Research paper written by London Swaminathan

Research Article No. 1565; Dated 11th January 2015

India, that is Bharat, is an ancient country. Thosands and thousands of kings have ruled this holy land from time immemorial. Sanskrit and Tamil literature comapred the number of kings to sand particles on the sea shore or the stars in the sky. What they meant was the number of kings were innumerable, countless, uncountable and numberless. But the foreign writers began Indian history from the days of Buddha! Sixth Century BCE!! Even Buddhist history mentioned a lot of Buddha’s forefathers. Our Puranas give a clear list of kings of Solar and Lunar race. Indus Valley had kings from 2600 BCE!! Who are they? What are their names?

 

I am trying to list all the kings known to history and known to litearture. Sangam Tamil literature mentioned a lot of Tamil kings for whom we have no historical proof other than the literary references. Folk tales mention several kings. Temple Puranas, known as Sthala Puranas, mentioned several kings who made the temples or worshiped in those temples. Apart from the kings, there were local chieftains, who were more powerful than kings in their areas. Several demons, Asuras and Rakshasas were actually kings. Our Puranas (mythology) clearly mentioned the territory ruled by them. So we must carefully scrutinise them.

 

Many of the early writers missed a very imporatnt thing in history. The same name was used for several kings in different ages. But they counted him as one and confused Indian history. They took Indra as one person! They took Gotra names like Agastya as one person and confused everyone. We have to separate them. Now Tamil reaserch scholars know six Avvaiyars, most famous Tamil poetess.

Beyond India, we have records of hundreds of Hindu kings in Turkey-Syria region (Mitannian) and South East Asia. For over 1300 years Indians ruled most of the countries in South East Asia. I will list them separately.

 

Dates given for the kings are tentative. I have taken them from R Morton Smith’s book “Dates and Dynasties in Earliest India”. Though I dont agree with those dates, it will be useful as a starting point. Moreover it will show who came after who to some extent.

Our scriptures say that Manu was the first king of this Manvantara. Even if we go by known history, Indus Valley Civilization was there in 2600 BCE. So we must have 10,000 kings for the first 3500 years. During Buddha’s time there were 16 Mahajanapadas (16 big kingdoms with 16 emperors). Under them there were hundreds of kings. But during Mahabaharata war there were more than 16 kingdoms. We hear about at least 25 kingdoms. India must have more than Ten Thousand Kings. But the reason I gave the title 10,000 kings is that my hope for gathering at least ten thousand names from books, inscriptions, scriptures, folk tales and temple sthala puranas!!

 

We must also remember that ancient India was divided into 56 countries (Desa). Later the number of countries increased or decreased due to wars and mergers. Every century had at least four for five kings in any country. But some kings ruled for a longer time. But the average was 20 years per king.

Here is a rough calculation:

 

five kings per century; until 1000 CE, it is 35 centuries

35X5=175 kings

India had at least 56 Desas or political divisions

56X175 = 9800 kings

 

After 1000 CE (1000 AD), we have full list of kings available for every area or region in our country, but no one has compiled them. Let us add another 200 with 9800 and it will be at least 10,000 kings.

Method of entry: I enter them alphabetically and give the numbers A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3. This is a draft. When all the ten thousand plus are listed,  I will publish the final list with few details for each king. Readers are also invited to send me the names of the kings they know:

List of Kings:

 

A

 

a1)ABHAYA (KUMARA BAIMBISARI) – 490 BCE

 

a2)ABHAYADA (MANASYAVA PAURAVA) – 1680 BCE

 

a3)ABHIBHU (VAIBHAVA KASYA) – 1120 BCE

 

a4)ABHIBHUTA (SON OF DURDAMA)- 1060 BCE

 

a5)ABHIJIT (NALYA YADAVA) — 1070 BCE

 

a6)ABHIMANYU ARJUNA PANDAVA — 992-75 BCE

 

(please note that I have already given my views on these dates; even conservative estimates put the date of Mahabharata war in 1500 BCE)

 

a7)ABHIPRATARIN KAKASENI — 880 BCE

 

a8)ABHIRAJA ABHISVATA — 1450 BCE (Mbh. 1-89)

