Q. Who patronized the earliest Urdu historical account of Mithila, "Aina-i-Tirhut" (1883)?
Answer: Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh
Notes: "Aina-i-Tirhut" (1883), written by Bihari Lal Fitrat, is among the earliest Urdu histories of Mithila. It was supported by Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh of Darbhanga Raj, documenting Mithila’s culture, society, geography, economy, and biographies, and is notable for its Persian-influenced Urdu prose.