Solar dynasty

The Ikshvaku dynasty, in Puranic literature, was a mythical dynasty founded by Ikshvaku. Ikshvaku, literally means "sugar cane". The dynasty is also known as Sūryavaṁśa (the Solar dynasty). Rama, hero of the Ramayana belonged to this dynasty. Twenty-two out of the twenty-four Jain Tirthankara belonged to this dynasty.

The important personalities belonging to this royal house are Harishchandra, Dilīpa, Sagara, Raghu, Rama and Prasenajit. Although, both the Hindu Puranas and the Buddhist texts include Shuddodhana, Gautama Buddha and Rahula in their accounts of the Ikshvaku dynasty, but according to the Buddhist texts, Mahasammata, an ancestor of Ikshvaku was the founder of this dynasty, who was elected by the people as the first king of the present era. According to the Puranas, supreme preceptor of the Ikshvaku dynasty was sage Vashishta.

Hinduism

In Hinduism, Ikshvaku, is the grandson of Vivasvan or Surya and son of Vaivasvata Manu. They ruled from the Kosala Kingdom, today known as Oudh in the state of Uttar Pradesh along the banks of river Sarayu with saketa, Ayodhya today as their capital. Ikshvaku is the first king who executed the Manusmrti or religious rules of Hindu living which were composed by his father Manu. Ikshvaku, ruled as Monarch at the beginning of the Treta Yuga or second yuga, had hundred sons. His estates descended to his eldest son Vikukshi. The two Indian epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, have numerous mentions of this dynasty.

Ikshvaku dynasty lineage

The lists of kings of Ikṣvāku or Aikṣvāka dynasty are found in the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Harivamsha and the Puranas. The Raghuvamsha of Kalidasa also mentions the names of the kings of this dynasty.

To Kusha

The genealogy of the Ikshvaku dynasty to Rama is mentioned in the Ramayana in two lists . The only difference between the two lists is that, Kukshi is mentioned only in the second list . In the first list , Vikukshi is mentioned as the son of Ikshvaku. The genealogy is as follows:

2

In the Ramayana, we find that, Lava and Kusha were the sons of Rama.

Kusha to Brihadbala

The Puranas provide a genealogical list from Kusha to Brihadbala, who was killed by Abhimanyu in the Mahabharata war. This list is corroborated by the Raghuvamsha till Agnivarna:

2

Brihadbala to Sumitra

The Puranas also provide the list of the kings from Brihadbala to the last ruler Sumitra. But these lists mention Shakya as an individual, and incorporate the names of Shakya, Shuddodhana, Siddhartha (Gautama Buddha) and Rahula between Sanjaya and Prasenajit. The names of the kings are:

2

In Buddhist tradition

The Buddhist text, Mahavamsa (II, 1-24) traces the origin of the Shakyas to king Okkaka (Pali equivalent to Sanskrit Ikshvaku) and gives their genealogy from Mahasammata, an ancestor of Okkaka. This list comprises the names of a number of prominent kings of the Ikshvaku dynasty, namely, Mandhata and Sagara. The genealogy according to the Mahavamsa is as follows:

1. Okkaka
2. Okkamukha
3. Sivisamjaya
4. Sihassara
5. Jayasena
6. Sihahanu
7. Suddhodana
8. Siddhartha (Gautama Buddha)
9. Rahula

In Jainism

The Ikshvaku dynasty has a significant place in Jainism, as twenty-two Tirthankaras were born in this dynasty.

• Origin
  • Rishabha (son of Nabhiraja), the founder of Jainism in the present Avasarpani era (descending half time cycle as per Jain cosmology) is said to have founded the Ikshvaku dynasty. Ikshvaku is considered to be his another name. He is said to have taught the people how to extract sugarcane juice. Hence, name for the Ikshvaku dynasty comes from the word ikhsu (sugarcane) because of this event.
  • Bahubali and Bharata (1st Chakravarti), sons of Rishabha
  • Marichi, son of Bharata

• at the time of Ajitanatha
  • Jitashatru (father of Ajitanatha) and his younger brother Sumitra (father of Sagara)
  • Ajitanatha (the 2nd Tirthankara) and Sagara (2nd Chakravarti)
  • Janhu (eldest son of Sagara), the one who flooded village of Nagas with waters of Ganga leading to turning of sixty thousand sons of Sagara into ashes by Jawalanprabha (emperor of Nagas)
  • Bhagiratha (eldest grandson of Sagara)

• at the time of Sambhavanatha
  • Jitari (father of Sambhavanatha)
  • Sambhavanatha, the 3rd Tirthankara

• at the time of Abhinandananatha
  • Sanvara (father of Abhinandananatha)
  • Abhinandananatha, the 4th Tirthankara

• at the time of Sumatinatha
  • Megha (father of Sumatinatha)
  • Sumatinatha, the 5th Tirthankara

• at the time of Padmaprabha
  • Sidhara (father of Padmaprabha)
  • Padmaprabha, the 6th Tirthankara

• at the time of Suparshvanatha
  • Pratishtha (father of Suparshvanatha)
  • Suparshvanatha, the 7th Tirthankara

• at the time of Chandraprabha
  • Mahasena (father of Chanraprabha)
  • Chandraprabha, the 8th Tirthankara

• at the time of Pushpadanta
  • Sugriva (father of Pushpadanta)
  • Pushpadanta, the 9th Tirthankara

• at the time of Shitalanatha
  • Dridharatha (father of Shitalnatha)
  • Shitalanatha, the 10th Tirthankara

• at the time of Shreyanasanatha
  • Vishnu (father of Shreyanasanatha)
  • Shreyanasanatha, the 11th Tirthankara