 

a9)ABHITI KUMARA AUDAYANA – 465 BCE

 

a10)ADHIRATHA SATYAKARMANA ANAVA – 1000 BCE

 

a11)ABHISIMAKRNA PAURAVA VATSA — 873 BCE

 

a12)ADINA – SON OF SAHADEVA AND BROTHER OF KSATRADHARMANA – 1420 BCE

 

a13)AGAVAHA – SON OF VRKSADEVI – 1185 BCE

 

(aghamarshana maduchchandasa kausika- 1230 BCE — a rishi)

 

(agni aurva bhargava — 1370 BCE — a rishi)

 

a14)AGNIMITRA SUNGA —  149 BCE

 

a15)AGNISENA – 149 BCE

 

a16)AGNIVARNA AKISVAKA — 1000 BCE

 

(ahalya maitreya pancala –  1125 BCE)

 

(ahampaati samyatreya paurava -1600 BCE)

a17)AHINAGU AIKSUVAKAVA– 1260 BCE

 

a18)AHRITI BABHRAVA YADAVA- 1220 BCE

 

a19)AHUKAABHIJITA YADAVA – 1040 BCE

 

a20)AHUKI – 1040 BCE

 

a21)AINDROTA DRTI SAUNAKA– 1040 BCE

 

a22)AJAMIDHA SAUHOTRA – 1350 BCE

 

a23)AJAPALA DAILIPA DIRGHABAHU– 1140 BCE

a24)AJAPALA RAGHAVA P- 1100 BCE

 

a25)AJAPALA PALAKA PRADOYTA 480-456 BCE

 

a26)AJAPALA VAISAKHAYUPA 406-385 BCE

 

a27)AJAPALA AUGRASAINYA – 880 BCE

 

a28)AJAPARSVA SVAITAKARNA —  850 BCE

a29)AJATASATRU OF MAGADHA – 493-468 BCE

 

a30)AJATASATRU OF KASI – 840 BCE

a31)AJIGARTA SAUYAVANA — 1275 BCE

 

a32)AKRODHANA AYUTAYUSA PAURAVA — 1070 BCE

 

a33)AKRTASAVA RANASVA — 1070 BCE

 

a34)AKRURA SVAPHALKYA YADAVA — 1110 BCE

 

(ALAMBUSA  – MOTHER OF VISALA – 1280 BCE)

 

a35)ALAMBUSHA – A Kaurava king killed by Satyaki (Mbh 7-140)

 

a36)ALARA VATSYA 0F KASI

a37)AMAHIYUBHAUVAMANYAVA –1160 BCE

 

a38)AMARSA    AIKSVAKAVA — 875 BCE

 

a39)AMAVASU PAURURAVASA — 1560 BCE

 

(AMBA KASYA –1010 BCE)

a40)AMBARISHA  SAUDYUMNA – 1250 BCE–

 

a41)AMBARISHA NABHAGI — 1430 BCE

 

a42)AMBARISHA  MANDHATA – 1460 BCE  Son of king Mandhata- clashed with Durvasa (Mbh 7-64)

 

a43)AMITRAJIT SUMITRA — 660 BCE

 

a44)AMITRAKARSANA DURJAYA–

 

(AMRTA MAGADHI — 1160 BCE– WIFE OF ARGUVANTA)

 

AMSU, BROTHER OF PURUDVAHA –

 

a45)AMSUMANT AIKSVAKAVA — 1125 BCE

 

a46)AMURTARAYAS KAUSIKA – 1360 BCE

 

a47)AMURTARAYAS KSATRAVRDDHA — 1510 BCE

 

a48)AMURTARAYAS, SON OF ANTINARA — 1510 BCE

 

a49)ANADHRSTI DAIVASRAVASA SAURA — 1200 BCE

 

a50)ANAGHA SAUDYUMNA AILINA — 1250 BCE

 

a51)ANALA LAUMAPADA YADAVA — 1120 BCE

 

a52)ANAMITRA NABHAGI — 1230 BCE

 

a53)ANAMITRA SUNAMITRA VARSNEYA –1165 BCE

a54)ANAMITRA SUMITRA — 1160 BCE

a55)ANAMITRA YAUDHAJITA YADAVA — 1140 BCE

 

a56)ANANTA VAITAHOTRA -1270 BCE

 

