages=91–121|jstor=41784923 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41784923}}</ref> In one incident that has been recorded in the ''Puruṣaparīkṣā'' of the 15th-century poet, [[Vidyapati]], the Karnat prince, [[Malladeva]], in an attempt to prove his valour, led an expedition that ousted the ruler of the "Chikkora dynasty" from his throne in Bodh Gaya. At the time, the ruler would have been an aged Devaraksita. In response, the Gahadavala King, possibly [[Jayachandra]], sent a force that defeated Malladeva and restored Devaraksita or his son Deśarāja to the throne of Bodh Gaya.<ref name=Balogh2021 />

The Pithi chiefs were also noted for providing land to visiting [[Sri Lanka]]n monks in Bodh Gaya so that they could build a monastery.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Prakash |first1=Gyan |title=Bonded Histories Genealogies of Labor Servitude in Colonial India |date=2003 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |page=15 |isbn=9780521526586 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MQFvks7lahoC}}</ref> Inscriptions from the period detail the granting of land to the ''Singhalasangha'' by Acarya Buddhasena. It also details how a nearby village called Kottahala was granted to a [[Sinhalese people|Sinhalese]] monk called Mangalavamsin for the maintenance of the [[Mahabodhi Temple]].{{sfn|Prasad|2021|p=423}}

===Islamic invasion and decline===
During the reign of Acarya Pithi Buddhasena, the region began to experience raids from [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] invaders and the Pithipatis were forced to swear fealty to them. This is detailed in the memoirs of the [[Tibetan people|Tibetan]] pilgrim, [[Dharmasvamin]] who visited Bodh Gaya in 1234–35.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Prasad Sinha |first1=Bindeshwari |title=Dynastic History of Magadha, Cir. 450-1200 A.D. |date=1977 |publisher=Abhinav Publications |page=235 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V3KDaZY85wYC}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Singh |first1=Anand |title='Destruction' and 'Decline' of Nālandā Mahāvihāra: Prejudices and Praxis |journal=Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka |date=2013 |volume=58 |issue=1 |pages=23–49 |jstor=43854933 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43854933}}</ref> Dharmasvamin states that Buddhasena had retreated with his soldiers into a forest and they had left the Mahabodhi temple fortified for its protection with just four monks present at the site.<ref name= Amar2019 />

==Relations with neighbours==
The sway of the Pithipatis at its peak seems to have extended from the Gaya and Magadha region up to the western and southern parts of Munger district as an inscription from a Pithipati ruler has been found in the village of Arma in Munger.<ref name= Sinha1977 /><ref name= Sircar1978 /> The [[Ramacharitam]] notes that the Pithipatis paid a nominal nod to the [[Pala Empire]] but managed their own internal affairs. It is likely that once the Pala dynasty ended they switched their allegiance to other powers although they seem to have regained their power following the invasion of [[Bakhtiyar Khalji]]. Inscriptional evidence shows they may have helped in repairing the [[Odantapuri]] monastery situated 70 km from Bodh Gaya.<ref name=Balogh2021 /> A thirteenth-century stone inscription also confirms that the Pithipatis donated land to the [[Telhara monastery]]. The 13th century Tibetan pilgrim, [[Dharmasvamin]], also writes about how the Pithipati kings patronised the monks of [[Nalanda]] including the abbot at the time, [[Rahula Shribhadra]].<ref name= Amar2019 />

==Sarnath inscription of Kumaradevī==
[[File:Inscription of Kumaradevi the Queen of Gahadawala king Govindachandra, which refers the construction of Dharmachkra-Jin-Vihara at Sarnath, 12th century CE.jpg|thumb|Inscription of Kumaradevi, daughter of Pithipati Devaraksita, which refers the construction of [[:Commons:Category:Dharmachakra-Jina-Vihara|Dharmachakra-Jina-Vihara]] at [[Sarnath]], and the invasions of the "wicked" [[Turkic peoples|Turushka]]s. 12th century CE.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Konow |first1=Sten |title=Epigraphia Indica Vol. 9 |date=1907 |pages=319–330 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.48794/page/n431/mode/2up}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Asher |first1=Frederick M. |title=Sarnath: A Critical History of the Place Where Buddhism Began |date=11 February 2020 |publisher=Getty Publications |isbn=978-1-60606-638-6 |page=7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ecbPDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA7 |language=en}}</ref>]]
Kumaradevī, the wife of [[Gahadavala]] king, [[Govindachandra (Gahadavala dynasty)|Govindachandra]] left an inscription in [[Sarnath]] indicating her [[Buddhist]] faith and that her father was Devaraksita who was a member of the ''Chikkora'' dynasty.<ref name=Balogh2021 /><ref>{{cite book |last1=Niyogi |first1=Roma |title=The History of the Gāhadavāla Dynasty |date=1959 |publisher=Calcutta Oriental Book Agency |page=87 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EJQBAAAAMAAJ}}</ref>

Balogh states that Kumaradevī, the daughter of Pithipati Devaraksita, was married to Govindachandra as part of an alliance between the two kingdoms which was formed to counter the Palas.<ref name=Balogh2021 />

==List of rulers==
Rough dates for the period of rule that each of the Pithipati kings reigned for:<ref name=Balogh2021 />
*Vallabharāja (Name changed to Devaraksita after conversion) (1120–1160 CE)
*Deśarāja (1160–1180 CE)
*Devasthira (1180–1200 CE)
*Buddhasena (1200–1240 CE)
*Pūrnabhadra (1240–1255)
*Jayasena (1255–1280)

After Jayasena, other rulers followed, of which less is known, including Sangharaksita, Buddhasena II and Madhusena.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{cite book |last1=Prasad |first1=Birendra Nath |title=Archaeology of Religion in South Asia: Buddhist, Brahmanical and Jaina Religious Centres in Bihar and Bengal, c. AD 600–1200 |date=2021 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781000416756 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QEkgEAAAQBAJ&q=Archaeology+of+Religion+in+South+Asia:+Buddhist,+Brahmanical+and+Jaina+Religious+Centres+in+Bihar+and+Bengal,+c.+AD+600–1200}}

[[Category:Kingdoms of Bihar]]
[[Category:Buddhist dynasties of India]]
[[Category:Magadha]]
[[Category:12th-century establishments]]
[[Category:13th-century disestablishments]]

Pithipatis of Magadha - Revision history

Abhijit: added a pg basic info