In Hindu scriptures, the Lunar Dynasty (Chandravanshi or Somavanshi) is one of the three principal houses of the Kshatriya Varna, or warrior–ruling caste. The Dynasty claims descent from the Moon (Soma or Chandra), while the other principal houses, the Solar Dynasty(Suryavanshi) claims descent from the Sun (Surya) and the Agnivanshi claim to have been born to the fire God Agni. Vansh essentially translates to family tree, so Chandra-, Surya- or Agnivanshi means the family tree or genealogy of the descendants of the Moon, Sun and Fire gods. Within these family trees sub-branches such as Bharatvansh, Yaduvansh, Puruvansh,Kuruvansh, Pandavansh etc. emerged, named after a prominent progenitor of the line.
List of monarchs of the Lunar Dynasty
According to the Bhavishya Purana legend, of debatable dating, the origin of the Lunar Dynasty began with Brahma in the Treta Yuga (second era):
- Brahma had Manasputra (Mind born son) Atri
- Atri produced Chandra (Moon God) from his eyes. In the third part of Treta Yuga, Indra sent Chandra, Rohini's husband, to Prithvi (Earth). His capital wasPrayag and was a devout worshiper of Vishnu and Shiva. He performed 100Yagyas (Oblations) to please Mahamaya (God). He ruled for 18,000 years and then ascended to heaven.
- His son was Budh.
- Indra sent Chandra to Prithvi (18,000 yrs)
- Chandra's son was Budh - from Ila
- Budh's son was Pururava (14,000 yrs)
- Pururava had six sons in the beginning of Treta Yuga.
- Vijaya's son was Bheem
- Bheem's son was Kanchan
- Kanchan's son was Hotra
- Hotra's his son was Jahnu. He drank all the water of the River Ganges. This prince, whilst performing a sacrifice, saw the whole of the place overflowed by the waters of the Ganges. Highly offended at this intrusion, his eyes red with anger, he united the spirit of sacrifice with himself, by the power of his devotion, and drank up the river. The gods and sages upon this came to him, and appeased his indignation, and reobtained Gangá from him, in the capacity of his daughter (whence she is called Jáhnaví).
- Jahnu's son was Poru
- Poru's son was Balak
- Balak's son Ajak
- Ajak's son was Kush
- Kush had four sons
- Kushnabh's son was Gadhi (who was an incarnation of Indra himself).
- Gadhi had Vishwamitra. Born a Kshatriya, he became a Brahmarshi (Sage).
- He had a daughter named Satyavati, who married Rishi Richik. The book "Genealogical Tables" mentions this: "it is impossible that one woman could be the daughter of Gadhi, 15 generations from Brahma, and wife of Richik, who was only 3 descents down from the same god". (8).
- Satyavati had son Rishi Jamadagni who married Renuka, the daughter of Rishi Renu.
- Jamadagni had several sons such as Vasuman, the youngest one was Parashurama. He emptied Prithvi (earth) from Kshatriyas 21 times.
- Vishwamitra had 100 sons, 99 of whom are considered the mythylogical progenitors of the Andhras.
- Pururava's son was Ayu (36,000 yrs) - he was a devotee of Vishnu. Ayu had 5 sons
Ayu Line 1 - Kshatravriddh Vansha
- Kshatravriddh's son Suhotra, had three sons
Pururva - Ayu - Kshatravriddh - Kashya Vansa
- Kashya's son was Kashi, who ruled from the city of Kashi off the Ganges River (India)
- Kashi's son was Rashtra
- Rashtra's son was Dirghtama
- Dirghtamaa's son was Dhanvantari. Dhanvantari started Ayur Veda. He takes his share in Yagya and is the Ansh of Vasudeva.
- Dhanvantari's son was Ketuman
- Ketuman's son was Bheemarath
- Bheemarath's son was Divodas
- Divodas' son was Dyuman - his other names are Pratardan, Shatrujit, Vats, Ritdhwaj and Kuvalayaksh.
- Dyuman's sons were Alark and others - Alark ruled for 66,000 years.
