List of Kuru kings

Last updated

Raja of Kuru
Kurus (Kurukshetras) circa 350-315 BCE.jpg
A Karshapana (½ silver coin) of Kuru ruler
Last to reign
Kṣemaka
350s BCE
Details
Style His Majesty
First monarch Vidhuratha I (as the successor to the Puru king)
Last monarch Kṣemaka
Formation c. 1200 BCE
Abolition 350 BCE
Residence
Appointer Sabhā [1]

Kuru was an ancient Indian kingdom. [2] The kingdom was emerged as a branch of Rigvedic Puru tribe and lasted until Nandas of Magadha dethroned them in 350s BCE. [3] Kuru kingdom is famous for Mahabharata [4] and Kurukshetra War. [5] Its capital was Hastinapura and Indraprastha. [6]

Contents

Core region of Kurus Map of Kuru Kingdom.jpg
Core region of Kurus

Kuru Kingdom was split into three parts: Kuru proper (which itself also split into Vatsa kingdom) "Kurujangala" and "Uttarakuru". Kuru proper was in the middle region of Ganga-Yammuna Doab, Kurujangala was in western part and Uttarakuru was in eastern region. [7]

Origin of lineage

King Kuru II of Puru dynasty after whom the dynasty was named 'Kuruvansha' or 'Kaurava'. After his name, the district in Haryana was called as Kurukshetra. [8] By the glory, zenith and name of this king the dynasty hence renamed from Paurava Kingdom to Kuru Kingdom. [9] After these Kings several kings of this dynasty established several kingdoms. He had three sons, namely Vidhuratha I who became the ruler of Pratisthana, Vyushitaswa who died at a very young age, and Sudhanva, who became the ruler of Magadha. Henceforth, Vidhuratha became the first kuru king of Hastinapura. [10]

List of kings

  1. Vidhansabha I
  2. Jahnu
  3. Suratha
  4. Vidhur At II
  5. Sarvabhauma II
  6. Jayasena
  7. Radhika
  8. Attaya
  9. Akrodhana II
  10. Devatha Thi II
  11. Riksha III
  12. Dilipa
  13. Ana Swan II
  14. Parikshit II
  15. Janamejaya III
  16. Bheemasena
  17. Pratiksha
  18. Pratipa
  19. Shantanu
  20. Chitrāngada (son of Shantanu, who was killed prematurely. Bhishma, who was the eldest son of the Shantanu and Ganga; had functioned as the regent of the Kurus, under Chitrāngada, Vichitravirya, Pandu and Dhritarashtra II)
  21. Vichitravirya (younger brother of Chitrāngada, who died prematurely).
  22. Pandu (son of Vichitravirya and Ambalika. Vidura, who was his half brother, served as his, and his elder brother's Prime Minister)
  23. Dhritarashtra II (older half-brother of Pandu, and son of Ambika who didn't succeed Vichitravirya directly due to his blindness).
  24. The Kauravas , led by Duryodhana (sons of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari, who were slain in the Kurukshetra War).
  25. The Pandavas , led by Chakravarti Samrat Yudhishthira (who were the main protagonists of the Mahabharata).
  26. Parikshit III was the son of Abhimanyu; and grandson of the Pandava Arjuna
  27. Janamejaya
  28. Śatānīka
  29. Ashwaa
  30. Ashika
  31. Nicakṣu
  32. Citra Pratha
  33. Vitamine
  34. Sunega
  35. Sunita
  36. Nanak
  37. Sikhana
  38. Pari Plava
  39. Sunaya
  40. Nagaraja
  41. Timi
  42. Bṛhadratha
  43. Sudarshan
  44. Śatañika
  45. Udayana
  46. Mahindra
  47. Dasgupta
  48. Nimi
  49. Karmakar

Kuru family tree

This shows the line of royal and family succession, not necessarily the parentage. See the notes below for detail.

Kuru family tree
Kuru a
Anasawana
Bheemasena(1)a
Pratisravasa
Pratipa a
Gangā Shāntanu a Satyavati Pārāshara
Bhishma Chitrāngada Ambikā Vichitravirya Ambālikā Vyāsa
Dhritarāshtra b Gāndhāri Shakuni Surya Devaa Kunti Pāndu b Mādri
Karna c Yudhishthira d Bhima d Arjuna d Subhadrā Nakula d Sahadeva d
Duryodhana e Dussalā Dushāsana (98 sons)
Abhimanyu f Uttarā
Parikshit Madravti
Janamejaya

Key to Symbols

Notes

The birth order of siblings is correctly shown in the family tree (from left to right), except for Vyasa and Bhishma whose birth order is not described, and Vichitravirya and Chitrangada who were born after them. The fact that Ambika and Ambalika are sisters is not shown in the family tree. The birth of Duryodhana took place after the birth of Karna, Yudhishthira and Bhima, but before the birth of the remaining Pandava brothers.

Some siblings of the characters shown here have been left out for clarity; this includes Vidura, half-brother to Dhritarashtra and Pandu.

Family of Pandavas

Pandavas means sons of King Pandu. Pandavas were five in number as: Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. The first three of five Pandavas were the sons of Kunti and Pandu while the younger two were born to Madri after Pandu's request. [11]

See also

Notes

    Related Research Articles

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    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Pandava</span> Group of five brothers in the epic Mahabharata

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    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Duryodhana</span> Eldest Kaurava in the epic Mahabharata

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    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhishma</span> Statesman of Kuru kingdom in the Hindu epic Mahabharata

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    References

    1. ↑ "Janapada State in Ancient India".
    2. ↑ Pletcher 2010, p. 63.
    3. ↑ B. Kölver, ed. (1997). Recht, Staat und Verwaltung im klassischen Indien[Law, State and Administration in Classical India] (in German). München: R. Oldenbourg. pp. 27–52.
    4. ↑ "Mahabharata". Collins English Dictionary (13th ed.). HarperCollins. 2018. ISBN   978-0-008-28437-4.
    5. ↑ Narayan, R. K. (1 March 2001). The Mahabharata. Penguin Books Limited. ISBN   978-0-14-119081-5.
    6. ↑ "Uttar Pradesh - History". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
    7. ↑ Raychaudhuri 1953, p. 21-23.
    8. ↑ "Kurukshetra (India)". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
    9. ↑ The Chronology of India: From Manu to Mahabharata ISBN   978-8194321309
    10. ↑ Dalal, Roshen (18 April 2014). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin UK. ISBN   978-81-8475-277-9.
    11. ↑ Bonnefoy, Yves. Asian Mythologies. translated under the direction of Wendy Doniger. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press. 1993. pp. 180–183. ISBN   0-226-06456-5
    12. ↑ van Buitenen, J.A.B., ed. (1981). The Mahābhārata . Translated by van Buitenen (Phoenix ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN   9780226846644.
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