Kuru Kingdom: Difference between revisions

What links here Related changes Page information Get shortened URL
Created by Chariotrider555
Last edited August 29, 2024
← Older editNewer edit →
VisualWikitext
CleanupBot (talk | contribs)
Bots
17,809 edits
m →Society: clean up
WikiDwarfBOT (talk | contribs)
Bots, trusted
8,493 edits
Cleanup:
Line 3: Line 3:
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox country
{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name               = Kuru Kingdom
| conventional_long_name = Kuru Kingdom
| common_name               = Kuru Kingdom
| common_name           = Kuru Kingdom
| era               = [[Iron Age]]
| era                   = [[Iron Age]]
| government_type               = [[Monarchy]]
| government_type       = [[Monarchy]]
| year_start               = c. 1200 BCE 
| year_start             = {{Circa|1200 BCE }}
| year_end               =  c. 500 BCE
| year_end               =  {{Circa|500 BCE}}
| p1                = Bhāratas
| event1                = Kuru Kingdom got divided into Kuru and [[Vatsa]] Kingdom
| s1                = Panchala
| date_event1            = {{Circa|900 BCE }}
| s2                = Mahajanapada
| p1                    = Bharatas (tribe)
| image_map                = Late_Vedic_Culture_(1100-500_BCE).png
| p2                    = Puru (Vedic tribe)
| image_map_caption                = Kuru and other kingdoms in the Late Vedic period.
| s1                    = Vatsa
| image_map2                = Mahajanapadas (c. 500 BCE).png
| s2                    = Mahajanapada
| image_map2_caption                = Kuru and other Mahajanapadas in the Post Vedic period.
| s3                    = Panchala
| capital                = [[Assandh|Āsandīvat]], later [[Hastinapura]] and [[Indraprastha]]
| image_map              = Map of Kuru Kingdom.jpg
| common_languages               = [[Vedic Sanskrit]]
| image_map_caption      =
| religion               = [[Historical Vedic religion]]<br>
| capital                = {{plain list|
| title_leader               = [[Raja]] (King or Chief)
*[[Assandh|Āsandīvat]](modern [[Assandh]]),  
|leader1           = [[Parikshit]]
*[[Hastinapura]]  
|year_leader1     = 12th–9th centuries BCE
*[[Indraprastha]](modern [[Delhi]])
|leader2           = [[Janamejaya]]  
}}
|year_leader2     = 12th–9th centuries BCE
| common_languages       = [[Vedic Sanskrit]]
| today               = [[India]]
| religion               = [[Historical Vedic religion]]<br>
| title_leader           = [[Raja]] (King)
| leader1               = [[Parikshit]]
| year_leader1           = 12th–9th centuries BCE
| leader2               = [[Janamejaya]]
| year_leader2           = 12th–9th centuries BCE
| today                 = [[India]]
| demonym                =  
| demonym                =  
| area_km2               =  
| legislature            = [[Janapada#Administration|Sabha]]
| area_rank               =  
| area_km2               =  
| area_rank             =  
| GDP_PPP                =  
| GDP_PPP                =  
| GDP_PPP_year               =  
| GDP_PPP_year           =  
| HDI               =  
| HDI                   =  
| HDI_year               =  
| HDI_year               =  
| currency              = [[Karshapana]]
}}
}}
[[File:North India in 540 BCE.png|thumb|Map depicting 16 [[mahajanapada]]s kingdoms and other kingdoms of [[vedic era]] India in 540 BCE.]]
'''Kuru''' ([[Sanskrit]]: {{transl|sa|कुरु}}) was a Vedic [[Indo-Aryan peoples|Indo-Aryan]] tribal union in northern [[Iron Age India|Iron Age]] [[India]], encompassing parts of the modern-day states of [[Haryana]], [[Delhi]], and some parts of western [[Uttar Pradesh]], which appeared in the Middle [[Vedic period]]{{sfn|Pletcher|2010|p=63}}{{sfn|Witzel|1995|p=6}} ({{Circa|1200|900 BCE}}). The Kuru Kingdom was the first recorded [[State (polity)|state-level society]] in the [[Indian subcontinent]].{{sfn|Witzel|1995}}<ref>{{cite book |editor=B. Kölver |year=1997 |title=Recht, Staat und Verwaltung im klassischen Indien |trans-title=Law, State and Administration in Classical India |language=de |place=München |publisher=R. Oldenbourg |pages=27–52}}</ref>{{sfn|Samuel|2010}}


'''Kuru''' ({{lang-sa|कुरु}}) was a Vedic [[Indo-Aryan peoples|Indo-Aryan]] tribal union in northern [[Iron Age India|Iron Age]] [[India]], encompassing the modern-day states of [[Delhi]], [[Haryana]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]] and some parts of western [[Uttar Pradesh]], which appeared in the Middle [[Vedic period]]{{sfn|Pletcher|2010|p=63}}{{sfn|Witzel|1995|p=6}} (c. 1200 – c. 900 BCE) and developed into the first recorded [[State (polity)|state-level society]] in the [[Indian subcontinent]].{{sfn|Witzel|1995}}{{refn|group=note|Also in B. Kölver (ed.)(1997), ''Recht, Staat und Verwaltung im klassischen Indien'' [''The state, the Law, and Administration in Classical India'']. München: R. Oldenbourg. pp. 27–52.}}{{sfn|Samuel|2010}}
The Kuru kingdom decisively changed the religious heritage of the early Vedic period, arranging their ritual hymns into collections called the [[Vedas]], and developing new rituals which gained their position over Indian civilization as the [[Śrauta|Srauta]] rituals,{{sfn|Witzel|1995}} which contributed to the so-called "classical synthesis"{{sfn|Samuel|2010}} or [[Hinduism#Roots of Hinduism|"Hindu synthesis"]].{{sfn|Hiltebeitel|2002}} It became the dominant political and cultural center of the middle Vedic Period during the reigns of [[Parikshit]] and [[Janamejaya]],{{sfn|Witzel|1995}} but declined in importance during the late Vedic period ({{Circa|900|500 BCE}}) and had become "something of a backwater"{{sfn|Samuel|2010}} by the [[Mahajanapadas|Mahajanapada period]] in the 5th century BCE. However, traditions and legends about the Kurus continued into the post-Vedic period, providing the basis for the [[Mahabharata]] epic.{{sfn|Witzel|1995}}