- Alark's son was Santati
- Santati's son was Suneeth
- Suneeth's son was Suketan
- Suketan's son was Dharmaketu
- Dharmketu's son was Satyaketu
- Satyaketu's son was Dhrishtaketu
- Dhrishtketu's son was Sukumar
- Sukumar's son was Veetihotra
- Veetihotra's son was Bharg
- Bharg's son was Bhargabhumi.
Pururva - Ayu - Kshatravriddh - Kush Vansha
- Kush had Prati
- Prati's son was Sanjay
- Sanjay's son was Jaya
- Jaya's son was Krit
- Krit's son was Haryavan
- Haryavan's son was Sahadev
- Sahadev's son was Heen
- Heen's son was Jayasena
- Jayasen's son was Sankriti
- Sankriti's son was Jaya
- latthar rajput
Pururva - Ayu - Kshatravriddh - Grihatsmad Vansh
- Grihatsmad's son was Shunak
- Shunak's son was Shaunakji. This Shaunak is the same person acknowledged in the Rig Veda.
Ayu Line 2 - by Anena
- Anena's son was Shuddh
- Shuddh's son was Shuchi
- Shuchi's son was Trikud
- Trikud's son was Dharmsarathi
- Dharmsarathi's son was Shantiraya - Shantiraya was a knower of the soul so he did not have any child.
Ayu Line 3 - by Rambh
- Rambh's son was Rabhas
- Rabhas' son was Gambheer
- Gambheer's his son was Akriya. Akriya's wife started Brahman Vansh.
Ayu Line 4 - by Raji
Raji had 500 sons. All were killed by Indra.
Ayu Line 5 - by Nahush
- Ayu's son was Nahush. He attained Indra's status and ruled the three worlds. Later he became a python because of Durvasa'a curse (In MBH he became python because of Agastya Muni's curse).
- Nahusha had 6 sons
Nahush's son Yayati's vansha
- Nahusha's son was Yayati.
- Yayati had five sons. Three of them were the rulers of Mlechchh Desh (Their detailed description is available in the early chapters ofMatsya Purana.) The other two became Arya. Among all the sons, the eldest son was Yadu and the youngest son was Puru.
Nahush -> Yayati -> Puru's Vansha
- Puru, though younger was crowned a king (since he gave his youth to his father Yayati)
- Puru's son was Janamejaya.
- Janamejaya's son was Prachinvan
- Prachinvan's son was Praveer
- Praveer's son was Namasyu
- Namasyu's son was Sudyu
- Sudyu's son was Bahugav
- Bahugav's son was Sanyati
- Sanyati's son was Ahanyati
- Ahanyati's son was Raudrashwa
- Raudrashwa had 10 sons from Ghritachi Apsara
- Riteyu, who had Rantibhar
- Rantibhar had three sons:
- Apratirath's son was Kanva and his son was Medhatithi who produced Prasakanv Brahman. There was a Medhathithi, supposedly born in 850 AD, who wrote a commentary on Manusmrithi (are they the same person?) (9). Kanva's adopted daughter was Shakuntala, who married Dushyant. Their son was Bharat.
- Bharat's son was Bharadwaj (Bharadwaj branched off as a brahmin)
- Bharadwaj's son was Manyu
- Manyu had five sons
- Garg (branched off as a brahmin)
- Mahavirya's son was Duritkshaya.
- Duritkshaya had three sons
All three, Trayaruni, Kavi and Pushkararuni became brahmins.
Hasti had three sons
Hasti Line 1 Ajameedh
- Ajameedh's sons including Priyamedha became Brahmins. Among them one was Brihdishu.
- Ajameedh's second wife's name was Nalini. She gave birth to Neel.
Hasti -> Ajameedh Line 1-> Priyameedh
- Brihdishu's son was Brihatkaya
- Brihatkaya's son was Jayadrath
- Jayadrath's son was Vishad
- Vishad's son was Senjit
- Senjit had four sons
- Vats Vatsa
- Ruchirashwa's son was Par
- Par had two sons
- Neep had 100 sons plus a son Brahmdat - from Chayashuk's daughter Kritwee. He was a Yogi.
