Kosala was an ancient Indian kingdom, corresponding roughly in area with the region of Oudh. Its capital was Ayodhya. In sixth century BCE, Kosala formed one of the sixteen powerful kingdoms (Mahajanapadas) of Buddhist traditions, but was weakened by a series of wars with the neighboring kingdom of Magadha and finally (4th cent. B.C.) was absorbed by it. Kosala was the setting of much Sanskrit epic literature including the Ramayana. Buddha and Mahavira, founder of Jainism, taught in the kingdom.

Kosala:

Kosala: The kingdom ruled by Dasaratha (RRV)

(See also: Kosala, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Kosala:

Kosala. Wealthy country on the banks of the Sarayu river and the people inhabiting it; Dasaratha's wife, Kausalya, came from Kosala.

(See also: Kosala, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Bimbisara (ruled 544-491 BCE) was a king of the Magadha empire and belonged to Haryanaka dynasty. There are many accounts of him in the Buddhist Jatakas, since he was a contemporary of Gautama Buddha. He acquired Anga and placed it under the viceroyalty of Ajatashatru at Champa. He also strengthed his position by marriage alliances. His first wife was the daughter of the king of Kosala and sister of Prasenajit. The Kosali bride brought him Kashi village as dowry. This marriage also ended the hostility of Kosala and gave him free hand

Read more here: » Bimbisara: Encyclopedia - Bimbisara

Lakshmana (Sanskrit: लक्ष्मण; IAST Lakṣmaṇa) was the brother and close companion of Rama, and himself a hero of the epic Ramayana. Many schools in Hinduism considered Lakshmana to be a part of the seventh avatara, in a secondary form to Rama's main. The name may also be written Lakshman or Laxman. Lakshmana - Birth and Family. Lakshmana is the twin brother of Shatrughna, born in Ayodhya to Sumitra, the second wife of Dasaratha, king of Kosala. Rama is the eldest, and Shatrugh ...

Including:

• Lakshmana - Birth and Family
• Lakshmana - With Rama
• Lakshmana - During the Exile
• Lakshmana - The Lakshmana Rekha
• Lakshmana - Prowess in War
• Lakshmana - Sanjivani
• Lakshmana - Legacy

Read more here: » Lakshmana: Encyclopedia - Lakshmana

Ikshvaku is the first king and founder of the Sun Dynasty in Vedic civilization in ancient India. He was the son of Manu, sired by the Sun God, Surya. Ikshvaku - In Hinduism. Ikshvaku is the first king to implement the Manusmriti, or the religious rules of Hindu living composed through divine inspiration and from the Vedas by his father. He is remembered in Hindu mythology as a righteous and glorious king. The House of Ikshvaku reigns over Kosala, an ancient kingdom in the northeast river plains of I ...

Including:

• Ikshvaku - In Hinduism
• Ikshvaku - In Vedic History
• Ikshvaku - House of Ikshvaku
• Ikshvaku - Comtemporary Theories
• Ikshvaku - See Also

Read more here: » Ikshvaku: Encyclopedia - Ikshvaku

Avanti ( modern Malwa ) was an important kingdom of western India and was one of the four great monarchies in India when Buddhism arose, the other three being Kosala, Vatsa and Magadha. Avanti was divided into north and south by river Vetravati. Initially, Mahissati (Sanskrit Mahishamati) was the capital of Southern Avanti, and Ujjaini (Sanskrit Ujjayini) was of northern Avanti, but at the times of Mahavira and Buddha, Ujjaini was the capital of integrated Avanti. The country of Avanti roughly corresponded to modern Ma ...

Read more here: » Avanti India: Encyclopedia - Avanti India

Bhagiratha was a great king in Hindu mythology who brought the River Ganga to Earth. Bhagiratha - Early Life. Bhagiratha was the king of Kosala, a kingdom in ancient India. He was a descendent of the great king Sagara of the Suryavamsa, or Sun Dynasty. He was one of the forefathers of Lord Rama, of the Ramayana, the epic in which Bhagiratha's tale is primarily recounted. He lost his father when he was just a child, and was raised by his mother. Bhagiratha was very intelligent, virtuous ...

