Sauvira Kingdom - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Sauvira was a kingdom mentioned in the epic Mahabharata

Mahabharata

The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....

. According to the epic, Jayadratha

Jayadratha

In the epic Mahābhārata, Jayadratha was the king of Sindhu Kingdom . He was married to Dushala, the only sister of the 100 Kaurava brothers. He was the son of the sinful king Vridhakshtra.- Abduction of Draupadi:...

was the king of Sindhus

Sindhu Kingdom

Sindhu&sandhu was a kingdom mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. It stretched along the banks of river Sindhu in the Ancient Greater India, which is now Pakistan. It is believed that Sindhu kingdom was founded by Vrsadarbh, one of sons of Sivi...

, Sauviras and Sivis

Sivi Kingdom

Sivi is mentioned as a kingdom and as the name of a king in the epic Mahabharata. Probably there was a Sivi king who became famous as Sivi or the kingdom itself may be named after him. Sivi king was famous for his truthfulness...

. Probably Sauvira and Sivi were two kingdoms close to the Sindhu kingdom and Jayadratha conquered them. Jayadratha was an ally of Duryodhana

Duryodhana

In the Hindu epic the Mahābhārata, Duryodhana is the eldest son of the blind king Dhritarashtra by Queen Gandhari, the eldest of the one hundred Kaurava brothers, Emperor of the world at that time which means Emperor of India or Bharatvarsha as it was known at that time, cousin and the chief...

and husband of Duryodhana's sister Dussala. The kingdom of Sauvira was also mentioned to be not very far away from Dwaraka

Dwaraka Kingdom

In the Mahabharata, Dvārakā is the capital of the Yadus who ruled the Anarta Kingdom....

and Anarta

Anarta Kingdom

Anarta was a kingdom of ancient India, roughly forming the northern Gujarat state of India. It was ruled by Yadavas after they fled from Mathura of Surasena Kingdom, due to the attacks of Jarasandha, the king of Magadha. The Yadava chiefs like Vasudeva Krishna, Bala Rama , Kritavarma and Satyaki,...

kingdoms. According to Bhagwat Puran Sauviras were once connected with Abhira tribe.

According to some texts, Sauvira was south of Sindhu

Sindhu Kingdom

in the delta of the Indus river; while later historians (Al-Beruni) considered Sauvira to represent southwest Punjab, including Multan

Multan

Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...

, Mithankot

Mithankot

Mithankot , is located in southern Punjab, Pakistan.- Geography :Mithankot is located on the right bank of the Indus River, only a short distance downstream from its junction with Panjnad River. The latter is formed by successive confluence of the five rivers of Punjab, namely Jhelum, Chenab,...

and adjacent areas at the region of the confluence of Indus river with other rivers of Punjab

Punjab region

The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...

. Sauvira is presumed to be derived from two words: Su (great or good) or Sau (one hundred) and Veer (brave or wise). Sauviraki, the language spoken by inhabitants of the Sauvira kingdom, is currently known as Saraiki and has spread to the entire south and southwest parts of Punjab.(Dr. A H Dani)

Cultural afinity

Main article Bahlika Culture
Bahlika Culture
Bahlika Culture was a form of culture that prevailed in ancient India. This culture was linked to the Vedic culture, but with many variations. Often these variations were seen by the people following Vedic culture as deviations and they had a feeling of contempt upon the members of this culture. It...

Culturally Sauviras were mentioned as similar to the Madras

Madra Kingdom

Madra Kingdom was a kingdom grouped among the western kingdoms in the epic Mahabharata. Its capital was Sagala, modern Sialkot . The Kuru king Pandu's second wife was from Madra kingdom and was called Madri. The Pandava twins, Nakula and Sahadeva, were her sons. Madri's brother Shalya was the king...

as per Karna

Karna

Karna or Radheya is one of the central characters in the epic Mahābhārata, from ancient India. He was the King of Anga...

:- The Prasthalas, the Madras

Madra Kingdom

, the Gandharas

Gandhara Kingdom

Gandhara is a kingdom grouped among the western kingdoms in the epic Mahabharata. The epic Ramayana also mentions it as a western kingdom. Gandhara prince Sakuni was the root of all the conspiracies of Duryodhana against the Pandavas, which finally resulted in the Kurukshetra War. Sakuni's sister...