- Brahmdat's son was Vishwaksena from his wife Saraswati. Vishwaksen wrote Yog Shastra
- Vishwaksen's son was Udakswan
- Udakswan's son was Bhalad.
Hasti -> Ajameedh Line 2-> Neel
- Neel's son was Shanti
- Shanti's son was Sushanti
- Sushanti's son was Puruj
- Puruj's son was Ark
- Ark's son was Bharmyashwa
- Bharmyashwa had five sons
- Mudgal (branched off as a brahmin)
- Sanjay. Bharmyashwa said, "My all these five sons are worthy to rule five countries (Panch Alam), therefore they were known as Panchal. Among them Mudgal started Maudgalya Brahmin Gotra.
Hasti Line 2 Dwimeedh
- Dwimeedh's son was Yaveenar
- Yavenar's son was Kritiman
- Kritiman's son was Satyadhriti
- Satyadhriti's son was Dridhnemi
- Dridhnemi's son was Suparshwa
- Suparshwa's son was Sumati
- Sumati's son was Sanatiman
- Sanatiman's son was Kriti. Kriti attained the knowledge of Yog from Hiranynabh and authored six Sanhitas of Prachyasam Richa (stanzas).
- Kriti's son was Neep
- Neep's son was Ugrayudh
- Ugrayudh's son was Kshemya
- Kshemya's son was Suvir
- Suvir's son was Ripunjay
- Ripunjaya's son was Bahurath.
Hasti Line 3 Purumeedh - No child
- Pratapendra (supposedly ruled for 10,000 years)
- Pratapendra's son was Mandaleek
- Mandaleek's son was Vijayendra
- Vijayendra's son was Dhanurdeept
- Shakrahotra came again on Earth at the order of Indra along with Ghritachi Apsara. He defeated Dhanurdeept and ruled Earth.
*Shakrahotra's son was Hasti and ruled from Ghritachi for 10,000 years. Hasti rode the son of Airavat elephant and built a city named Hastinapur in his name. This city was 10 Yojanas long and situated on the bank of Swarganga. *Hasti's son was Ajmeedh. *Ajmeedh's son was Rakshpal *Rakshpal's son was Sushamyarn *Sushamyarn's son was Kuru. He went to heaven swarga loka with his physical body because of a boon from Indra.
After the second leg of Dwapara yuga was over, Sukeshi came to Earth and married Kuru. He built Kurukshetra, which was 20 Yojanas long.It is the most popular and powerful dynasty in the history of world.
- Kuru (supposedly ruled for 12,000 yrs)
- Kuru's son was Jahnu
- Jahnu's son was Surath
- Surath's son was Vidoorath
- Vidoorath's son was Sarvbhaum
- Sarvbhaum's son was Jayasen
- Jayasen's son was Arnav (ruled for 12,000 yrs) who spread his kingdom to the four seas.
- Arnav's son was Ayutayu (ruled for 10,000)
- Ayutayu's son was Akrodhan
- Akrodhan's son was Riksh
- Riksh's son was Bheemsen
- Bheemsen's son was Dileep
- Dileep's son was Prateep (ruled for 5,000 yrs)
- Prateep's son was Shantanu (ruled for 1,000 yrs)
- Shantanu's son was Vichitraveerya (ruled for 200 yrs)
- Shantanu's eldest born was Bhishma but he took an oath to not rule and let his younger brother rule.
- Vichitraveerya's son was Pandu (ruled for 500 yrs)
- Pandu's son was Yudhishthir (ruled for 50 yrs).
- Duryodhan (Dhritrashtra's son) ruled for 60 years and was killed by Yudhishthir's brother Bheemsen in Kurukshetra.
In ancient times, Daityas were also killed in a huge number by Devas. All Daityas were reborn in Shantanu's kingdom. Destroyed by Duryodhan's army, Prithvi went to Indra and then Hari (Krishna), who took Avatar (Incarnation) in Vasudev and Devaki's house. He lived on Prithvi for 135 years, then went to His Go Lok.*
- Note - Different Puranas tell different ages of Krishna, especially Mahabharat, Bhagvat, Harivansh, Vishnu, Brahma Vaivart and Garg Sanhita also describe His life in detail. Most books tell His age as 125 years. Krishna's avatar was in the end of fourth leg of Dwapar Yuga.