The Kuru kingdom decisively changed the religious heritage of the early Vedic period, arranging their ritual hymns into collections called the [[Vedas]], and developing new rituals which gained their position in [[Indian civilization]] as the [[Śrauta|Srauta]] rituals,{{sfn|Witzel|1995}} which contributed to the so-called "classical synthesis"{{sfn|Samuel|2010}} or [[Hinduism#Roots of Hinduism|"Hindu synthesis"]].{{sfn|Hiltebeitel|2002}} It became the dominant political and cultural center of the middle Vedic Period during the reigns of [[Parikshit]] and [[Janamejaya]],{{sfn|Witzel|1995}} but declined in importance during the late Vedic period (c. 900 – c. 500 BCE) and had become "something of a backwater"{{sfn|Samuel|2010}} by the [[Mahajanapadas|Mahajanapada period]] in the 5th century BCE. However, traditions and legends about the Kurus continued into the post-Vedic period, providing the basis for the [[Mahabharata]] epic.{{sfn|Witzel|1995}}
The main contemporary sources for understanding the Kuru kingdom are the [[Vedas]], containing details of life during this period and allusions to historical persons and events.{{sfn|Witzel|1995}} The time-frame and geographical extent of the Kuru kingdom (as determined by [[philology|philological study]] of the Vedic literature) suggest its correspondence with the archaeological [[Painted Grey Ware culture]].{{sfn|Samuel|2010}}


The main contemporary sources for understanding the Kuru kingdom are the [[Vedas]], containing details of life during this period and allusions to historical persons and events.{{sfn|Witzel|1995}} The time-frame and geographical extent of the Kuru kingdom (as determined by [[philology|philological study]] of the Vedic literature) suggest its correspondence with the archaeological [[Painted Grey Ware culture]].{{sfn|Samuel|2010}}
==Location==
The Kuru state was located in northwestern India, stretching from the [[Ganges|Gaṅgā river]] and the border of the [[Pañcāla|Pañcāla state]] in the east to the [[Sarasvati River|Sarasvatī]] and the frontier of [[Rohtak|Rohītaka]] in the west, and bordered the [[Kuninda Kingdom|Kulinda]]s in the north and the [[Surasena|Sūrasena]]s and [[Matsya (tribe)|Matsya]] in the south. The area formerly occupied by the Kuru kingdom covered the presently [[Thanesar]], [[Delhi]], and most of the upper [[Doab#The Doab|Gangetic Doab]].{{sfn|Raychaudhuri|1953|p=21-23}}
 
The Kuru state was itself divided into the Kuru-jaṅgala ("Kuru forest"), the Kuru territory proper, and the Kuru-kṣetra ("Kuru field"):{{sfn|Raychaudhuri|1953|p=21-23}}
*Kuru-jaṅgala was a wild area which stretched from the [[Kamyaka Forest|Kāmyaka forest]] on the banks of the [[Sarasvati River|Sarasvatī]] to the [[Khandava Forest|Khāṇḍava forest]]
*proper Kuru territory consisted of the region around Hāstīnapura
*Kuru-kṣetra was located between the [[Khandava Forest|Khāṇḍava forest]] in the south, [[Srughna|Tūrghna]] in the north, and [[Parīnaḥ]] in the west. Kuru-kṣetra was between the Sarasvatī and the [[Drishadvati river|Dṛṣadvatī]] rivers
 
The rivers flowing within the Kuru state included the Aruṇā, Aṃśumatī, Hiraṇvatī, Āpayā, Kauśikī, Sarasvatī, and Dṛṣadvatī or Rakṣī.{{sfn|Raychaudhuri|1953|p=21-23}}


==History==
==History==
[[File:ചിതിയുടെയും-ഉപകരണങ്ങളുടെയും മാതൃക.jpg|thumb|Modern replica of utensils and [[Vedic fire altar|falcon shaped altar]] used for [[Agnicayana]], an elaborate [[srauta]] ritual from the Kuru period.]]
[[File:ചിതിയുടെയും-ഉപകരണങ്ങളുടെയും മാതൃക.jpg|thumb|Modern replica of utensils and [[Vedic fire altar|falcon shaped altar]] used for [[Agnicayana]], an elaborate [[srauta]] ritual from the Kuru period.]]
[[File:Late_Vedic_Culture_(1100-500_BCE).png|thumb|Kuru and other janapadas in Late Vedic period]]


The Kuru clan was formed in the Middle [[Vedic period]]{{sfn|Pletcher|2010|p=63}}{{sfn|Witzel|1995|p=6}} (c. 1200 – c. 900 BCE) as a result of the alliance and merger between the [[Bhāratas|Bharata]] and other [[Puru (Vedic tribe)|Puru]] clans, in the aftermath of the [[Battle of the Ten Kings]].{{sfn|Witzel|1995}}<ref>National Council of Educational Research and Training, History Text Book, Part 1, India</ref> With their center of power in the [[Kurukshetra]] region, the Kurus formed the first political center of the Vedic period, and were dominant roughly from 1200 to 800 BCE. The first Kuru capital was at Āsandīvat,{{sfn|Witzel|1995}} identified with modern [[Assandh]] in [[Haryana]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AL45AQAAIAAJ|title=Prāci-jyotī: Digest of Indological Studies|date=1967-01-01|publisher=Kurukshetra University.|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DH0vmD8ghdMC|title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide|last=Dalal|first=Roshen|date=2010-01-01|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=9780143414216|language=en}}</ref> Later literature refers to [[Indraprastha]] (identified with modern [[Delhi]]) and [[Hastinapura]] as the main Kuru cities.{{sfn|Witzel|1995}}
The Kuru clan was formed in the Middle [[Vedic period]]{{sfn|Pletcher|2010|p=63}}{{sfn|Witzel|1995|p=6}} ({{Circa|1200|900 BCE}}) as a result of the alliance and merger between the [[Bhāratas|Bharata]] and other [[Puru (Vedic tribe)|Puru]] clans, in the aftermath of the [[Battle of the Ten Kings]].{{sfn|Witzel|1995}}<ref>National Council of Educational Research and Training, History Text Book, Part 1, India</ref> With their center of power in the [[Kurukshetra]] region, the Kurus formed the first political center of the Vedic period, and were dominant roughly from 1200 to 800 BCE. The first Kuru capital was at Āsandīvat,{{sfn|Witzel|1995}} identified with modern [[Assandh]] in [[Haryana]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AL45AQAAIAAJ|title=Prāci-jyotī: Digest of Indological Studies|date=1967-01-01|publisher=Kurukshetra University.|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DH0vmD8ghdMC|title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide|last=Dalal|first=Roshen|date=2010-01-01|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=9780143414216|language=en}}</ref> Later literature refers to [[Indraprastha]] (identified with modern [[Delhi]]) and [[Hastinapura]] as the main Kuru cities.{{sfn|Witzel|1995}}


The Kurus figure prominently in [[Vedas|Vedic literature]] after the time of the [[Rigveda]]. The Kurus here appear as a branch of the early Indo-Aryans, ruling the Ganga-Yamuna [[Doab]] and modern Haryana.  
The Kurus figure prominently in [[Vedas|Vedic literature]] after the time of the [[Rigveda]]. The Kurus here appear as a branch of the early Indo-Aryans, ruling the Ganga-Yamuna [[Doab]] and modern Haryana.  
The focus in the later Vedic period shifted out of Punjab, into the Haryana and the Doab, and thus to the Kuru clan.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=0obUy_W9NREC&pg=PA63&dq=prayag+Rig+veda&oi=book_result&ct=book-thumbnail&resnum=4#v=onepage&q=prayag%20Rig%20veda&f=false ''The Ganges In Myth And History'']</ref>
The focus in the later Vedic period shifted out of Punjab, into the Haryana and the Doab, and thus to the Kuru clan.<ref>{{cite book |author=Steven G. Darian |year=2001 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ. |isbn=9788120817579 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0obUy_W9NREC&pg=PA63 |page=63 |title=The Ganges In Myth And History}}</ref>