, the Arattas, those called Khasas

Khasa Kingdom

Khasas were a north western tribe mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. They were probably the modern day Kazakhs found predominantly in Kazakhstan a Central Asian Republic. It is not clear if the Khasas mentioned in Mahabharata were a migrant group from Khasakhstan or original Khasakhs...

, the Vasatis, the Sindhus

Sindhu Kingdom

and the Sauviras are almost as blamable in their practices (8:44).

Military habits

The Gandharas

Gandhara Kingdom

(or Gandharvas

Gandharva Kingdom

Gandharva Kingdom refers to the territory inhabited by a people called the Gandharvas, who were one of the Exotic Tribes of Ancient India. They were well versed in music and dance. Gandarvas were also powerful warriors who roamed in Indian kingdoms disregarding any Indian king or Kshatriya warrior...

), the Sindhus

Sindhu Kingdom

, and the Sauviras fight best with their nails and lances. They are brave and endued with great strength. Their armies are capable of vanquishing all forces, The Usinaras are possessed of great strength and skilled in all kinds of weapons. The Easterners are skilled in fighting from the backs of war elephants and are conversant with all the ways of unfair fight. The Yavanas

Yavana Kingdom

Yavana or Yona is grouped under western countries along with Sindhu, Madra, Kekeya, Gandhara and Kamboja as per the descriptions in the epic Mahabharata. In later history, this word was used to indicate the Greeks and the Arabs, leading to much confusion....

, the Kamvojas, and those that dwell around Mathura are well skilled in fighting with bare arms. The Southerners are skilled in fighting sword in hand (12:100).

Battles between Sindhu and Sauvira

At (5:133) we find Kunti telling the story of Vidula who persuaded her son, who was the king of Sauvira but banished by the Sindhu king, to fight against the Sindhus and take back his kingdom from them:- The princess Vidula, one day, rebuked her own son, who, after his defeat by the king of the Sindhus

Sindhu Kingdom

, lay prostrate with heart depressed by despair (5:133). Rejoice, O son, and make thyself happy in the possession of wealth in the company of the daughters of the Sauviras and do not, in weakness of heart, be ruled over by the daughters of the Saindhavas (5:134). Pierced by the wordy arrows of his mother, the son roused himself like a steed of proud mettle and achieved (defeating the Sindhus) all that his mother had pointed out. (5:136).

Suvira

The kingdom of Sauvira was founded by Prince Suvira, one of the sons of Sivi. The neighboring kingdoms of Madra, Kekaya, and Sindhu belonged to Madraka, Kekaya, and Vrsadarbh, the other three sons of Sivi.

Jayadratha

Jayadratha was not only the king of Sauvira but of Sindhu

Sindhu Kingdom

and other countries too (3:265). The warriors of the Sivi

Sivi Kingdom

, Sauvira and Sindhu

Sindhu Kingdom

tribes were under the command of Jayadratha (3:269).

At (11:22) Jayadradha is mentioned as the king of Sindhu

Sindhu Kingdom

and Saivira. Here (11:22) we find that apart from Dussala (the sister of Duryodhana

Duryodhana

), Jayadradha had two other wives, one from Gandhara

Gandhara Kingdom

and the other from Kamboja.

Jayadratha is mentioned as the king of Sauvira at many places in Mahabharata. At (3:263) is a conversation of Jayadratha's ally Kotika and Draupadi
Draupadi
In the epic Mahābhārata, Draupadi, also known as ' is the "emerged" daughter of King Drupada of Panchāla and the wife of the five Pandavas. When Yudhisthira becomes the king of Hastinapura at the end of the war, Draupadi becomes the queen of Indraprastha...

the wife of the Pandavas

I am king Suratha’s son whom people know by the name of Kotika, and that man with eyes large as the petals of the lotus, sitting on a chariot of gold, is the warrior known by the name of Kshemankara, king of Trigarta

Trigarta Kingdom

Trigarta was a kingdom mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. Mahabharata mentions two different Trigarta kingdoms, one in the west close to the Sivi Kingdom and the other north to the Kuru Kingdom. Modern Kangra district is one of the ancient town in North Trigarta, India, extending westward to the...

. And behind him is the famous son of the king of Pulinda, who is even now gazing on thee. Armed with a mighty bow and endued with large eyes, and decorated with floral wreaths, he always liveth on the breasts of mountains. The dark and handsome young man, the scourge of his enemies, standing at the edge of that tank, is the son of Suvala of the race of Ikshwaku

Ikshwaku

Ikshwakus were a mythical dynasty of rulers of ancient India, which branched out from the Solar Dynasty. They ruled from the Kosala Kingdom with Ayodhya as their capital. The two Indian epics, viz. Ramayana and Mahabharata have numerous mentions of this dynasty. The most famous among all the...