- Abhimanyu's son was Pareekshit
- Parikshit's son was Janamejaya
- Janamejaya's son was Shatanek
- Shatanek's son was Yagyadat (Sahastranek)
- Yagyadat's son was Nishchakra. During his rule, Ganges flowed away from Hastinapur, therefore he made Kaushambi which was 4 Yojan long and west to Prayag, as his capital. [Vishnu Purana, 4/15]
- Nishchakra's son was Ushtrapal (Ushtrapal)
- Ushtrapal's son was Chitrarath
- Chitrarath's son was Dhritiman
- Dhritiman's son was Sushen
- Sushen's son was Sunith
- Sunith's son was Makhpal
- Makhpal's son was Chakshu
- Chakshu's son was Sukhvant (Sukhaval)
- Sukhvant's son was Pariplav
- Pariplav's son was Sunaya
- Sunaya's son was Medhavi
- Medhavi's son was Nripanjaya
- Nripanjaya's son was Madu
- Madu's son was Tigmjyoti
- Tigmjyoti's son was Brihdrath
- Brihdrath's son was Vasudan
- Vasudan's son was Shatanek
- Shatanek's son was Udayan
- Udayan's son was Ahenar
- Ahenar's son was Niramitra
- Niramitra's son was Kshemak
- Kshemak abandoned his kingdom and went to Kalapgram. He was killed by Mlechchhs. By the grace of Narad he had a son named Pradyot. Prodyot did Mlechchh Yagya in which many Mlechchhs were killed.
At that time, in Satwat Vansh, there was the king named Vrishni who ruled for 5,000 yrs because of a boon from Vishnu.
- Vrishni's son was Niravritti (5,000 yrs)
- Niravritti's son was Dashari (5,000 yrs)
- Dashari's son was Viyamun (5,000 yrs)
- Viyamun's son was Jeemoot (5,000 yrs)
- Jeemoot's son was Vikriti (5,000 yrs)
- Vikriti's son was Bheemarath (5,000 yrs)
- Bheemarath's son was Navarath (5,000 yrs)
- Navarath's son was Dasharath (5,000 yrs)
- Dasharath's son was Shakuni (5,000 yrs)
- Shakuni's son was Kushumbh (5,000 yrs)
- Kushumbh's son was Devarath (5,000 yrs)
- Devarath's son was Devkshatra (5,000 yrs)
- Devkshatra's son was Madhu (5,000 yrs)
- Madhu's son was Navarath (5,000 yrs)
- Navarath's son was Kuruvats (5,000 yrs).
By this time, 5,000 × 16 = 80,000 years had passed.
- Kuruvats' son was Anurath (5,000 yrs)
- Anurath's son was Puruhotra (5,000 yrs)
- Puruhotra's son was Vichitrang (5,000 yrs)
- Vichitrang's son was Satwatvan (5,000 yrs)
- Satwatvan's son was Bhajman (5,000 yrs)
- Bhajman's son was Vidoorath (5,000 yrs)
- Vidoorath's son was Surbhakt (5,000 yrs)
- Surbhakt's son was Sumana (5,000 yrs).
By this time, 5,000 × 8 = 40,000 years had passed.
- Sumana's son was Tatikshetra
- Tatikshetra's son was Swayambhuv
- Swayambhuv's son was Harideepak
- Harideepak's son was Devmedha
- Devmedha's son was Surpal—The Second leg of Treta Yug ended here.
Nahush -> Yayati -> Yadu's Vansha
Yadu - had four sons | ------------------------------------- | | | | Sahasrajit Kroshtu Nala Raghu | Śatajit ------------------ | | | Haihaya, Veńu and Haya. | Dharmanetra | Kuntí | Sáhanji | Mahishmat | Bhadrasena | Durdama | Dhanaka ----------------------------------- | | | | Kritavíryya, Kritágni, Kritavarman, Kritaujas.