Including:

• Bhagiratha - Early Life
• Bhagiratha - Bringing the Ganga to Earth
• Bhagiratha - Kapila's curse
• Bhagiratha - Bhagiratha's tapasya
• Bhagiratha - Ganga's fall
• Bhagiratha - Establishment of the river
• Bhagiratha - Commemoration
• Bhagiratha - Reference

Read more here: » Bhagiratha: Encyclopedia - Bhagiratha

Mahabharata attests that after several generations of changing hands from one line of ancient kings to another, the prized sword fell into the hands of righteous king Ailavila from whom it went to king Dhundumara, a celebrated king of Kosala (real name Kuvalashava): tasmachcha lebhe dharmagyo rajannaidabidastatha || tatashchaidabidallebhe Dhundhumaro janeshvarah | . — (MBH 12.167.75.76) Ikshvaku king Kuvalashava was nicknamed Dhundumara since he is said to have killed in battle one ...

See also:

Epic Kamboja Iranian Kambujiya, Epic Kamboja Iranian Kambujiya - Inheritance of sword, Epic Kamboja Iranian Kambujiya - Kosala vs Kamboja rivalry and the sword, Epic Kamboja Iranian Kambujiya - Kosala vs Kamboja rivalry: Puranic evidence, Epic Kamboja Iranian Kambujiya - Antiquity of the sword legend, Epic Kamboja Iranian Kambujiya - The Epic Kamboja is some earlier Iranian Kambaujiya, Epic Kamboja Iranian Kambujiya - External link

Read more here: » Epic Kamboja Iranian Kambujiya: Encyclopedia II - Epic Kamboja Iranian Kambujiya - Kosala vs Kamboja rivalry and the sword

It is now generally accepted that the royal name Kambujiya (or Kamboujiya) of ancient Persian records is reflected in the Sanskrit Kamboja or Greek Cambyses. The same name appears as as C-n-b-n-z-y in Aramaic, Kambuzia in Assyrian, Kambythet in Egyptian, Kam-bu-zi-ia in Akkadian, Kan-bu-zi-ia in Elamite, and Kanpuziya in Susian languages. It appears to be very popular name among ancient Iranians. It is therefore, highly likely that the legendary warrior Kamboja referenced in Shantiparava section of the Mahabharata was some very ...

See also:

Epic Kamboja Iranian Kambujiya, Epic Kamboja Iranian Kambujiya - Inheritance of sword, Epic Kamboja Iranian Kambujiya - Kosala vs Kamboja rivalry and the sword, Epic Kamboja Iranian Kambujiya - Kosala vs Kamboja rivalry: Puranic evidence, Epic Kamboja Iranian Kambujiya - Antiquity of the sword legend, Epic Kamboja Iranian Kambujiya - The Epic Kamboja is some earlier Iranian Kambaujiya, Epic Kamboja Iranian Kambujiya - External link

Read more here: » Epic Kamboja Iranian Kambujiya: Encyclopedia II - Epic Kamboja Iranian Kambujiya - The Epic Kamboja is some earlier Iranian Kambaujiya

The first reference to the Magadhas occurs in the Atharva-Veda where they are found listed along with the Angas, Gandharis and the Mujavats as a despised people. The bards of Magadha are, however, referred to in early Vedic literature and are spoken of in terms of contempt. The Vedic dislike of the Magadhas in early times was due to the fact that the Magadhas were not yet wholly Brahmanised. Rigveda mentions a king Pramaganda as a ruler of Kikata. Yasaka declares that Kikata was a non-Aryan country. Later Vedic literatur ...