. And if, O excellent lady, thou hast ever heard the name of Jayadratha

Jayadratha

, the king of Sauviras, even he is there at the head of six thousand chariots, with horses and elephants and infantry, and followed by twelve Sauvira princes as his standard-bearers, named Angaraka, Kunjara, Guptaka, Satrunjaya, Srinjaya, Suprabiddha, Prabhankara, Bhramara, Ravi, Sura, Pratapa and Kuhana, all mounted on chariots drawn by chestnut horses. The brothers also of the king, viz., the powerful Valahaka, Anika, Vidarana and others, are among his followers. These strong-limbed and noble youths are the flowers of the Sauvira chivalry. The king is journeying in the company of these his friends.

Other Sauvira kings

King named Satrunjaya among the Sauviras was mentioned again at (12:139) The whole chapter is a conversation between this king and a sage in the Bharadwaja clan.

Arjuna

Arjuna

Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...

and the other Pandava

Pandava

In the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, the Pandava are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu , by his two wives Kunti and Madri. Their names are Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. Although, Karna is told by Lord Krishna that according to the laws and ethics he is the first son of Kunti making...

princes became so powerful that they slew in battle the great Sauvira who had performed a sacrifice extending over three years, undaunted by the raids of the Gandharvas

Gandharva Kingdom

(alternatively Gandharas

Gandhara Kingdom

). And the king of the Yavanas

Yavana Kingdom

himself whom the powerful Pandu

Pandu

In the Mahābhārata epic, King Pandu is the son of Ambalika and Rishi Ved Vyasa. He is more popularly known as the father of the Pandavas and ruled Hastinapur.-Birth:...

even had failed to bring under subjection was brought by Arjuna under control. Then again Vipula, the king of the Sauviras, endued with great prowess, who had always shown a disregard for the Kurus

Kuru Kingdom

Kuru was the name of an ancient kingdom in Vedic India, and later a republican Mahajanapada state. The kingdom was located in the area of modern Haryana, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh in India. They formed the first political center of the of the Vedic India, with its capital at Hastinapur. It...

, was made by the intelligent Arjuna to feel the edge of his power. And Arjuna also repressed by means of his arrows (the pride of) king Sumitra of Sauvira, also known by the name of Dattamitra who had resolutely sought an encounter with him (1:141)

King Suvira is mentioned at (1:67). Prajapati (patriarch) Manu

Manu (Hinduism)

In various Hindu traditions, Manu is a title accorded to the progenitor of mankind, and also the very first brahman king to rule this earth, who saved mankind from the universal flood. He was absolutely honest which was why he was initially known as "Satyavrata"...

's son was Ikshwaku

Ikshwaku

. His tenth son was named Dasaswa who became the king of Mahishmati

Mahishmati

Mahishmati was an ancient city mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. It was the capital of the kingdom named Heheya. Kartavirya Arjuna, a Yadava king, was the foremost ruler of Mahismati and Haiheya . He was killed by Bhargava Rama. Epic Ramayana mentions about the attack of Rakshasa king Ravana on...

. Dasaswa’s son was Madiraswa. Madiraswa’s son was the king named Dyutimat. Dyutimat’s son was the highly devout and pious king who was famous in all the worlds under the name of Suvira. His soul was intent on religion. Suvira too had a son by the name of Sudurjaya (13:2).

King Ajavindu among the Suviras was mentioned as an annihilator of his own race (5:74).

Sauvira in Kurukshetra War

In Kurukshetra War
Kurukshetra war
According to the Indian epic poem Mahābhārata, a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in the Kurukshetra War in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of...

, Sauvira sided with the Kauravas under their ruler Jayadratha
Jayadratha
In the epic Mahābhārata, Jayadratha was the king of Sindhu Kingdom . He was married to Dushala, the only sister of the 100 Kaurava brothers. He was the son of the sinful king Vridhakshtra.- Abduction of Draupadi:...

. (6:71), (7:10,136)

In Bhishma

Bhishma

Bhishma or Bheeshma or Devavrata or 'Bhishma Pitamah' was the eighth son of Kuru King Shantanu who was blessed with wish-long life and had sworn to serve the ruling Kuru king. He was one of the most prominent characters of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. He was the grand uncle of both the...