This trend corresponds to the increasing number and size of [[Painted Grey Ware]] (PGW) settlements in the Haryana and Doab area. Archaeological surveys of the [[Kurukshetra District]] have a revealed a more complex (albeit not yet fully urbanized) three-tiered hierarchy for the period of period from 1000 to 600 BCE, suggesting a complex chiefdom or emerging early state, contrasting with the two-tiered settlement pattern (with some "modest central places", suggesting the existence of simple [[chiefdom]]s) in the rest of the Ganges Valley.<ref>Bellah, Robert N. [https://books.google.com/books?id=xHr-uN4XpAgC&pg=PA491 ''Religion in Human Evolution''] (Harvard University Press, 2011), p. 492; citing Erdosy, George. [https://books.google.com/books?id=Q5kI02_zW70C&pg=PA80 "The prelude to urbanization: ethnicity and the rise of Late Vedic chiefdoms,"] in ''The Archaeology of Early Historic South Asia: The Emergence of Cities and States'', ed. F. R. Allchin (Cambridge University Press, 1995), p. 75-98</ref> Although most PGW sites were small farming villages, several PGW sites emerged as relatively large settlements that can be characterized as towns; the largest of these were fortified by ditches or moats and embankments made of piled earth with wooden palisades, albeit smaller and simpler than the elaborate fortifications which emerged in large cities after 600 BCE.<ref>James Heitzman, [https://archive.org/details/cityinsouthasia0000heit ''The City in South Asia''] (Routledge, 2008), pp.12-13</ref>
This trend corresponds to the increasing number and size of [[Painted Grey Ware]] (PGW) settlements in the Haryana and Doab area. Archaeological surveys of the [[Kurukshetra District]] have a revealed a more complex (albeit not yet fully urbanized) three-tiered hierarchy for the period of period from 1000 to 600 BCE, suggesting a complex chiefdom or emerging early state, contrasting with the two-tiered settlement pattern (with some "modest central places", suggesting the existence of simple [[chiefdom]]s) in the rest of the Ganges Valley.<ref>Bellah, Robert N. [https://books.google.com/books?id=xHr-uN4XpAgC&pg=PA491 ''Religion in Human Evolution''] (Harvard University Press, 2011), p. 492; citing Erdosy, George. [https://books.google.com/books?id=Q5kI02_zW70C&pg=PA80 "The prelude to urbanization: ethnicity and the rise of Late Vedic chiefdoms,"] in ''The Archaeology of Early Historic South Asia: The Emergence of Cities and States'', ed. F. R. Allchin (Cambridge University Press, 1995), p. 75-98</ref> Although most PGW sites were small farming villages, several PGW sites emerged as relatively large settlements that can be characterized as towns; the largest of these were fortified by ditches or moats and embankments made of piled earth with wooden palisades, albeit smaller and simpler than the elaborate fortifications which emerged in large cities after 600 BCE.<ref>James Heitzman, [https://archive.org/details/cityinsouthasia0000heit ''The City in South Asia''] (Routledge, 2008), pp.12-13</ref>
[[File:Mahajanapadas (c. 500 BCE).png|thumb|Kuru and other Mahajanapadas in Post Vedic period]]


The [[Atharvaveda]] (XX.127) praises [[Parikshit]], the "King of the Kurus", as the great ruler of a thriving, prosperous realm. Other late Vedic texts, such as the [[Shatapatha Brahmana]], commemorate Parikshit's son [[Janamejaya]] as a great conqueror who performed the [[ashvamedha]] (horse-sacrifice).<ref>Raychaudhuri, H. C. (1972). ''Political History of Ancient India: From the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty'', Calcutta:University of Calcutta, pp.11-46</ref> These two Kuru kings played a decisive role in the consolidation of the Kuru state and the development of the [[srauta]] rituals, and they also appear as important figures in later legends and traditions (e.g., in the [[Mahabharata]]).{{sfn|Witzel|1995}}
The [[Atharvaveda]] (XX.127) praises [[Parikshit]], the "King of the Kurus", as the great ruler of a thriving, prosperous realm. Other late Vedic texts, such as the [[Shatapatha Brahmana]], commemorate Parikshit's son [[Janamejaya]] as a great conqueror who performed the [[ashvamedha]] (horse-sacrifice).<ref>Raychaudhuri, H. C. (1972). ''Political History of Ancient India: From the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty'', Calcutta:University of Calcutta, pp.11-46</ref> These two Kuru kings played a decisive role in the consolidation of the Kuru state and the development of the [[srauta]] rituals, and they also appear as important figures in later legends and traditions (e.g., in the [[Mahabharata]]).{{sfn|Witzel|1995}}


