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Kingdom of Vidarbha | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| unknown (?~1100 BCE)–unknown (?~500 BCE) | |||||||
.png) Vidarbha and other kingdoms of the lateVedic period | |||||||
| Capital | Kaundinyapur Bhojakata | ||||||
| Religion | Historical Vedic religion | ||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||
| Maharaja (Great King) | |||||||
| Historical era | Iron Age | ||||||
• Established | unknown (?~1100 BCE) | ||||||
• Disestablished | unknown (?~500 BCE) | ||||||
| |||||||
TheVidarbha kingdom in the Sanskrit epicMahabharata is among the many kingdoms ruled byYadu kings (Bhoja Yadavas).It was situated in the region still known asVidarbha in what is nowMaharashtra in central India.
Damayanti, the wife ofNala was the princess of Vidarbha. SimilarlyRukmini, the eldest wife ofVasudeva Krishna was from Vidarbha. SageAgastya's wifeLopamudra, also was a princess from the country of Vidarbha as mentioned in theMahabharata.[1] Indumati, the Grandmother ofLord Rama and mother of KingDasharatha was also a princess of Vidarbha kingdom.Kundinapuri was its capital, which is identified asKaundinyapur in the easternMaharashtra. Rukmini's brotherRukmi founded another kingdom with capitalBhojakata, close to Vidarbha proper. During theKurukshetra War, when all other kingdoms participated in the battle, Vidarbha under Rukmi stayed neutral, because his army was rejected by bothPandavas andKauravas who were the two parties engaged in the war. It is not clear if any other king from Vidarbha participated in the war. There is a mention at MBh 6:51, that a Vidarbha army sided with Kauravas under the generalissimoBhishma.
King Bhima is mentioned as the ancient ruler of Vidarbha at many places in Mahabharata. (MBh 3:53 to 77).
The Mahabharata gives clues on a route that existed in ancient times connecting Vidarbha to the northern kingdoms likeKosala.
The following conversation between Nala and Damayanti describes many ancient roads or pathways connecting kingdoms of north, south and central India of ancient times. (MBh 3:61)
These many roads lead to the southern country, passing by (the city of) Avanti and the Rikshavat mountains. This is that mighty mountain called Vindhya; yon, the river Payasvini running seawards, and yonder are the asylums of the ascetics, furnished with various fruit and roots. This road leadeth to the country of the Vidarbhas—and that, to the country of theKosalas. Beyond these roads to the south is the southern country.
Rituparna, the king (ofAyodhya,Kosala), arrived at the city of the Vidarbhas. The people brought unto king Bhima (of Vidarbha) the tidings (of his arrival). And at the invitation of Bhima, the king entered the city of Kundina
The king of Kosala reflected a while and at length said, ‘I have come here to pay my respects to thee.’ And the king Bhima was struck with astonishment, and reflected upon the (probable) cause of Rituparna's coming, having passed over a hundred yojanas. And he reflected, ‘That passing by other sovereigns, and leaving behind him innumerable countries, he should come simply to pay his respect to me is scarcely the reason of his arrival.
Bhojas of Goa who ruledGoa and parts ofKonkan and some part ofKarnataka from at least 3rd century AD to the 6th century AD are believed to have descended from the Bhojas of Vidarbha who migrated southwards and founded a kingdom in South Konkan(Goa).[2] Goa came under the political sway of the Bhojas who ruled this territory in feudal allegiance to the emperor ofPataliputra or perhaps underSatavahanas. The Bhoja seat of power was located atChandrapura orChandraura (ModernChandor) in Goa.[3]