- Kritavíryya's son was Arjuna (Kartavirya_Arjuna), the sovereign of the seven Dwípas, the lord of a thousand arms. This prince propitiated the sage Dattátreya, the descendant of Atri, who was a portion of Vishńu, and solicited and obtained from him these boons—a thousand arms; never acting unjustly; subjugation of the world by justice, and protecting it equitably; victory over his enemies; and death by the hands of a person renowned in the three regions of the universe. With these means he ruled over the whole earth with might and justice, and offered ten thousand sacrifices. At the expiration of his long reign Kártavírya was killed by Parashurama who was an embodied portion of the mighty Náráyańa (11).
- Of the hundred sons of this king Arjuna the five principal were: Śúra, Śúrasena, Vrishańa, Madhu, and Jayadhwaja.
The son of the Jayadhwaja was Tálajangha, who had a hundred sons, called after him Tálajanghas: the eldest of these was Vítihotra; another was Bharata, who had two sons, Vrisha and Sujátí.
The son of Vrisha was Madhu ; he had a hundred sons, the chief of whom was Vrishni, and from him the family obtained the name of Vrishńi. From the name of their father, Madhu, they were also called Mádhavas; whilst from the denomination of their common ancestorYadu, the whole were termed Yadavas (20).
Yadu to Sanvaran
- Yadu's other son was Kroshtu (60,000 yrs)
- Kroshtu's son was Vrijinaghn (20,000 yrs)
- Vrijinaghn's son was Swaharchan
- Swaharchan's son was Chitrarth
- Chitrarath's son was Arvind
- Arvind's son was Shravas
- Shravas' son was Tamas
- Tamas' son was Ushan
- Ushan's son was Sheetanshu
- Sheetanshuk's son was Kamalanshu
- Kamalanshu's son was Paravat
- Paravat's son was Jyamagh
- Jyamagh's son was Vidarbh
- Vidarbh's son was Krath
- Krath's son was Kuntibhoja, who married the daughter of Purudaitya who lived in Patal.
- Kuntibhoj's son Vrishparva (10,000), was a great devotee of Devi. He ruled in Pratishthanpur (Jhansi) of Prayag.
- Mayavidya's son was Janamejaya I
- Janamejaya I's son was Prachinvan
- Prachinvan's son was Praveer
- Praveer's son was Nabhasya
- Nabhasya's son was Bhavad
- Bhavad's son was Sudyumn
- Sudyumn's son was Bahugar
- Bahugar's son was Sanyati
- Sanyati's son was Dhanayati
- Dhanayati's son was Aindrashwa
- Aindrashwa's son was Rantinar
- Rantinar's son was Sutapa
- Sutapa's son was Sanvaran - he did Tapas for 100 years. Surya married his daughter Tapati to him.
Here ended Treta Yuga.
- All four seas crossed their limits and presented a scene of Pralaya. For two years, Prithvi (Earth) was under the sea. Then came storms with strong winds and the sea started to regress and Prithvi reappeared by the grace of Maharshi Agastya. Within five years Prithvi grew all vegetations back and all the Varnas by the grace of Surya, Sanvaran and Maharshi Vashishthacame back to earth. Sanvaran came to Pratishthanpur (Jhansi) on Friday, Trayodashi (13th day) of Krishnapaksh of Bhadrapadmas. Vishwakarmabuilt a palace there which was 1/2 a Kos (1 and 1/2 miles) high. Sanvaran inhabited Pratishthanpur in the area of 5 Yojan or 20 Kos. Budhvanshi Prasenjit and Yaduvanshi (Yadav) Satwat Shoorsen became the rulers of Mathura. Mlechchhvanshi Shamshrupal (who has a beard) was the ruler of Marudesh (Arabia, Iran, Iraq). As the number of people grew, the number of kings also increased. Sanvaran ruled for 10,000 years.