The Kurus declined after being defeated by the non-Vedic [[Salva (India)|Salva (or Salvi) tribe]], and the center of Vedic culture shifted east, into the [[Panchala]] realm, in [[Uttar Pradesh]] (whose king [[Keśin Dālbhya]] was the nephew of the late Kuru king).{{sfn|Witzel|1995}} According to post-Vedic Sanskrit literature, the capital of the Kurus was later transferred to [[Kosambi|Kaushambi]], in the lower Doab, after Hastinapur was destroyed by floods{{sfn|Pletcher|2010|p=63}} as well as because of upheavals in the Kuru family itself.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://kaushambhi.nic.in/|title=District Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh, India : Home|website=kaushambhi.nic.in|access-date=2016-05-08|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513183352/http://kaushambhi.nic.in/|archive-date=13 May 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.all-art.org/Visual_History/01india1.htm|title=History of Art: Visual History of the World|website=www.all-art.org|access-date=2016-05-08}}</ref>{{refn|group=note|The flooding of Hastinapura and the transfer of the capital to Kaushambi is only mentioned in semi-legendary accounts dating to the post-Vedic era, e.g., [[Puranas]] and [[Mahabharata]], whereas Vedic-era texts only mention the invasion of Kurukshetra by the Salva tribe as the cause for the decline of the Kurus.<ref>Michael Witzel (1990), [http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~witzel/vamsa.pdf "On Indian Historical Writing"]</ref>}} In the post Vedic period (by the 6th century BCE), the Kuru dynasty evolved into Kuru and [[Vatsa]] [[janapada]]s, ruling over Upper Doab/Delhi/Haryana and lower Doab, respectively. The Vatsa branch of the Kuru dynasty further divided into branches at Kaushambi and at [[Mathura]].<ref>[http://upgov.nic.in/uphistory.aspx Political History of Uttar Pradesh] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512013514/http://upgov.nic.in/uphistory.aspx |date=12 May 2012 }}; Govt of Uttar Pradesh, official website.</ref>
The Kurus declined after being defeated by the non-Vedic [[Salva (India)|Salva (or Salvi) tribe]], and the center of Vedic culture shifted east, into the [[Panchala]] realm, in [[Uttar Pradesh]] (whose king [[Keśin Dālbhya]] was the nephew of the late Kuru king).{{sfn|Witzel|1995}} According to post-Vedic Sanskrit literature, the capital of the Kurus was later transferred to [[Kosambi|Kaushambi]], in the lower Doab, after Hastinapur was destroyed by floods{{sfn|Pletcher|2010|p=63}} as well as because of upheavals in the Kuru family itself.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://kaushambhi.nic.in/|publisher=District Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh, India|title=About the District |website=kaushambhi.nic.in |access-date=2016-05-08|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513183352/http://kaushambhi.nic.in/|archive-date=13 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.all-art.org/Visual_History/01india1.htm |title=History of Art: Visual History of the World|website=www.all-art.org|access-date=2016-05-08}}</ref>{{refn|group=note|The flooding of Hastinapura and the transfer of the capital to Kaushambi is only mentioned in semi-legendary accounts dating to the post-Vedic era, e.g., [[Puranas]] and [[Mahabharata]], whereas Vedic-era texts only mention the invasion of Kurukshetra by the Salva tribe as the cause for the decline of the Kurus.{{sfn|Witzel|1990|p={{page needed|date=July 2021}}}}}} In the post Vedic period (by the 6th century BCE), the Kuru dynasty evolved into Kuru and [[Vatsa]] [[janapada]]s, ruling over Upper Doab/Delhi/Haryana and lower Doab, respectively. The Vatsa branch of the Kuru dynasty further divided into branches at Kaushambi and at [[Mathura]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://upgov.nic.in/uphistory.aspx |title=Political History of Uttar Pradesh |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512013514/http://upgov.nic.in/uphistory.aspx |archive-date=12 May 2012 |url-status=dead |website=Govt of Uttar Pradesh, official website}}</ref>


==Society==
According to Buddhist sources, by the late and post-Vedic periods, Kuru had become a minor state ruled by a chieftain called Koravya and belonging to the {{transl|pi|Yuddhiṭṭhila}} ({{transl|sa|Yudhiṣṭhira}}) [[gotra|{{transl|pi|gotta}}]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Singh |first=Upinder |author-link=Upinder Singh |date= |title=A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century |url= |location= |publisher=[[Longman|Pearson Education India]] |page=264 |isbn=}}</ref>{{sfn|Raychaudhuri|1953|p=41}} After the main Kuru ruling dynasty had moved to Kosambi, the Kuru country itself became divided into multiple small principalities, with the ones at [[Indraprastha|Indapatta]] and one at [[Iṣukāra]] being the most prominent ones. By the time of the [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]], these small statelets had been replaced by a Kuru [[Gaṇasaṅgha|{{transl|sa|gaṇasaṅgha}}]] (republican state).{{sfn|Raychaudhuri|1953|p=133-134}}
 
==Society and Administration ==
[[File:ശ്യേന-ചിതി‌-നിർമ്മാണം.jpg|thumb|Modern performance of [[Agnicayana]], an elaborate [[srauta]] ritual from the Kuru period]]
[[File:ശ്യേന-ചിതി‌-നിർമ്മാണം.jpg|thumb|Modern performance of [[Agnicayana]], an elaborate [[srauta]] ritual from the Kuru period]]
[[File:Coin of the Kuru Kingdom.jpg|thumb|A Kuru coin, earliest example of [[coinage of India|coinage in India]].<ref name="Goyala1994">{{cite book|author=Śrīrāma Goyala|title=The Coinage of Ancient India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T5caAAAAYAAJ|year=1994|publisher=Kusumanjali Prakashan}}</ref>]]
[[File:Coin of the Kuru Kingdom.jpg|thumb|Silver, ½ Karshapana, [[coinage of India|Indian coin]], “Babyal Hoard” type, of the Kuru Janapada (450 BC - 315 BC).<ref name="Goyala1994">{{cite book|author=Śrīrāma Goyala|title=The Coinage of Ancient India |year=1994 |publisher=Kusumanjali Prakashan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T5caAAAAYAAJ}}</ref>]]
[[File:Kurus (Kurukshetras) circa 350-315 BCE.jpg|thumb|right|Pre-Mauryan (Ganges Valley) Kurus (Kurukshetras), Silver, ½ Karshapana, [[coinage of India|Indian coin]], “Babyal Hoard” type, c. 350–315&nbsp;BCE. AR 15 Mana – Half Karshapana (15&nbsp;mm, 1.50&nbsp;g). Triskeles-like geometric pattern/aix-armed symbol.<ref>{{cite web |title=INDIA, Pre-Mauryan (Ganges Valley). Kurus (Kurukshetras) |url=https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=224220 |publisher=CNG Coins}}</ref>]]


The tribes that consolidated into the Kuru Kingdom or 'Kuru Pradesh' were largely semi-nomadic, [[pastoralism|pastoral]] tribes. However, as settlement shifted into the western [[Ganges]] Plain, settled farming of rice and barley became more important. Vedic literature of this time period indicates the growth of surplus production and the emergence of specialized artisans and craftsmen. [[Iron Age|Iron]] was first mentioned as ''śyāma āyas'' (श्याम आयस, literally "black metal") in the [[Atharvaveda]], a text of this era. Another important development was the fourfold [[Varna (Hinduism)|varna]] (class) system, which replaced the twofold system of [[Aryan|arya]] and [[dasa]] from the Rigvedic times. The [[Brahmin]] priesthood and [[Kshatriya]] aristocracy, who dominated the ''arya'' commoners (now called [[vaishya]]s) and the ''dasa'' labourers (now called [[shudra]]s), were designated as separate classes.{{sfn|Witzel|1995}}<ref>{{citation |last=Sharma |first=Ram Sharan |author-link=Ram Sharan Sharma |title=Śūdras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order Down to Circa A.D. 600 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gsZkAu-RHVgC |edition=Third |year=1990 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-0706-8}}</ref>
=== Society ===
The tribes that consolidated into the Kuru Kingdom or 'Kuru Pradesh' were largely semi-nomadic, [[pastoralism|pastoral]] tribes. However, as settlement shifted into the western [[Ganges]] Plain, settled farming of rice and barley became more important. Vedic literature of this time period indicates the growth of surplus production and the emergence of specialized artisans and craftsmen. [[Iron Age|Iron]] was first mentioned as ''śyāma āyasa'' (श्याम आयस, literally "black metal") in the [[Atharvaveda]], a text of this era. Another important development was the fourfold [[Varna (Hinduism)|varna]] (class) system, which replaced the twofold system of [[Aryan|arya]] and [[dasa]] from the Rigvedic times. The [[Brahmin]] priesthood and [[Kshatriya]] aristocracy, who dominated the ''arya'' commoners (now called [[vaishya]]s) and the ''dasa'' labourers (now called [[shudra]]s), were designated as separate classes.{{sfn|Witzel|1995}}<ref>{{citation |last=Sharma |first=Ram Sharan |author-link=Ram Sharan Sharma |title=Śūdras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order Down to Circa A.D. 600 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gsZkAu-RHVgC |edition=Third |year=1990 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-0706-8}}</ref>


