List of Monarchs

SURYAVAMSAM

Introduction The term Suryavanshi refers to a person belonging to the Suryvansha dynasty. This clan was the oldest and biggest Kshatriya clan of India.

Source of the lineage  Source of the lineage The Puranas, particularly Vishnu Purana, Ramayana by Valmiki and the Mahabharata by Vyasa gives accounts of this dynasty. The Raghuvamsha of Kalidasa also mentions the names of some of the kings of this dynasty.

List of Monarchs  The following is the list, in chronological order, of some of the prominent monarchs of the solar dynasty. 1. MANU or VAIVASVATA the King of all mankind and the first human being on Earth. (According to Hindu belief there are 14 Manvantaras; in each, Manu rules. Vaivasvata Manu was the seventh Manu. Manu is referred to as a Rajan (King) in theShatapatha Brahmana scripture. He had nine sons, Vena, Dhrishnu, Narishyan, Nabhaga, Ikshvaku, Karusha, Saryati, Prishadhru, Nabhagarishta and one daughter, Ila, who was married to Budha of the Lunar Dynasty). He left the kingdom to the eldest male of the next generation, Ikshvaku, who was actually the son of Manu's brother Shraaddev. 2. IKSHYAKU - the first prominent monarch of this dynasty, giving the dynasty its another name the Ikshvaku dynasty. Across the length and breadth of Greater India, numerous royal families have claimed to have belonged to the House of Ikshvaku, which was synonymous with the Solar Dynasty. Great kings like Bhagiratha and Dasaratha were among the kings in the line before Lord Ram.

3. BHAGIRATHA- Sagara's great-grandson, after strenuous penances, at last succeeded in bringing Ganges down from Heaven. When she flowed over the remains of his ancestors, their souls were redeemed, and the ocean was refilled. Ganges also bears the name "Bhagirathi", in honour of his deed. 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.

4. AJA - Aja is the son of king Raghu, and thus a scion of the Ikshvaku dynasty, who claimed descent from the sun godSurya. His paternal grandfather was the pious king Dileepa. King Aja's consort was the heavenly nymph Indumati; they were the parents of king Dasaratha of Ayodhya was the father of Ram. The classical Indian poet Kalidasa has elaborated upon the lives and careers of the kings Dileepa, Raghu and Aja in his work entitled Raghuvamsha (literally: "Dynasty of Raghu"). This is significant as these rulers were the immediate forbears of Rama.

5. DASHARATHA - Dasharatha was the king of Ayodhya and a descendant of the Ikshvaku dynasty (also known as Suryavansha or Raghuvaṃśa). His life story is narrated principally in the Hindu epic Ramayana. He was a descendant of Raghuand was the father of prince Rama, the principal character in the Ramayana. Dasharatha was the son of Aja and Indumati. Dasharatha had three wives namely, Kaushalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi. Kaushalya was from the King of Kosala. Sumitra was from Kashi. Kaikeyi was from Kekeya Kingdom.

6. RAM - He is considered the seventh Avatar of the god Vishnu. He is worshiped by every Hindu. Many Hindus include his name in either their first or last name. Rama's story before he became king of Ayodhya is recounted in the Ramayana. His wife was Sita mata. His sons were Lava ans Kush. After he ascended the throne, he performed the Ashwamedha Yajna. Bharata, his younger brother, won the country of Gandhara and settled there.

7. LAVA and KUSHA- They were the twin sons of Rama and his wife Sita. Lava ruled south Kosala while Kusha ruled north Kosala, including Ayodhya. Kusha married "Nagkanya" "Kumuddhati", sister of Kumuda. After Kusha the following kings of the solar dynasty ruled Ayodhya:

8. GAUTAMA BUDDHA or SIDDHARTHA- Gautama Buddha was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. Gautama is the primary figure in Buddhism, and accounts of his life, discourses, and monastic rules are believed by Buddhists to have been summarized after his death and memorized by his followers. Various collections of teachings attributed to him were passed down byoral tradition, and first committed to writing about 400 years later.