(ANANTA MADHAVI , WIFE OF JANAMEJAYA)

 

a57)ANAPANA, SON OF DADHIVAHANA ANGA– 1180 BCE

 

a58)ANARANYA – 1270 BCE

 

a59)ANARANYA SAMBHUTEYA AIKSVAKA– 1410 BCE

 

a60)ANARTA SARYATA 1420 BCE

a61)ANARTA ANANTA 1420

 

a62)ANARTA FOR ABHIBHU -1420

 

a63)ANDHAKA SATVATA YADAVA — 1190 BCE

 

a64)ANDHAKA SUNGA VAJRAMITRA — 1190

 

a65)ANDIRA SARUTHA — 1200 BCE

 

a66)ANENAS ARINABHA/ARDRA — 1780 BCE

 

a67)ANENAS SUMANU VAIDEHA –(PARJITER)

 

a68)ANGA BALEYA ANAVA — 1215 BCE

 

a69)ANGA VAIROCANA —

 

a70)ANGADA LAKSMANYA –1030 BCE

 

a71)ANGADA PAURVADYA SAURA –1250

 

a72)ANGARA ARUDHYA – DRHYU — 1500/1700 BCE

 

a73)ANGIRA AIKSVAKA

 

a74)ANIRUDDHA PRADYUMNA KARSNA — 935 BCE

 

a75)ANJIKA YADAVA — 1640 BCE

 

a76)ANTARA PARTHASRAVASA YADAVA- 1480 BCE

 

a77)ANTARIKSA KOSALA AIKSVAKA –700 BCE

 

a78)ANTIALCIDAS — 100 BCE

 

a79)ANTIDEVA SAKRTYA — 1160 BCE

 

a80)ANTINARA PAURAVA– 1540 BCE

 

((ANTIOCHUS))

 

a81)ANU YAYATEYA –1540 BCE

 

a82)ANUHA NIPA — 1120 BCE

 

a83)ANURUDDHA NANDAVARDHANA/ MUNDA MAGADHA – 467 BCE

 

a84)ANUVINDA AVANTYA — 980 BCE

Prince of Avanti; Son of Kunti’s sister Rajadhi Devi.

a85)APAVA VASISTHA – 1300 BCE

 

a86)APILAKA ANDHRA — 58 BCE

 

a87)APANAVANA CYAVANA BHARGAVA – 1385 BCE

 

a88)APRATIPIN AYUTAYU — 1385 BCE

 

a89)APRATIRATHA TAMSU -1520 BCE

 

ARADHI AVACINA —

 

ARAVIN AVACINA

 

(ARCISMATI , DAUGHTER OF BALARAMA – 1080 BCE

a90)ARDRA  QNENAS  — 1780 BCE

 

a91)ARDRA AIKSVAKAVA –1720 BCE

 

a92)ARIMARDANA, SON OF SATRUGNA- 980 BCE

 

a93)ARIMEJAYA MRDURA– 1050 BCE

 

a94)ARIMEJAYA KAURAVA — 1250 BCE

 

a95)ARINABHA ANENAS ARDRA — 1780 BCE

 

a96)ARISTAKARNA ANDHRA — 38-63 CE

 

a97)ARISTANEMI, FATHER IN LAW OF SAGARA –1310 BCE

 

a98)ARISTANEMI VAIDEHA —  858 BCE

 

a99)ARISTANEMI SUPARSVA – 1000 BCE

 

a100)ARISTANEMI TIRTHANKARA

 

a101)ARJUNA KARTAVIRYA — 1375 BCE

 

a102)ARJUNA PANDAVA — 975 BCE

 

a103)ARUGVANT  ARKSA KAURAVA — 1160 BCE

 

a104)ARUDHDHA SAITAVA DRUHYU — 1500/1700 BCE

 

a105)ASAMANJAS KAKUSTHA SAGARI — 1250 BCE

 

a106)ASAMANJAS PANCAVANA SAGARI — 1150 BCE

 