[[File:Kurus (Kurukshetras) circa 350-315 BCE.jpg|thumb|left|Pre-Mauryan (Ganges Valley) Kurus (Kurukshetras) coin, c. 350–315 BCE. AR 15 Mana – Half Karshapana (15mm, 1.50 g). Triskeles-like geometric pattern/aix-armed symbol.<ref>[https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=224220 CNG Coins]</ref>]]
=== Administration ===
Kuru kings ruled with the assistance of a rudimentary administration, including [[purohit]]a (priest), village headman, army chief, food distributor, emissary, herald and spies. They extracted mandatory tribute (''bali'') from their population of commoners as well as from weaker neighboring tribes. They led frequent raids and conquests against their neighbors, especially to the east and south. To aid in governing, the kings and their Brahmin priests arranged Vedic hymns into collections and developed a new set of rituals (the now orthodox [[Srauta]] rituals) to uphold social order and strengthen the class hierarchy. High-ranking nobles could perform very elaborate sacrifices, and many poojas (rituals) primarily exalted the status of the king over his people. The [[ashvamedha]] or horse sacrifice was a way for a powerful king to assert his domination in northern India.{{sfn|Witzel|1995}}


Kuru kings ruled with the assistance of a rudimentary administration, including [[purohit]]a (priest), village headman, army chief, food distributor, emissary, herald and spies. They extracted mandatory tribute (''bali'') from their population of commoners as well as from weaker neighboring tribes. They led frequent raids and conquests against their neighbors, especially to the east and south. To aid in governing, the kings and their Brahmin priests arranged Vedic hymns into collections and developed a new set of rituals (the now orthodox [[Srauta]] rituals) to uphold social order and strengthen the class hierarchy. High-ranking nobles could perform very elaborate sacrifices, and many poojas (rituals) primarily exalted the status of the king over his people. The [[ashvamedha]] or horse sacrifice was a way for a powerful king to assert his domination in northern India.{{sfn|Witzel|1995}}
==== Assembly ====
Kuru had two type of legislative assembly:
*The ''Samiti'' was a common assembly of the jana members, and had the power to elect or dethrone the king.  
*The ''Sabha'' was a smaller assembly of wise elders, who advised the king.{{sfn|Misra|1973|p=12}}


==In epic literature==
==In epic literature==
Line 71: Line 97:
The [[Sanskrit epics|epic]] poem, the ''[[Mahabharata]]'', tells of a conflict between two branches of the reigning Kuru clan possibly around 1000 BCE. However, archaeology has not furnished conclusive proof as to whether the specific events described have any historical basis. The existing text of the ''Mahabharata'' went through many layers of development and mostly belongs to the period between c. 400 BCE and 400 CE.<ref>Singh, U. (2009), ''A History of Ancient and Mediaeval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century'', Delhi: Longman, p. 18-21, {{ISBN|978-81-317-1677-9}}</ref> Within the [[frame story]] of the ''Mahabharata'', the historical kings [[Parikshit]] and [[Janamejaya]] are featured significantly as scions of the Kuru clan.{{sfn|Witzel|1995}}
The [[Sanskrit epics|epic]] poem, the ''[[Mahabharata]]'', tells of a conflict between two branches of the reigning Kuru clan possibly around 1000 BCE. However, archaeology has not furnished conclusive proof as to whether the specific events described have any historical basis. The existing text of the ''Mahabharata'' went through many layers of development and mostly belongs to the period between c. 400 BCE and 400 CE.<ref>Singh, U. (2009), ''A History of Ancient and Mediaeval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century'', Delhi: Longman, p. 18-21, {{ISBN|978-81-317-1677-9}}</ref> Within the [[frame story]] of the ''Mahabharata'', the historical kings [[Parikshit]] and [[Janamejaya]] are featured significantly as scions of the Kuru clan.{{sfn|Witzel|1995}}


A historical Kuru King named [[Dhritarashtra|Dhritarashtra Vaichitravirya]] is mentioned in the [[Kathaka]] Samhita of the [[Yajurveda]] ({{circa}} 1200–900 BCE) as a descendant of the [[Rigveda|Rigvedic]]-era king [[Sudas]]. His cattle were reportedly destroyed as a result of conflict with the [[Yoga#Vedic period (1700–500 BCE)|vratya]] ascetics; however, this Vedic mention does not provide corroboration for the accuracy of the Mahabharata's account of his reign.<ref>Witzel 1995, p.17 footnote 115</ref><ref>Michael Witzel (1990), [http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~witzel/vamsa.pdf "On Indian Historical Writing"], p.9 of PDF</ref>
A historical Kuru King named [[Dhritarashtra|Dhritarashtra Vaichitravirya]] is mentioned in the [[Kathaka]] Samhita of the [[Yajurveda]] ({{circa}} 1200–900 BCE) as a descendant of the [[Rigveda|Rigvedic]]-era king [[Sudas]]. His cattle were reportedly destroyed as a result of conflict with the [[Yoga#Vedic period (1700–500 BCE)|vratya]] ascetics; however, this Vedic mention does not provide corroboration for the accuracy of the Mahabharata's account of his reign.{{sfn|Witzel|1995|p=17 footnote 115}}{{sfn|Witzel|1990|p=9}}