- Sanvaran's son was Archagya (10,000 yrs)
- Archagya's son was Suryajapi (5,000 yrs)
- Suryajapi's son was Suryayagya
- Suryayagya's son was Adityavardhan
- Adityavardhan's son was Dwadashatma
- Dwadashatma's son was Divakar
- Divakar's son was Prabhakar
- Prabhakar's son was Bhaswadatma
- Bhaswadatma's son was Vivaswaj
- Vivaswaj's son was Haridashwarchan
- Haridashwarchan's son was Vaikartan
- Vaikartan's son was Arkeshtiman
- Arkeshtiman's son was Martandvatsal
- Martandvatsal's son was Mihirarth
- Mihirarth's son was Arunposhan
- Arunposhan's son was Dyumani
- Dyumani's son was Taraniyagya
- Taraniyafgya's son was Maitreshtivardhan
- Maitreshtivardhan's son was Chitrabhanorjak
- Chitrabhanorjak's son was Vairochan
- Vairochan's son was Hansnyayi
- Hansnyayi's son was Vedpravardhan
- Vedpravardhan's son was Savitra
- Savitra's son was Dhanapal
- Dhanapal's son was Mlechchhanta
- Mlechchh-hanta's son was Anandvardhan
- Anandvardhan's son was Dharmpal
- Dharmpal's son was Brahmbhakt
- Brahmbhakt's son was Brahmeshtivardhan
- Brahmaeshtivardhan's son was Atmprapojak
- Aatmprapojak's son was Parameshthi
- Parameshthi's son was Hairanyavardhan
- Hairanyavardhan's son was Dhatrayaji
- Dhatrayaji's son was Vidhatraprapojak
- Vidhatraprapujak's son was Druhinkratu
- Druhinkratu's son was Vairanchya
- Vairanchya's son was Kamalasan
- Kamalasan's son was Shamvarti
- Shamvarti's son Shraddhdev
- Shradhdev's son was Pitravardhan
- Pitravardhan's son was Somdat
- Somdat's son was Somvardhan
- Somvardhan's son was Avatans
- Avatans' son was Pratans
- Pratans' son was Paratans
- Paratans' son was Ayatans
- Ayatans' son was Samatans
- Samatans' son was Anutans
- Anutans' son was Adhitans
- Adhitans' son was Abhitans
- Abhitans' son was Samuttans
- Samuttans' son was Tans
- Tans' son was Dushyant
- Dushyant's son was Bharat from his wife Shakuntala who ruled for 36,000 years.
- Bharat was a great devotee of Surya Dev. He was a Chakravarti (noble) king.
- Bharat's son was Mahabali (7)
- Mahabali's son was Bharadwaj (was this Bharadwaj a rishi?)
- Bharadwaj's son was Manyuman (18,000 yrs)
- Manyuman's son was Brihatkshatra
- Brihatkshatra's son was Suhotra
- Suhotra's son was Veetihotra (10,000 yrs)
- Veetihotra's son was Yagyahotra
- Yagyahotra's son was Shakrahotra. Pleased with him, Indra gave him Swarg (heaven).
Jadon (Yadava) lineage
Of the many branches of the Chandravansh line that has been briefly enumerated, the Yadava lineage is a major branch. This branch is an offshoot of the Bharatvansh which started with the eldest son of Yayati, Yadu. All his descendants are known asYadavas of Yaduvansh, meaning descendants of Yadu. Another son of Yayati, Puru started the Puruvansh who were the progenitors of the Kuru and Pandava line of Chandravanshi line of Kshatriyas. Based on the writings of Puranas, the ItihaasaMahabharata and the Raghuvamsa, Lord Krishna was born into the Yadava branch and is considered an ancestor by YadavKshatriyas. During the Mahabharat, Chandravansh was only associated with Yadavas and Shoorsainis (explain how?). The Bhati, Chandela who built Khajuraho) and Jadaun/Jadeja clans claim that they are Chandravansis. Several Indian castes such as the Sainis of Punjab and contiguous regions, and the Jats of Mathura and Bharatpur, claim descent from the Yaduvanshi lineage. The Yaduvanshis (aka Shoorsainis), and the SeunaYadavas of Devagiri claim descent from the Hindu God Krishna.