ASMANJASA- Son of King Sagara and Queen Shaibya. Since he gave troubles to people he was exiled. But his son Anshumana succeeded Sagara (Mbh 3-107)

a107)ASAMAUJAS KANAKA YADAVA — 1075 BCE

 

a108)ASANGA YAUYUDHANA YADAVA — 1075 BCE

 

a109)ASITA ASITABAHU – 1075 BCE

 

a110)ASITABAHU AIKSVAKAVA — 1320 BCE

 

a111)ASMAKA NABHAGI AIKSVAKAVA -1290 BCE

 

(ASMAKI  WIFE OR MOTHER TO ANADHRSTI- 1220 BCE

 

(ASMAKI  WIFE TO PRACINVANT)

 

(ASMAKI, WIFE TO SURA) – 1300 BCE

 

a112)ASOKA KAKAVARNIN – 421 BCE

 

a113)ASOKA MAURYA 294 BCE

 

a114)ASTAKA VAISVAMITRA — 1280 BCE

 

ASTARATHA

 

a115)ASTARATHA KASYA — 1400 BCE

 

a116)ASTADAMSTRA VAIRUPA – 1340 BCE

 

a117)ASVA, SON IN LAW TO YUDHISTRA — 970 BCE

a118)ASVABAHU CAITRAKA YADAVA — 1040 BCE

 

a119)ASVAGRIVA CAITRAKA YADAVA — 1060 BCE

 

a120)ASVAMEDHADATTA PAURAVA VATSA — 893 BCE

Grandson of King Jamamejaya His father was Shatanika

a121)ASVASENA, FATHER OF PARSVA — 840/1040 BCE

 

ASVASYA

ASVAVAHA

 

a122)ASVAVANT -1480 BCE

 

a123)ATITHI NABHAGI – 1020 BCE

 

a124)ATITHI AIKSVAKAVA –1440 BCE

 

a125)ATITHIGU BRAMISHTA

 

a126)ATREYA PRABHAKARA — 1560 BCE

 

a127)AVACINA PAURAVA JAYATSENA — 1120 BCE

 

a128)AVAHA YADAVA — 80 BCE

 

a129)AVANTIVARDHANA VISHAKAYUPA NANDHIVARDHANA

 

a130)AVIKSIT KHARANDHAMA — 1300 BCE

 

a131)AYATI NAHUSA

 

a132)AYU PAURURAVASA — 1840 BCE

 

(AYUTAJIT  BROTHER OF AYUTAYUS)

a133)AYUTAJIT BHAJAMANA YADAVA — 1180 BCE

 

AYUTANAYIN

 

a134)AYUTAYUS OF MAGADHA —  952 BCE

 

a135)AYUTAYUS SAINDUDVIPA NABHAGI – 1390 BCE

 

a136)AYUTAYUS MAHABHAUMA PAURAVA –1080 BCE

Following are added from Mahabharata

 

a137)AJA- Grandfather of king Gadhi (Mbh 12-49)

a138)AKAMPANA- A king who lived in prehistoric times His son washarikumara who died in battle – Mbh 7,52

 

a139)AMBASHTHA-A Kaurava king killed by Arjuna (Mbh 7-93)

a140)AMURTARAYAS- Father of King Gaya who performed greatest Yagna in history (Mbh 3-95)

 

a141)ANIRUDHA – Grand son of Rukmini- Krishna, son of Rumavati and Pradyumna

 

a142)ANSHUMANA– Grandson of King Sahara (Mbh 3-107)

a143)ARJUNA – Son of Kunti and Indra, greatest of the archers of India, Krishna was his charioteer in the Mahabaharata war. Source:Mbh

 

He had many names: Bibhatsu, Dhananjaya, Jishnu, Krit, Krishna, Falguna, Savyasachi, shwehtavahaan, Vijaya.

 

a144)ASHWAKETU-  A Magadha prince

a145)ASHWAPATI– Father of  Savitri — King of Madradesa

a146)AVIKSHITA – A virtous king of ancient times; father of Marutt (Mbh 14-7)