===Kuru family tree in Mahabharata===
===Kuru family tree in Mahabharata===
{{Kuru family tree}}
{{Kuru family tree}}
===List of Kuru Kings according to epic literature===
{{HistoryOfSouthAsia}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| 1200 BC - 1000 BC || 1000 BC - 500 BC
|-
|
* [[Pratipa]]
* [[Shantanu]]
* [[Chitrāngada]]
* [[Vichitravirya]]
* [[Pandu]]
* [[Dhritarashtra]]
* [[Yudhishthira]]
* [[Parikshit]]
* [[Janamejaya II]]
||
* [[Satanika]]
* [[Aswamedhadatta]]
* [[Asíma-krishńa]]
* [[Nichakra]]
* [[Ushńa]]
* [[Chitraratha]]
* [[Vrishńimat]]
* [[Susheńa]]
* [[Sunítha]]
*  Richa
* [[Nrichakshu]]
* [[Sukhíhala]]
* [[Pariplava]]
* [[Sunaya]]
* [[Medhávin]]
* [[Nripanjaya]]
* [[Mridu]]
* [[Tigma]]
* [[Vrihadratha]]
* [[Vasudána]]
* [[Śatáníka II]]
*  Udayana
* [[Ahínara]]
* [[Khańd́apáni]]
* [[Niramitra]]
* [[Kshemaka]]
|}
'''Notes'''
* '''a''': [[Shantanu]] was a king of the Kuru dynasty or kingdom, and was some generations removed from any ancestor called [[Kuru (kingdom)|Kuru]]. His marriage to [[Ganga (goddess)|Ganga]] preceded his marriage to [[Satyavati]].
* '''b''': [[Pandu]] and [[Dhritarashtra]] were actually fathered by [[Vyasa]] after [[Vichitravirya]]'s death. Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura were the sons of Vyasa with Ambika, Ambalika and a maid servant respectively.
* '''c''': [[Karna]] was born to [[Kunti]] through her invocation of [[Surya]], before her marriage to [[Pandu]].
* '''d''': [[Yudhishthira]], [[Bhima]], [[Arjuna]], [[Nakula]] and [[Sahadeva]] were acknowledged sons of [[Pandu]] but were begotten by [[Kunti]]'s invocation of various deities. They all married [[Draupadi]] (not shown in tree) but she also had 5 sons. named [[Upapandavas]].
* '''e''': [[Duryodhana]] and his siblings were born at the same time, and they were of the same generation as their [[Pandava]] cousins.
* '''f''': After [[Dhritarashtra]] and [[Gandhari (character)|Gandhari]]'s rule in Hastinapura, [[Yudhishthira]] and [[Draupadi]] ascended the throne, not [[Arjuna]] and [[Subhadra]].


==See also==
==See also==
Line 134: Line 106:
* [[Characters in the Mahabharata#Kuru|King Kuru]]
* [[Characters in the Mahabharata#Kuru|King Kuru]]
* [[Uttara Kurus]], [[Uttara Kuru Kingdom]]
* [[Uttara Kurus]], [[Uttara Kuru Kingdom]]
* [[Ror|Kuruvansh Ror Vansh]]


; Other Mahabharta related
; Other Mahabharta related
* [[Parikshit]], [[Janamejaya]]
* [[Parikshit]], [[Janamejaya]]
* [[Panchala]], [[Videha]], [[Magadha]], [[Nishada Kingdom|Nishada]]  
* [[Panchala]], [[Videha]], [[Magadha]], [[Nishada Kingdom|Nishada]]
*[[Historicity of the Mahabharata]]


; Modern archaeology of Vedic era
; Modern archaeology of Vedic era
Line 159: Line 133:
* {{Citation | last =Hiltebeitel | first =Alf | year =2002 | title =Hinduism. In: Joseph Kitagawa, "The Religious Traditions of Asia: Religion, History, and Culture" | publisher =Routledge | isbn =9781136875977 | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=kfyzAAAAQBAJ}}
* {{Citation | last =Hiltebeitel | first =Alf | year =2002 | title =Hinduism. In: Joseph Kitagawa, "The Religious Traditions of Asia: Religion, History, and Culture" | publisher =Routledge | isbn =9781136875977 | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=kfyzAAAAQBAJ}}
* {{Citation | last =Pletcher | first =Kenneth | year =2010 | title =The History of India | publisher =The Rosen Publishing Group | isbn =9781615301225 | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=VsujRFvaHI8C&q=Kuru+Kaushambi&pg=PA63}}
* {{Citation | last =Pletcher | first =Kenneth | year =2010 | title =The History of India | publisher =The Rosen Publishing Group | isbn =9781615301225 | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=VsujRFvaHI8C&q=Kuru+Kaushambi&pg=PA63}}
*{{cite book |last=Raychaudhuri |first=Hemchandra |author-link=Hem Chandra Raychaudhuri |date=1953 |title=Political History of Ancient India: From the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of Gupta Dynasty |url= |location= |publisher=[[University of Calcutta]] |isbn=}}
* {{Citation | last =Samuel | first =Geoffrey | year =2010 | title =The Origins of Yoga and Tantra. Indic Religions to the Thirteenth Century | publisher =Cambridge University Press}}
* {{Citation | last =Samuel | first =Geoffrey | year =2010 | title =The Origins of Yoga and Tantra. Indic Religions to the Thirteenth Century | publisher =Cambridge University Press}}
* {{citation |last=Witzel |first=Michael |year=1990 |title=On Indian Historical Writing |journal=Journal of the Japanese Association for South Asian Studies |volume=2 |pages=1–57 |url=http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~witzel/vamsa.pdf}}
* {{Citation|last=Witzel |first=Michael |year=1995 |title=Early Sanskritization: Origin and Development of the Kuru state |journal=EJVS |volume=1 |issue=4 |url=http://www.ejvs.laurasianacademy.com/ejvs0104/ejvs0104article.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070611142934/http://www.ejvs.laurasianacademy.com/ejvs0104/ejvs0104article.pdf |archive-date=11 June 2007 }}
* {{Citation|last=Witzel |first=Michael |year=1995 |title=Early Sanskritization: Origin and Development of the Kuru state |journal=EJVS |volume=1 |issue=4 |url=http://www.ejvs.laurasianacademy.com/ejvs0104/ejvs0104article.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070611142934/http://www.ejvs.laurasianacademy.com/ejvs0104/ejvs0104article.pdf |archive-date=11 June 2007 }}
* {{cite book |first=Sudama |last=Misra |url=http://dli.ernet.in/handle/2015/131690 |title=Janapada state in ancient India |publisher=Bhāratīya Vidyā Prakāśana |location=Vārāṇasī |year=1973 |access-date=18 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817151315/http://dli.ernet.in/handle/2015/131690 |archive-date=17 August 2016 |url-status=dead }}
{{refend}}
{{refend}}


==Further reading==
==External links==
* {{Citation|last=Witzel |first=Michael |year=1995 |title=Early Sanskritization: Origin and Development of the Kuru state |journal=EJVS |volume=1 |issue=4 |url=http://www.ejvs.laurasianacademy.com/ejvs0104/ejvs0104article.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070611142934/http://www.ejvs.laurasianacademy.com/ejvs0104/ejvs0104article.pdf |archive-date=11 June 2007 }}
* {{Citation | last =Samuel | first =Geoffrey | year =2010 | title =The Origins of Yoga and Tantra. Indic Religions to the Thirteenth Century | publisher =Cambridge University Press}}


==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[http://www.gloriousindia.com/history/kuru_kingdom.html Kuru Kingdom]
*[http://www.gloriousindia.com/history/kuru_kingdom.html Kuru Kingdom]
*[http://sacred-texts.com/hin/maha/index.htm ''Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa''], translated to English by Kisari Mohan Ganguli
*[http://sacred-texts.com/hin/maha/index.htm ''Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa''], translated to English by Kisari Mohan Ganguli
Line 180: Line 153:


{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuru Kingdom}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuru Kingdom}}
[[Category:Kingdoms of the Puru clan]]
[[Category:Kuru| ]]
[[Category:History of Haryana]]
[[Category:History of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Iron Age countries in Asia]]
[[Category:Iron Age countries in Asia]]
[[Category:Iron Age cultures of South Asia]]
[[Category:Iron Age cultures of South Asia]]
[[Category:Ancient peoples]]
[[Category:Indo-Aryan peoples]]
[[Category:Mahabharata]]
[[Category:Rigvedic tribes]]
[[Category:Mahajanapadas]]
[[Category:Locations in Hindu mythology]]
[[Category:Locations in Hindu mythology]]
[[Category:Regions of Haryana]]
[[Category:Regions of Haryana]]
Line 193: Line 163:
[[Category:Regions of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Regions of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Regions of Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Regions of Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Former kingdoms]]
[[Category:Kingdoms of the Puru clan]]
[[Category:Kingdoms of the Vedic period]]

Revision as of 08:52, 22 July 2023


Kuru Kingdom
c. 1200 BCE – c. 500 BCE
Location of Kuru Kingdom
Capital
Common languagesVedic Sanskrit
Religion
Historical Vedic religion
GovernmentMonarchy
Raja (King) 
• 12th–9th centuries BCE
Parikshit
• 12th–9th centuries BCE
Janamejaya
LegislatureSabha
Historical eraIron Age
• Established
c. 1200 BCE 
• Kuru Kingdom got divided into Kuru and Vatsa Kingdom
c. 900 BCE 
• Disestablished
 c. 500 BCE
CurrencyKarshapana
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Bharatas (tribe)
Puru (Vedic tribe)
Vatsa
Mahajanapada
Panchala
Today part ofIndia

Kuru (Sanskrit: कुरु) was a Vedic Indo-Aryan tribal union in northern Iron Age India, encompassing parts of the modern-day states of Haryana, Delhi, and some parts of western Uttar Pradesh, which appeared in the Middle Vedic period[1][2] (c. 1200 – c. 900 BCE). The Kuru Kingdom was the first recorded state-level society in the Indian subcontinent.[3][4][5]

The Kuru kingdom decisively changed the religious heritage of the early Vedic period, arranging their ritual hymns into collections called the Vedas, and developing new rituals which gained their position over Indian civilization as the Srauta rituals,[3] which contributed to the so-called "classical synthesis"[5] or "Hindu synthesis".[6] It became the dominant political and cultural center of the middle Vedic Period during the reigns of Parikshit and Janamejaya,[3] but declined in importance during the late Vedic period (c. 900 – c. 500 BCE) and had become "something of a backwater"[5] by the Mahajanapada period in the 5th century BCE. However, traditions and legends about the Kurus continued into the post-Vedic period, providing the basis for the Mahabharata epic.[3]

The main contemporary sources for understanding the Kuru kingdom are the Vedas, containing details of life during this period and allusions to historical persons and events.[3] The time-frame and geographical extent of the Kuru kingdom (as determined by philological study of the Vedic literature) suggest its correspondence with the archaeological Painted Grey Ware culture.[5]

Location

The Kuru state was located in northwestern India, stretching from the Gaṅgā river and the border of the Pañcāla state in the east to the Sarasvatī and the frontier of Rohītaka in the west, and bordered the Kulindas in the north and the Sūrasenas and Matsya in the south. The area formerly occupied by the Kuru kingdom covered the presently Thanesar, Delhi, and most of the upper Gangetic Doab.[7]

The Kuru state was itself divided into the Kuru-jaṅgala ("Kuru forest"), the Kuru territory proper, and the Kuru-kṣetra ("Kuru field"):[7]

The rivers flowing within the Kuru state included the Aruṇā, Aṃśumatī, Hiraṇvatī, Āpayā, Kauśikī, Sarasvatī, and Dṛṣadvatī or Rakṣī.[7]

History

Modern replica of utensils and falcon shaped altar used for Agnicayana, an elaborate srauta ritual from the Kuru period.
Kuru and other janapadas in Late Vedic period

The Kuru clan was formed in the Middle Vedic period[1][2] (c. 1200 – c. 900 BCE) as a result of the alliance and merger between the Bharata and other Puru clans, in the aftermath of the Battle of the Ten Kings.[3][8] With their center of power in the Kurukshetra region, the Kurus formed the first political center of the Vedic period, and were dominant roughly from 1200 to 800 BCE. The first Kuru capital was at Āsandīvat,[3] identified with modern Assandh in Haryana.[9][10] Later literature refers to Indraprastha (identified with modern Delhi) and Hastinapura as the main Kuru cities.[3]

The Kurus figure prominently in Vedic literature after the time of the Rigveda. The Kurus here appear as a branch of the early Indo-Aryans, ruling the Ganga-Yamuna Doab and modern Haryana. The focus in the later Vedic period shifted out of Punjab, into the Haryana and the Doab, and thus to the Kuru clan.[11]

This trend corresponds to the increasing number and size of Painted Grey Ware (PGW) settlements in the Haryana and Doab area. Archaeological surveys of the Kurukshetra District have a revealed a more complex (albeit not yet fully urbanized) three-tiered hierarchy for the period of period from 1000 to 600 BCE, suggesting a complex chiefdom or emerging early state, contrasting with the two-tiered settlement pattern (with some "modest central places", suggesting the existence of simple chiefdoms) in the rest of the Ganges Valley.[12] Although most PGW sites were small farming villages, several PGW sites emerged as relatively large settlements that can be characterized as towns; the largest of these were fortified by ditches or moats and embankments made of piled earth with wooden palisades, albeit smaller and simpler than the elaborate fortifications which emerged in large cities after 600 BCE.[13]

Kuru and other Mahajanapadas in Post Vedic period

The Atharvaveda (XX.127) praises Parikshit, the "King of the Kurus", as the great ruler of a thriving, prosperous realm. Other late Vedic texts, such as the Shatapatha Brahmana, commemorate Parikshit's son Janamejaya as a great conqueror who performed the ashvamedha (horse-sacrifice).[14] These two Kuru kings played a decisive role in the consolidation of the Kuru state and the development of the srauta rituals, and they also appear as important figures in later legends and traditions (e.g., in the Mahabharata).[3]

The Kurus declined after being defeated by the non-Vedic Salva (or Salvi) tribe, and the center of Vedic culture shifted east, into the Panchala realm, in Uttar Pradesh (whose king Keśin Dālbhya was the nephew of the late Kuru king).[3] According to post-Vedic Sanskrit literature, the capital of the Kurus was later transferred to Kaushambi, in the lower Doab, after Hastinapur was destroyed by floods[1] as well as because of upheavals in the Kuru family itself.[15][16][note 1] In the post Vedic period (by the 6th century BCE), the Kuru dynasty evolved into Kuru and Vatsa janapadas, ruling over Upper Doab/Delhi/Haryana and lower Doab, respectively. The Vatsa branch of the Kuru dynasty further divided into branches at Kaushambi and at Mathura.[18]