See also:

Mahajanapadas, Mahajanapadas - Overview, Mahajanapadas - Kasi, Mahajanapadas - Kosala, Mahajanapadas - Anga, Mahajanapadas - Magadha, Mahajanapadas - Vajji or Vriji, Mahajanapadas - Malla, Mahajanapadas - Chedi or Cheti, Mahajanapadas - Vamsa or Vatsa, Mahajanapadas - Kuru, Mahajanapadas - Panchala, Mahajanapadas - Machcha or Matsya, Mahajanapadas - Surasena, Mahajanapadas - Assaka or Ashmaka, Mahajanapadas - Avanti, Mahajanapadas - Gandhara, Mahajanapadas - Kamboja

Read more here: » Mahajanapadas: Encyclopedia II - Mahajanapadas - Magadha

The political process among the ancient Indo-Aryans appears to have originally started with semi-nomadic tribal units called Jana (meaning tribe). Early Vedic texts attest several Janas or tribes of the Aryans, living in semi-nomadic tribal state, fighting among themselves and with other Non-Aryan tribes for cows, sheeps and green pastures. These early Vedic Janas later coalesced into Janapadas of the Epic Age. Term "Janapada" literally means the foothold of a tribe. The derivative meaning of Janapada from ...

See also:

Mahajanapadas, Mahajanapadas - Overview, Mahajanapadas - Kasi, Mahajanapadas - Kosala, Mahajanapadas - Anga, Mahajanapadas - Magadha, Mahajanapadas - Vajji or Vriji, Mahajanapadas - Malla, Mahajanapadas - Chedi or Cheti, Mahajanapadas - Vamsa or Vatsa, Mahajanapadas - Kuru, Mahajanapadas - Panchala, Mahajanapadas - Machcha or Matsya, Mahajanapadas - Surasena, Mahajanapadas - Assaka or Ashmaka, Mahajanapadas - Avanti, Mahajanapadas - Gandhara, Mahajanapadas - Kamboja

Read more here: » Mahajanapadas: Encyclopedia II - Mahajanapadas - Overview

The Mallas are frequently mentioned in Buddhist and Jain works. They were a powerful people dwelling in Eastern India. Panduputra Bhimasena is said to have conquered the chief of the Mallas in course of his expedition of Eastern India. Mahabharata mention Mallas along with the Angas, Vangas, and Kalingas as eastern tribes. The Mallas were republican people with their dominion consisting of nine territories (Kalpa Sutra; Nirayavali Sutra), one of each of the nine confederated clans. Two of these confederations...one with Kusinara (modern Kasi ...

See also:

Mahajanapadas, Mahajanapadas - Overview, Mahajanapadas - Kasi, Mahajanapadas - Kosala, Mahajanapadas - Anga, Mahajanapadas - Magadha, Mahajanapadas - Vajji or Vriji, Mahajanapadas - Malla, Mahajanapadas - Chedi or Cheti, Mahajanapadas - Vamsa or Vatsa, Mahajanapadas - Kuru, Mahajanapadas - Panchala, Mahajanapadas - Machcha or Matsya, Mahajanapadas - Surasena, Mahajanapadas - Assaka or Ashmaka, Mahajanapadas - Avanti, Mahajanapadas - Gandhara, Mahajanapadas - Kamboja

Read more here: » Mahajanapadas: Encyclopedia II - Mahajanapadas - Malla

Ayodhya was one of the most ancient, largest and most magnificent of Indian cities. It is said to have covered an area of 250 km² (96 square miles), and was the capital of the Hindu kingdom of Kosala (Kaushal), the court of the great king Dasaratha, the 56th monarch of the Solar line in descent from Raja Manu. The opening chapters of the Ramayana, a religious epic of the Classical Hindu period, recount the magnificence of the city, the glories of the monarch and the virtues, wealth and loyalty of his people. Dasaratha was the father of Rama ...

See also:

Ayodhya, Ayodhya - Legacy and Importance, Ayodhya - Ayodhya Debate, Ayodhya - Terrorist Attack

Read more here: » Ayodhya: Encyclopedia II - Ayodhya - Legacy and Importance

According to the sutta and commentarial texts, omens seen at the time of Angulimala's birth (the flashing of weapons in the city, and the appearance of the 'constellation of thieves' in the sky) indicated that Angulimala would become a robber. Angulimala's father, the Brahmin chaplain to the king of Kosala, named him Ahimsaka ("harmless"), possibly as an attempt to deter the dark fate predicted at his birth (Pad indicates that he was initially named Himsaka ("harmful" ...

