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| {{short description|Term used in Hindu texts to describe the Indian subcontinent.}}
| | #REDIRECT [[Names of India#Bharat]] |
| {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2016}}
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| {{Use Indian English|date=February 2016}}
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| {{Multiple issues|
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| {{refimprove|date=November 2011}}
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| {{original research|date=August 2015}}
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| {{more footnotes|date=October 2010}}
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| }}
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| {{Part of History of India}}
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| [[File:EpicIndia.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Map showing the locations of Kingdoms mentioned in the Indian epics or Bharata Khanda.]]
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| '''Bharata Khanda''' is a term used in [[Hindu texts]], including the [[Vedas]], ''[[Mahabharata]]'', ''[[Ramayana]]'' and the [[Puranas|Puranic]], to describe the Indian subcontinent. The historical context of the [[Indian epic poetry|Sanskrit epics]] are the [[Vedic period]] (1700–600 BCE), [[Mahajanapadas]] (600 BCE) and the subsequent formation of the [[Maurya Empire]] (322 BCE), the beginning of the "golden age" of [[Classical Sanskrit literature]].
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| ==The name==
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| In Hindu scriptures, Bharata Khanda is the habitable world; the known land as experienced by the writers.<ref name="Buchanan1">{{citation |last=Buchanan |first=Francis|title=A journey from Madras through the countries of Mysore, Canara and Malabar, Volume 1 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=WnTq2fz8l8QC |year=1988 |publisher=Asian Educational Services |isbn=978-81-206-0386-8 |orig-year=1807 |publication-date=1988}}</ref><ref name="Buchanan2">{{citation |last=Buchanan |first=Francis |title=A Journey from Madras Through the Countries of Mysore, Canara and Malabar, Volume 2 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Wmtkai-L6I0C |year=1807 |publisher=T. Cadell and W. Davies}}</ref><ref name="Buchanan3">{{citation|last=Buchanan|first=Francis|title=A Journey from Madras Through the Countries of Mysore, Canara and Malabar, Volume 3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6xRIe323MQEC|year=1807|publisher=T. Cadell and W. Davies}}</ref> It is named after the legendary emperor [[Bharata (Mahabharata)|Bharata]] and was first used in the [[Vedic Period]] (1700–600 BCE).
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| ==The Kingdoms==
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| ===The boundaries of the kingdoms===
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| Often rivers formed the boundaries of two neighboring kingdoms, as was the case between the northern and southern [[Panchala]] and between the western ([[Pandava]]'s Kingdom) and eastern ([[Kaurava]]'s Kingdom) [[Kuru Kingdom|Kuru]]. Sometimes, large forests, which were larger than the kingdoms themselves, formed their boundaries as was the case of the [[Naimisha Forest]] between Panchala and [[Kosala Kingdom|Kosala]] kingdoms. Mountain ranges like Himalaya, Vindhya and Sahya also formed their boundaries.
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| ===The cities and villages===
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| Some kingdoms possessed a main city that served as its capital. For example, the capital of Pandava's Kingdom was [[Indraprastha]] and the Kaurava's Kingdom was [[Hastinapura]]. [[Ahichatra]] was the capital of Northern Panchala whereas [[Kampilya]] was the capital of Southern Panchala. [[Kosala Kingdom]] had its capital as [[Ayodhya]]. Apart from the main city or capital, where the palace of the ruling king was situated, there were small towns and villages spread in a kingdom. Tax was collected by the officers appointed by the king from these villages and towns. What the king offered in return to these villages and towns was protection from the attack of other kings and robber tribes, as well as from invading foreign nomadic tribes. The king also enforced code and order in his kingdom by punishing the guilty.