Major cities of Famous Chandravanshi Kings
Champapura in Bhagalpur was founded by Sahasra Arjuna, of the Haihaya tribe. This was Mahishmati on the Nerbudda, still existing in Maheswar. The rivalry between the Lunar race and that of the Suryas of Ayodhya, in whose aid the priesthood armed, and expelled Sahasra Arjuna from Mahishmati, has been mentioned. A small branch of these ancient Haihayas yet exist in the line of the Nerbudda, near the very top of the valley at Sohagpur, in Baghelkhand, aware of their ancient lineage ; and, though few in number, are still celebrated for their valour.*
Kusasthali Dwarka, the capital of Krishna, was founded prior to Prayag, to Surpur, or Mathura. The Bhagavat purana attributes the foundation of the city to Anrita, the brother of Ikshwaku, of the Solar race, but states not how or when the Yadus became possessed thereof.
The ancient annals of the Jaisalmer family of the Yadu or Jadon stock give the priority of foundation to Prayag, next to Mathura, and last toDwarka. All these cities are too well known to require description ; especially Prayag, at the confluence of the Yamuna and Ganges. The Prasioi were the descendants of Puru's of Prayag, visited by Megasthenes, ambassador of Seleucus, and the principal city of the Yadus, ere it sent forth the four branches from Satwata. At Prayag resided the celebrated Bharat, the son of Sakuntala.
We are assured by Alexander's historians that the country and people round Mathura, when he invaded India, were termed Surasenoi. There are two princes of the name of Sursen in the immediate ancestry of Krishna ; one his grandfather, the other eight generations anterior Which of these founded the capital Surpur,1 whence the country and inhabitants had their appellation, we cannot say Mathura and Cleisobara are mentioned by the historians of Alexander as the chief cities of the Surasenoi. Though the Greeks sadly disfigure names, we cannot trace any affinity between Cleisobara and Surpur.
The city of Hastinapur was built by Hastin a name celebrated in the Lunar dynasties. The name of this city is still preserved on the Ganges, about forty miles south of Hardwar where the Ganges breaks through the Shiwalik mountains and enters the plains of India. This mighty stream, rolling its masses of waters from the glaciers of the Himalaya, and joined by many auxiliary streams, frequently carries destruction before it. In one night a column of thirty feet in perpendicular height has been known to bear away all within its sweep, and to such an occurrence the capital of Hastin is said to have owed its ruin.
Hastin sent forth three grand branches, Ajamidha, Dvimidha, and Purumidha. Of the two last we lose sight altogether ; but Ajamidha's progeny spread over all the northern parts of India, in the Panjab and across the Indus. The period, probably one thousand six hundred years before Christ.
From Ajamidha in the fourth generation, was Bajaswa, who obtained possessions towards the Indus, and whose five sons gave their name, Panchala, to the Panjab, or space watered by the five rivers. The capital founded by the younger brother, Kampila, was named Kampilnagara.*
The descendants of Ajamidha by his second wife, Kesini, founded another kingdom and dynasty, celebrated in the heroic history of Northern India. This is the Kausika dynasty.
Kusha had four sons, two of whom, Kushanabha and Kushambha, are well known to traditional history, and by the still surviving cities founded by them. Kushanabha founded the city of Mahodaya on the Ganges, afterwards changed to Kanyakubja, or Kanauj, which maintained its celebrity until the Muhammadan invasion of Shihabu-d-din (a.d. 1193), when this overgrown city was laid prostrate for ever. It was not unfrequently called Gadhipura, or the ' city of Gadhi.' Kusamba also founded a city, called after his own name - Kausambi. The other sons built two capitals, Dharmaranya and Vasumati.
Rajgriha and Hastinapur
- Kuru had two sons, Sudhanush and Parikhshit. The descendants of the former terminated with Jarasandha, whose capital was Rajagriha (the modern Rajmahal) on the Ganges, in the province of Bihar.