See also:

Angulimala, Angulimala - Textual Sources, Angulimala - The Story, Angulimala - Meanings and Interpretations, Angulimala - Modern Influences

Read more here: » Angulimala: Encyclopedia II - Angulimala - The Story

Bhagiratha was the king of Kosala, a kingdom in ancient India. He was a descendent of the great king Sagara of the Suryavamsa, or Sun Dynasty. He was one of the forefathers of Lord Rama, of the Ramayana, the epic in which Bhagiratha's tale is primarily recounted. He lost his father when he was just a child, and was raised by his mother. Bhagiratha was very intelligent, virtuous and kind hearted. When he came of age, Bhagiratha ascended to the throne of the kingdom of Kosala, today located in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. He was a pious, benevolent ruler who adhered to his ...

See also:

Bhagiratha, Bhagiratha - Early Life, Bhagiratha - Bringing the Ganga to Earth, Bhagiratha - Kapila's curse, Bhagiratha - Bhagiratha's tapasya, Bhagiratha - Ganga's fall, Bhagiratha - Establishment of the river, Bhagiratha - Commemoration, Bhagiratha - Reference

Read more here: » Bhagiratha: Encyclopedia II - Bhagiratha - Early Life

Ikshvaku is the first king to implement the Manusmriti, or the religious rules of Hindu living composed through divine inspiration and from the Vedas by his father. He is remembered in Hindu mythology as a righteous and glorious king. The House of Ikshvaku reigns over Kosala, an ancient kingdom in the northeast river plains of India, in the modern state of Uttar Pradesh, along the banks of the Sarayu. The capital is Ayodhya. ...

See also:

Ikshvaku, Ikshvaku - In Hinduism, Ikshvaku - In Vedic History, Ikshvaku - House of Ikshvaku, Ikshvaku - Comtemporary Theories, Ikshvaku - See Also

Read more here: » Ikshvaku: Encyclopedia II - Ikshvaku - In Hinduism

Ancient Sanskrit texts like Ashtadhyayi (IV.4.168-175), Ramayana (IV/41-43), Mahabharata (VII/11/16-17; VIII/8/18-20)) and numerous Puranas (Bhuvanakosa list of countries) refer to many Janapadas of ancient times. Panini's Ashtadhyayi furnishes a list of fifteen Kshatriya monarchical Janapadas viz Salveya, Gandhari, Magadha, Kalinga, Surasena, Kosala, Ajada, Kuru, Salva, Pratyagratha, Kalakuta, Ashmaka, Kamboja, Avanti and Kunti. Besides, there were those foll ...

See also:

Janapadas, Janapadas - Origins, Janapadas - Lists

Read more here: » Janapadas: Encyclopedia II - Janapadas - Lists

Lakshmana is the twin brother of Shatrughna, born in Ayodhya to Sumitra, the second wife of Dasaratha, king of Kosala. Rama is the eldest, and Shatrughna is the youngest of the four brothers. Despite being the twin of Shatrughna, Lakshmana is specially attached to Rama, and the duo are inseparable. When Rama marries Sita, he married the younger sister of Sita named Urmila. ...

See also:

Lakshmana, Lakshmana - Birth and Family, Lakshmana - With Rama, Lakshmana - During the Exile, Lakshmana - The Lakshmana Rekha, Lakshmana - Prowess in War, Lakshmana - Sanjivani, Lakshmana - Legacy

Read more here: » Lakshmana: Encyclopedia II - Lakshmana - Birth and Family

The name Deccan is anglicised form of the Prakrit dakkhin, itself derived from the Sanskrit dakṣiṇa, meaning south. Ancient Dakshinapatha gave its name to modern Deccan or Dekkan. In Mahabharata, Dakshinapatha is placed beyond Avanti and Vindhyas and to south of the kingdom of Vidarbhas and southern Kosalas, the latter being lo ...

See also:

Deccan, Deccan - Origin of Name, Deccan - Geography, Deccan - People

Read more here: » Deccan: Encyclopedia II - Deccan - Origin of Name