According to Buddhist sources, by the late and post-Vedic periods, Kuru had become a minor state ruled by a chieftain called Koravya and belonging to the Yuddhiṭṭhila (Yudhiṣṭhira) gotta.[19][20] After the main Kuru ruling dynasty had moved to Kosambi, the Kuru country itself became divided into multiple small principalities, with the ones at Indapatta and one at Iṣukāra being the most prominent ones. By the time of the Buddha, these small statelets had been replaced by a Kuru gaṇasaṅgha (republican state).[21]

Society and Administration

Modern performance of Agnicayana, an elaborate srauta ritual from the Kuru period
Silver, ½ Karshapana, Indian coin, “Babyal Hoard” type, of the Kuru Janapada (450 BC - 315 BC).[22]
Pre-Mauryan (Ganges Valley) Kurus (Kurukshetras), Silver, ½ Karshapana, Indian coin, “Babyal Hoard” type, c. 350–315 BCE. AR 15 Mana – Half Karshapana (15 mm, 1.50 g). Triskeles-like geometric pattern/aix-armed symbol.[23]

Society

The tribes that consolidated into the Kuru Kingdom or 'Kuru Pradesh' were largely semi-nomadic, pastoral tribes. However, as settlement shifted into the western Ganges Plain, settled farming of rice and barley became more important. Vedic literature of this time period indicates the growth of surplus production and the emergence of specialized artisans and craftsmen. Iron was first mentioned as śyāma āyasa (श्याम आयस, literally "black metal") in the Atharvaveda, a text of this era. Another important development was the fourfold varna (class) system, which replaced the twofold system of arya and dasa from the Rigvedic times. The Brahmin priesthood and Kshatriya aristocracy, who dominated the arya commoners (now called vaishyas) and the dasa labourers (now called shudras), were designated as separate classes.[3][24]

Administration

Kuru kings ruled with the assistance of a rudimentary administration, including purohita (priest), village headman, army chief, food distributor, emissary, herald and spies. They extracted mandatory tribute (bali) from their population of commoners as well as from weaker neighboring tribes. They led frequent raids and conquests against their neighbors, especially to the east and south. To aid in governing, the kings and their Brahmin priests arranged Vedic hymns into collections and developed a new set of rituals (the now orthodox Srauta rituals) to uphold social order and strengthen the class hierarchy. High-ranking nobles could perform very elaborate sacrifices, and many poojas (rituals) primarily exalted the status of the king over his people. The ashvamedha or horse sacrifice was a way for a powerful king to assert his domination in northern India.[3]

Assembly

Kuru had two type of legislative assembly:

  • The Samiti was a common assembly of the jana members, and had the power to elect or dethrone the king.
  • The Sabha was a smaller assembly of wise elders, who advised the king.[25]

In epic literature

See also: Kauravas and Pandavas
The later Kuru state in the Mahajanapada period, c. 600 BCE

The epic poem, the Mahabharata, tells of a conflict between two branches of the reigning Kuru clan possibly around 1000 BCE. However, archaeology has not furnished conclusive proof as to whether the specific events described have any historical basis. The existing text of the Mahabharata went through many layers of development and mostly belongs to the period between c. 400 BCE and 400 CE.[26] Within the frame story of the Mahabharata, the historical kings Parikshit and Janamejaya are featured significantly as scions of the Kuru clan.[3]

A historical Kuru King named Dhritarashtra Vaichitravirya is mentioned in the Kathaka Samhita of the Yajurveda (c. 1200–900 BCE) as a descendant of the Rigvedic-era king Sudas. His cattle were reportedly destroyed as a result of conflict with the vratya ascetics; however, this Vedic mention does not provide corroboration for the accuracy of the Mahabharata's account of his reign.[27][28]

Kuru family tree in Mahabharata

Template:Kuru family tree

See also

Kuru related
Other Mahabharta related
Modern archaeology of Vedic era
Present day regions

Notes

  1. ↑ The flooding of Hastinapura and the transfer of the capital to Kaushambi is only mentioned in semi-legendary accounts dating to the post-Vedic era, e.g., Puranas and Mahabharata, whereas Vedic-era texts only mention the invasion of Kurukshetra by the Salva tribe as the cause for the decline of the Kurus.[17]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Pletcher 2010, p. 63.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Witzel 1995, p. 6.
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 Witzel 1995.
  4. ↑ B. Kölver, ed. (1997). Recht, Staat und Verwaltung im klassischen Indien [Law, State and Administration in Classical India] (in Deutsch). München: R. Oldenbourg. pp. 27–52.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Samuel 2010.
  6. ↑ Hiltebeitel 2002.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Raychaudhuri 1953, p. 21-23.
  8. ↑ National Council of Educational Research and Training, History Text Book, Part 1, India
  9. ↑ Prāci-jyotī: Digest of Indological Studies. Kurukshetra University. 1 January 1967.
  10. ↑ Dalal, Roshen (1 January 2010). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin Books India. ISBN 9780143414216.
  11. ↑ Steven G. Darian (2001). The Ganges In Myth And History. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. p. 63. ISBN 9788120817579.
  12. ↑ Bellah, Robert N. Religion in Human Evolution (Harvard University Press, 2011), p. 492; citing Erdosy, George. "The prelude to urbanization: ethnicity and the rise of Late Vedic chiefdoms," in The Archaeology of Early Historic South Asia: The Emergence of Cities and States, ed. F. R. Allchin (Cambridge University Press, 1995), p. 75-98
  13. ↑ James Heitzman, The City in South Asia (Routledge, 2008), pp.12-13
  14. ↑ Raychaudhuri, H. C. (1972). Political History of Ancient India: From the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty, Calcutta:University of Calcutta, pp.11-46
  15. ↑ "About the District". kaushambhi.nic.in. District Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh, India. Archived from the original on 13 May 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  16. ↑ "History of Art: Visual History of the World". www.all-art.org. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  17. ↑ Witzel 1990, p. [page needed].
  18. ↑ "Political History of Uttar Pradesh". Govt of Uttar Pradesh, official website. Archived from the original on 12 May 2012.
  19. ↑ Singh, Upinder. A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century. Pearson Education India. p. 264.
  20. ↑ Raychaudhuri 1953, p. 41.
  21. ↑ Raychaudhuri 1953, p. 133-134.
  22. ↑ Śrīrāma Goyala (1994). The Coinage of Ancient India. Kusumanjali Prakashan.
  23. ↑ "INDIA, Pre-Mauryan (Ganges Valley). Kurus (Kurukshetras)". CNG Coins.
  24. ↑ Sharma, Ram Sharan (1990), Śūdras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order Down to Circa A.D. 600 (Third ed.), Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-81-208-0706-8
  25. ↑ Misra 1973, p. 12.
  26. ↑ Singh, U. (2009), A History of Ancient and Mediaeval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century, Delhi: Longman, p. 18-21, ISBN 978-81-317-1677-9
  27. ↑ Witzel 1995, p. 17 footnote 115.
  28. ↑ Witzel 1990, p. 9.

Sources

External links

Template:Historical regions of North India

Retrieved from "https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kuru_Kingdom&oldid=397135"
Discover more