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| ===Interactions between kingdoms===
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| There was no border security for a kingdom and border disputes were very rare. One king might conduct a military campaign (often designated as ''Digvijaya'' meaning ''victory over all the directions'') and defeat another king in a battle, lasting for a day. The defeated king would acknowledge the supremacy of the victorious king. The defeated king might sometimes be asked to give a tribute to the victorious king. Such tribute would be collected only once, not on a periodic basis. The defeated king, in most cases, would be free to rule his own kingdom, without maintaining any contact with the victorious king. There was no annexation of one kingdom by another. Often a military general conducted these campaigns on behalf of his king. A military campaign and tribute collection were often associated with a great sacrifice (like [[Rajasuya]] or [[Ashvamedha]]) conducted in the kingdom of the campaigning king. The defeated king also was invited to attend these sacrifice ceremonies, as a friend and ally.
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| ===New kingdoms===
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| New kingdoms were formed when a major clan produced more than one King in a generation. The [[Kuru (kingdom)]] clan of Kings was very successful in governing throughout North India with their numerous kingdoms, which were formed after each successive generation. Similarly, the [[Yadu|Yadava]] clan of kings formed numerous kingdoms in Central India.
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| ===Cultural differences in the kingdoms===
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| {{main article|Bahlika culture}}
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| Western parts of India were dominated by tribes who had a slightly different culture that was considered as non-Vedic by the mainstream [[Vedic culture]] prevailed in the [[Kuru Kingdom|Kuru]] and Panchala kingdoms. Similarly there were some tribes in the eastern regions of India, considered to be in this category. Tribes with non-Vedic culture specially those of barbaric nature were collectively termed as ''[[Mlechha]]''. Very little was mentioned in the ancient [[India]]n literature, about the kingdoms to the North, beyond the [[Himalayas]]. [[China in the Mahābhārata|China]] was mentioned as a kingdom known as Cina, often grouped with ''Mlechcha'' kingdoms.
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| ==List of Kingdoms==
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| ===Kingdoms of Northern India===
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| {| class="wikitable"
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| |-
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| | [[Kuru Kingdom]]
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| | [[Panchala|Panchala Kingdom]]
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| | [[Vatsa Kingdom]]
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| | [[Matsya Kingdom]]
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| | [[Kasmira Kingdom]]
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| |-
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| | [[Yaudheya Kingdom]]
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| | [[Trigarta Kingdom]]
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| | [[Gandhara Kingdom]]
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| | [[Pulindas]]
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| | [[Daradas|Darada Kingdom]]
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| |}
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| ===Foreign Kingdoms of the North===
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| {| class="wikitable"
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| |-
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| | [[Parada Kingdom]]
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| | [[Parasika Kingdom]]
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| | [[Tushara Kingdom]]
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| |-
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| | [[Huna Kingdom]]
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| | [[Hara Huna Kingdom]]
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| | [[Rishika Kingdom]]
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| |-
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| |}
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| ===Kingdoms of North Western India===
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| {| class="wikitable"
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| |-
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| | [[Salwa Kingdom]]
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| | [[Madra Kingdom]]
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| | [[Sindhu Kingdom]]
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| | [[Sauvira Kingdom]]
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| |-
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| | [[Sivi Kingdom]]
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| | [[Kekeya Kingdom]]
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| | [[Gurjaradesa|Gurjara Kingdom]]
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| | [[Kamboja Kingdom]]
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| |}
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| ===Foreign Kingdoms to the North-West===
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| {| class="wikitable"
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| |-
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| | [[Bahlika Kingdom]]
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| | [[Parama Kamboja Kingdom]]
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| | [[Uttara Madra Kingdom]]
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| | [[Uttara Kuru Kingdom]]
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| |-
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| | [[Yavana Kingdom]]
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| | [[Khasas (Mahabharata)|Khasa Kingdom]]
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| | [[Scythians in the Mahabharata|Saka Kingdom]]
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| | [[Pahlava Kingdom]]
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| |}
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| === Kingdoms of Eastern India ===
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| {| class="wikitable"
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| |-
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| | [[Kosala Kingdom]]
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| | [[Kasi Kingdom]]
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| | [[Magadha Kingdom]]
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| | [[Kingdom of the Videhas]]
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| |-
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| | [[Kirata Kingdom]]
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| | [[Himalaya Kingdom]]
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| | [[Parvata Kingdom]]
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| | [[Nepa Kingdom]]
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| |}
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| ===Kingdoms of Western India===
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| {| class="wikitable"
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| |-
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| | [[Dwaraka Kingdom]]
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| | [[Abhira Kingdom]]