• at the time of Vasupujya
  • Vasupujya (father of Tirthankara Vasupujya)
  • Vasupujya, the 12th Tirthankara

• at the time of Vimalanatha
  • Kritavarma (father of Vimalanatha)
  • Vimalanatha, the 13th Tirthankara

• at the time of Anantanatha
  • Simhasena (father of Anantanatha)
  • Anantanatha, the 14th Tirthankara

• at the time of Dharmanatha
  • Bhanu (father of Dharmanatha)
  • Dharmanatha, the 15th Tirthankara

• at the time of Shantinatha
  • Visvasena (father of Shantinatha)
  • Shantinatha, the 16th Tirthankara and 5th Chakravarti
  • Chakrayudha, son of Shantinatha
  • Kuruchandra, son of Chakrayudha

• at the time of Kunthunatha
  • Sura (father of Kunthunatha)
  • Kunthunatha, the 17th Tirthankara and 6th Chakravarti

• at the time of Aranatha
  • Sudarsana (father of Aranatha)
  • Arahnatha, the 18th Tirthankara and 7th Chakravarti

• at the time of Mallinatha
  • Kumbha (father of Mallinatha)
  • Māllīnātha, the 19th Tirthankara

• at the time of Munisuvrata (Munisuvrata himself was not from Ikshvaku, but Harivamsa)
  • Sumitra (father of Munisuvrata), Dasaratha (father of Rama)
  • Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata, Shatrughna
  • Luv and Kusha (twin sons of Rama)

• at the time of Naminatha
  • Vijaya (father of Naminatha)
  • Naminatha, the 21st Tirthankara

• at the time of Parshvanatha
  • Asvasena (father of Parshvanatha)
  • Parshvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankara

• at the time of Mahavira
  • Siddhartha (father of Mahavira)
  • Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara

Andhra Ikshvaku

Andhra Ikshvakus (Sanskrit इक्ष्वाकु, Telugu ఇక్ష్వాకులు) were one of the earliest recorded ruling dynasties of the Karimnagar-Warangal-Krishna-Guntur regions of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.They ruled the Telugu country along the Godavari and Krishna River during the later half of the 2nd century CE. Their capital was Vijayapuri (Nagarjunakonda). It is a strong common belief that Andhra Ikshvakus were related to the mythological Ikshvakus, although Andhra Ikshvakus seem to be a local tribe who adopted the title.

Archaeological evidence has suggested that the Andhra Ikshvakus immediately succeeded the Satavahanas in the Krishna river valley. Ikshvakus have left inscriptions at Nagarjunakonda, Jaggayyapeta, Amaravati and Bhattiprolu.

Literary evidence

The Puranas mention them as the Sriparvatiyas (Foresters), Rulers of Sriparvata (Forests) and Andhrabhrtyas (Servants of the Andhras). The Satavahanas were also known as Andhras.

History

Andhra Ikshvakus were originally feudatories of the Satavahanas and bore the title Mahatalavara. Although the Puranas state that seven kings ruled for 100 years in total, the names of only four of them are known from inscriptions.

• Vasishthiputra Sri Santamula (Santamula I), the founder of the line, performed the Asvamedha, Agnihotra, Agnistoma and Vajapeya sacrifices. Santamula performed the Asvamedha sacrifices with a view to proclaiming their independent and imperial status. It had become a common practice among the rulers of the subsequent dynasties to perform the Asvamedha sacrifice in token of their declaration of independent status. From this fact, it can be inferred that it was Santamula I who first declared his independence and established the Andhra Ikshvaku dynasty.

• Virapurushadatta was the son and successor of Santamula through his wife Madhari. He had a sister named Adavi Santisri. He took a queen from the Saka family of Ujjain and gave his daughter in marriage to a Chutu prince. Almost all the royal ladies were Buddhists. An aunt of Virapurushadatta built a big Stupa at Nagarjunakonda. Her example was followed by other women of the royal family.

• Virapurushadatta's son Ehuvula Santamula (Santamula II) ruled after a short Abhira interregnum. His reign witnessed the completion of a Devi Vihara, the Sihala Vihara, a convent founded for the accommodation of Sinhalese monks, and the Chaitya-ghara (Chaitya hall) dedicated to the fraternities (Theriyas) of Tambapanni (Ceylon). Ceylonese Buddhism was in close touch with Andhra. The sculptures of Nagarjunakonda, which include large figures of Buddha, show decided traces of Greek influence and Mahayana tendencies.

• Rudrapurushadatta was the name of an Ikshvaku ruler found in inscriptions from Gurajala in Guntur districts of Andhra Pradesh. He could have been a son of Ehuvula Santamula. Rudrapurushadatta ruled for more than 11 years. He was probably the last important ruler of the Andhra Ikshvaku family. After him there were three more unknown rulers according to the Puranas. Around 278 CE, the Abhiras might have put an end to the Ikshvakus.

See also

• Saka or Sacae
• Shakya
• Koliya
• Hinduism
• Satavahana

Notes

• The Andhras Through the Ages by Kandavalli Balendu Sekharam

Bibliography

• Shah, Natubhai (2004). Jainism: The World of Conquerors. Motilal Banarsidas. ISBN 978-81-208-1938-2. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

• Jain, Kailash Chand (1991). Lord Mahavira and his times. Motilal Banarsidas. ISBN 9788120808058. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

• Zimmer, Heinrich (1953), Joseph Campbell (ed.), Philosophies Of India, London, E.C. 4: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, ISBN 978-8120807396{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location (link)

• Genealogical tables of the deities, princes, heroes, and remarkable personages, of the Hindus, with an intr. and index, by F. Hamilton. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)