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{{Short description|Ancestral line in Hindu mythology}}
The '''lineage of Raja Bali''' (also known as [[Mahabali]]) represents one of the most significant ancestral lines in [[Hindu mythology]], tracing the descent of the [[Daitya]] clan from the sage [[Kashyapa]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ramachandran |first=Nalini |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Dashavatara/PdiYEQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=mahabali&pg=PA53&printsec=frontcover |title=Dashavatara: The Ten Incarnations of Vishnu {{!}} Learn About Vishnu's Avatars – Rama, Krishna, Narasimha, Parashurama & More {{!}} Hindu Mythology for Kids 9+ {{!}} With Colourful Illustrations |date=2025-10-24 |publisher=Penguin Random House India Private Limited |isbn=978-93-7303-297-9 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Kumar |first=Ajith |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/The_Murder_of_Alexander_the_Great_Book_1/-KoPEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=mahabali%20son&pg=PT234&printsec=frontcover |title=The Murder of Alexander the Great, Book 1: The Puranas: Book 1: The Puranas |date=2019-12-14 |publisher=Argead Star llc |isbn=978-0-9990714-0-3 |language=en}}</ref>

* Kashyapa + [[Diti]]
** [[Hiranyakashipu]] (son)
*** [[Prahlada]] (grandson)
**** [[Virochana]] (great-grandson)
***** Mahabali (great-great-grandson)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Saraswati |first=Swami Akhandananda |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/The_Wisdom_of_Shrimad_Bhagwat_Mahapuran/PSPsEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover&bsq=kashyap%20diti |title=The Wisdom of Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran: Bhagwat Sarvasva |publisher=Srikanth s |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Misra |first=Munindra |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Narad_Maha_Puran/nW8WEQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=prahlad%20lineage&pg=PT34&printsec=frontcover |title=Narad Maha Puran: In English rhyme |date=2024-07-24 |publisher=Munindra Misra |language=en}}</ref>

== Descendants ==
<blockquote>According to the [[Bhagavata Purana]] and the [[Vishnu Purana]], Mahabali had one hundred sons born to his wife, [[Vindhyavali]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sugumaran |first=S. |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/TITANIC_GODS_OF_TAMIL_NADU_INDIA/1k8tEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=mahabali%20one%20hundred%20sons&pg=PA20-IA20&printsec=frontcover |title=TITANIC GODS OF TAMIL NADU, INDIA: A COMPARATIVE MYTHOLOGY OF STORIES ON INDIAN AND GREEK GODS |date=2021-05-07 |publisher=Notion Press |isbn=978-1-63806-773-3 |language=en}}</ref> The eldest and most prominent among them was [[Banasura]] he was the successor of raja bali, a thousand-armed devotee of [[Shiva]] who ruled from the city of Sonitpur.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kumar |first=Anu |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Banasura/uitM7zXHImQC?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover&bsq=banasura |title=Banasura: The Thousand-Armed Asura |date=2012-11-30 |publisher=Hachette India |isbn=978-93-5009-537-9 |language=en}}</ref> The Puranic texts describe the other ninety-nine sons as being equally valiant, though they are often mentioned collectively rather than individually in major narratives. In the ''[[Naradiya Purana|Narada Purana]]'', this lineage is highlighted to illustrate the expansion of the Daitya influence across various realms.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Journal_of_Indian_History/hhy2AAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=mahabali%20one%20hundred%20sons&dq=mahabali%20one%20hundred%20sons&printsec=frontcover |title=Journal of Indian History |date=1952 |publisher=Department of Modern Indian History |language=en}}</ref></blockquote>

== Lineage ==
According to Hindu mythology, Raja bali had one hundred sons born to his wife, specifically "The Bhagavata Purana (Canto 10, Chapter 62) explicitly records that Mahabali fathered one hundred sons, with the eldest being the thousand-armed Bana.

Despite the numerical specificity, the Puranic narrative does not provide an exhaustive list of names. following Banasura, prominent children of Mahabali are Kumbha, [[Nikumbha]], [[Narakasura]]'', Kuparna, Drishadva, Nila, Bhaskara, Balayogi/Balay and Dhanurdhara.''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mani |first=Vettam |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Puranic_Encyclopedia/mvXsDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=mahabali%20one%20hundred%20sons&pg=PA103&printsec=frontcover |title=Puranic Encyclopedia: A Comprehensive Work with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature |date=2015-01-01 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-0597-2 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Chaudhri |first=S. K. |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Gods_Angels_and_Demons_from_the_Mahabhar/D5wlAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=Nikumbha%20bali&dq=Nikumbha%20bali&printsec=frontcover |title=Gods, Angels and Demons from the Mahabharata |date=1999 |publisher=Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Session |first=North East India History Association |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Proceedings_of_North_East_India_History/G0A5AAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=Narakasura%20bali%20son&dq=Narakasura%20bali%20son&printsec=frontcover |title=Proceedings of North East India History Association |date=1986 |publisher=The Association |language=en}}</ref>

However, there no mention of his direct daughter in Hindu texts but his lineage continued through his granddaughter [[Usha (princess)|Usha]], the daughter of Banasura, whose marriage to Aniruddha is a significant episode in the ''Bhagavata Purana''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kumar |first=Anu |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Banasura/uitM7zXHImQC?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover&bsq=usha%20banasur%20daughter |title=Banasura: The Thousand-Armed Asura |date=2012-11-30 |publisher=Hachette India |isbn=978-93-5009-537-9 |language=en}}</ref>

== Community and lineage claims ==
In addition to the scriptural accounts, several historical dynasties and contemporary social groups in South Asia identify with the lineage of Mahabali. These claims often connect mythological ancestry with social identity and historical sovereignty.

=== Social and caste groups ===
* Northern communities: In Northern India, several communities—including sections of the Saini, [[Mali caste|Mali]], and various [[Agrarian society|agrarian groups]] [[Balai Bunkar|Balay/balai]] (from mahabali son ''Balayogi/Balay)'' identify themselves as Balivanshi (meaning "of the line of Bali").<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mani |first=Vettam |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Puranic_Encyclopedia/mvXsDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA95&printsec=frontcover |title=Puranic Encyclopedia: A Comprehensive Work with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature |date=2015-01-01 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-0597-2 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=This book discusses the ethnographic backgrounds and origin myths of various communities in Rajasthan and Northern India, including their claims to Puranic lineages, Balivansh ( बळीवंश ) By Dr A H Salunkhe. |url=https://akshardhara.com/products/balivansh-%e0%a4%ac%e0%a4%b3%e0%a5%80%e0%a4%b5%e0%a4%82%e0%a4%b6-by-dr-a-h-salunkhe |access-date=2026-02-19 |website=Akshardhara Book Gallery |language=en}}</ref>
* Communities of Kerala: In the state of Kerala, where Mahabali is the central figure of the [[Onam]] festival, several communities (such as the [[Nair]]s and [[Ezhava]]s) historically viewed him as their ancient sovereign. While not always a claim of biological descent, the cultural identification is a core part of their social history.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Digital Library Of India |url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.16780 |title=India, Snippet: This book describes Mahabali as a "peculiarly Keralan and non-Brahminical adaptation." It specifically mentions how the Nairs staged sword fights and celebrated him as a sovereign figure. |date=1949}}</ref>
* Assamese identity: Some traditions in Assam link the ancient rulers of [[Sonitpur district|Sonitpur]] (modern-day Tezpur) to the line of Banasura, thereby connecting the regional history to the broader lineage of Mahabali.

== References ==
<references />
[[Category:Hindu mythology]]

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Lineage of Mahabali - Revision history

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