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| | [[Sudra Kingdom]]
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| | [[Nishada Kingdom]]
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| |-
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| | [[Avanti Kingdom (Mahabharata)|Avanti Kingdom]]
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| | [[Heheya Kingdom]]
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| | [[Saurashtra Kingdom]]
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| | [[Surparaka Kingdom]]
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| |}
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| ===Kingdoms of Central India===
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| {| class="wikitable"
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| |-
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| | [[Surasena Kingdom]]
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| | [[Anupa Kingdom]]
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| | [[Dasarna Kingdom]]
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| | [[Vidarbha Kingdom]]
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| |-
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| | [[Karusha Kingdom]]
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| | [[Kunti Kingdom]]
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| | [[Chedi Kingdom]]
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| | [[Malava Kingdom]]
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| |}
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| ===Kingdoms of South-Western India===
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| {| class="wikitable"
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| |-
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| | [[Saraswata Kingdom]]
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| | [[Kishkindha Kingdom]]
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| | [[Gomanta Kingdom]]
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| | [[Nasikya Kingdom]]
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| |-
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| | [[Konkana Kingdom]]
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| | [[Asmaka Kingdom]]
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| | [[Danda Kingdom]]
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| | [[Anarta Kingdom]]
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| |}
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| ===Kingdoms of Eastern India===
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| {| class="wikitable"
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| |-
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| | [[Lauhitya Kingdom]]
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| | [[Malla Kingdom]]
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| | [[Sonita Kingdom]]
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| | [[Vanga Kingdom]]
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| |-
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| | [[Pragjyotisha Kingdom]]
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| | [[Pundra Kingdom]]
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| | [[Suhma Kingdom]]
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| | [[Utkala Kingdom]]
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| |}
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| ===Kingdoms of Southern India===
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| {| class="wikitable"
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| |-
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| | [[Karnata Kingdom]]
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| | [[Kerala Kingdom]]
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| | [[Mushika Kingdom]]
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| | [[Chera Dynasty|Chera Kingdom]]
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| |-
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| | [[Pandya Dynasty|Pandya Kingdom]]
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| | [[Chola Kingdom]]
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| | [[Mahishaka Kingdom]]
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| | [[Ay Kingdom]]
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| |}
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| ===Foreign Kingdoms of the South===
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| {| class="wikitable"
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| |-
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| | [[Sinhala Kingdom|Sinhala]]
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| | [[Lanka]]
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| |}
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| ===Kingdoms of the South-Eastern India===
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| {| class="wikitable"
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| |-
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| | [[Dakshina Kosala Kingdom]]
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| | [[Dravida Kingdom]]
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| | [[Andhra Kingdom]]
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| | [[Kalinga (historical region)|Kalinga Kingdom]]
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| |-
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| | [[Odra Kingdom]]
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| | [[Kikata Kingdom]]
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| | [[Pallava Kingdom]]
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| | [[Kanchi Kingdom]]
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| |}
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| ==See also==
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| {{col div}}
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| *''[[Ramayana]]''
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| *''[[Mahabharata]]''
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| *[[Bharatavarsha]]
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| *[[Chakravartin]]
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| *[[Exotic tribes of ancient India]]
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| *[[Monarchy in ancient India]]
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| *[[Iron Age India]]
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| *[[Avestan geography]]
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| {{colend}}
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| ==References==
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| {{Reflist}}
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| ==External links==
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| {{Commons category|Ancient kingdoms of India}}
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| *''[[Mahabharata]]'' of [[Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa]] (English translation is available at http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/maha/index.htm)
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| *''[[Ramayana]]'' of [[Valmiki]] (English translation is available at http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/index.htm)
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| {{Tribes and kingdoms of the Mahabharata |state=collapsed}}
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| [[Category:Sanskrit texts]]
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| [[Category:Indian literature]]
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| [[Category:Ancient Indian geography| ]]
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