- From Parikhshita descended the monarchs Santanu and Balaka : the first producing the rivals of the Great War, Yudhishthira and Duryodhana ; the other the Balakaputras.
- Duryodhana, the successor to the throne of Kuru. resided at the ancient capital, Hastinapura; while the junior branch, Yudhishthira, founded Indraprastha, on the Yamuna or Jumna, which name in the eighth century was changed to Delhi.
- The sons of Balaka founded two kingdoms : Palibothra, on the lower Ganges; and Aror on the eastern bank of the Indus, founded by Sahl. Aror, or Alor, was the capital of Sind in remote antiquity : a bridge over the stream which branched from the Indus, near Dara, is almost the sole vestige of this capital of the Sogdoi of Alexander
Uru or Turvasu lineage Kingdoms
One great arm of the tree of Yayati remains unnoticed, that of Uru or Urvasu, written by others Turvasu. Uru was the father of a line of kings who founded several empires.
- Virupa, the eighth prince from Uru, had eight sons, two of whom are particularly mentioned as sending forth two grand shoots,
- Druhyu and Bhabru. From Druhyu a dynasty was established in the north. Aradwat, with his son Gandhara, is stated to have founded a State : Prachetas is said to have become king of Mlecchhades, or the barbarous regions. This line terminated with Dushyanta, the husband of the celebrated Sakuntala, father of Bharat, and who, labouring under the displeasure of some offended deity, is said by the Hindus to have been the cause of all the woes which subsequently befell the race. The four grandsons of Dushyanta, Kalanjar, Keral, Pand, and Chaul, gave their names to countries.
Kalanjar is the celebrated fortress in Bundelkhand, so well known for its antiquities, which have claimed considerable notice.
Of the second, Kerala, it is only known that in the list of the thirty-six royal races in the twelfth century, the Kerala makes one, but the capital is unknown.
The kingdom founded by Pand may be that on the coast of Malabar, the Pandu-Mandal of the Hindus, the Regia Pandiona of the geographers of the west, and of which, probably, Madurai is the modern capital.
Chaul is in the Saurashtra peninsula, and on the coast, towards Jagat Khunt,' the world's end,' and still retains its appellation
Anga.—The other shoot from Bhabru became celebrated. The thirty-fourth prince, Anga, founded the kingdom of Angadesa, of which. Champapuri was the capital, established about the same tune with Kanauj, probably fifteen hundred years before Christ. With him the patronymic was changed, and the Anga race became famous in ancient Hindu history ; and to this day Angdes still designates the Alpine regions of Tibet bordering on Chinese Tartary.
Prithvisena terminates the line of Anga; and as he survived the disasters of the Mahabharata War, his race probably multiplied in those regions, where caste appears never to have been introduced.
- Rawal Jaisal
- Bharatpur, India
- List of Dhangar clans in India
- Martial Races
- Rajput Clans
- ^ Chandravansh - Treta Yug, 2nd Leg
- ^ Bhavishya Purana, 3-Pratisarg, p 274-275
- ^ a b http://www.answers.com/topic/kshatriya#Chandravanshi
- ^ ^ a b People of India: Haryana, pp 430, Kumar Suresh Singh, Madan Lal Sharma, A. K. Bhatia, Anthropological Survey of India, Published by Published on behalf of Anthropological Survey of India by Manohar Publishers, 1994
- ^ ^ a b "In the Punjab in the sub- mountainous region the community came to be known as 'Saini'. It maintained its Rajput character despite migration." Castes and Tribes of Rajasthan, pp108, Sukhvir Singh Gahlot, Banshi Dhar, Jain Brothers, 1989
- ^ Robin James Moore. Tradition and Politics in South Asia. 1979. Vikas Publishing House.
- ^ Col. James Todd, Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, Vol I, Chapter 4
(7) Bhavishya Purana, by B.K. Chaturvedi, page 60. (8) Genealogical tables of the deities, princes, heroes, and remarkable personages, of the Hindus, with an intr. and index, by F. Hamilton, page 111. (9) Encyclopaedia of Hinduism, Volume 7, By N.K. Singh, page 77.