’s division were all the sons of Dhritarashtra

Dhritarashtra

In the Mahābhārata, Dhritarashtra was King of Hastinapur at the time of the Kurukshetra War, the epic's climactic event. He was born the son of Vichitravirya's first wife Ambika, and was fathered by Vyasa. He was blind from birth, and became father to a hundred children by his wife Gandhari...

, and also Sala who was a countryman of the Valhikas

Bahlika Kingdom

All the western Indian kingdoms were known by the general name Bahlika meaning outsider. Thus these people were considered as outsiders of the Vedic culture. However, the name Bahlika is sometimes used to denote a kingdom within the present Punjab, different from Madra, Sindhu, Kekeya, Gandhara or...

, and also all those Kshatriyas called Amvastas, and those called Sindhus

Sindhu Kingdom

, and those also that are called Sauviras, and the heroic dwellers of the country of the five rivers (6:20).

The Abhishahas, the Surasenas, the Sivis

Sivi Kingdom

, and the Vasatis, the Swalyas

Salwa Kingdom

Salwa is a kingdom grouped among the western kingdoms in the epic Mahabharata. It is close to Madra Kingdom as both are mentioned together in many places. Saubha is its capital. Martikavati also is mentioned as the capital of Salwa kingdom. The famous prince Satyavan was from Salwa...

, the Matsyas

Matsya Kingdom

Matsya or Machcha , classically called the Mese , was the name of a tribe and the state of the Vedic civilization of India. It lay to south of the kingdom of Kurus and west of the Yamuna which separated it from the kingdom of Panchalas...

, the Amvashtas, the Trigartas

Trigarta Kingdom

, and the Kekayas, the Sauviras, the Kitavas, and the dwellers of the Eastern, Western, and the Northern countries,--these twelve brave races were resolved to fight reckless of the lives (6:18).

Those warriors that are opposed to Arjuna

Arjuna

, viz., the Sauvirakas, the Sindhava

Sindhu Kingdom

-Pauravas, headed by Karna

Karna

Karna or Radheya is one of the central characters in the epic Mahābhārata, from ancient India. He was the King of Anga...

, are regarded as foremost of car-warriors (7:108). Many combatants belonging to the Nishadas, the Sauviras, the Valhikas

Bahlika Kingdom

, the Daradas

Darada Kingdom

Daradas were a people who lived north to the Kashmir valley. This kingdom is identified to be the Gilgit region in Kashmir along the river Sindhu or Indus. They are often spoken along with the Kambojas...

, the Westerners, the Northerners, the Malavas

Malava Kingdom

Malava kingdom was one among the many kingdoms ruled by the Yadava kings in the central and western India, corresponding to the Malwa region. Sometimes Avanti and Malava were described to be the same country. They were originally a western tribe, in Punjab province of Pakistan. Later they migrated...

, the Abhighatas, the Surasenas

Surasena Kingdom

Surasena Kingdom was ruled by Yaduvanshi kings as per the epic Mahabharata. It is said to be named after the King Shoorsen. The capital city of this kingdom, Mathura was founded by Shatrughna, the brother of Sri Rama the ruler of Kosala in Treta Yuga. He conquered this region after defeating the...

, the Sivis

Sivi Kingdom

, the Vasatis, the Salwas

Salwa Kingdom

, the Sakas

Saka Kingdom

Sakas were a Mlechcha tribe grouped along with the Yavanas, Tusharas and Barbaras. They were later known as Scythians. They were Soma drinkers, Soma being an intoxicating liquor famous in the land of Devas . There were a group of Sakas called Apa Sakas meaning water dwelling Sakas, probably living...

, the Trigartas

Trigarta Kingdom

, the Amvashthas, and the Kekayas

Kekeya Kingdom

Kekeya is a kingdom grouped among the western kingdoms in the epic Mahabharata. The epic Ramayana also mentions Kekeya as a western kingdom. One of the wives of Dasaratha, the king of Kosala and father of Raghava Rama, was from Kekeya kingdom and was known as Kaikeyi...

, similarly fell upon Arjuna

Arjuna

(6:118). Bhishma

Bhishma

protected by the warriors headed by Saindhava

Sindhu Kingdom

and by the combatants of the East and the Sauviras and the Kekayas

Kekeya Kingdom

, fought with great impetuosity (6:52).

The diverse tribes of the Sauviras, the Vasatis, and the Kshudrakas, and the Malavas, all these, at the command of Bhishma

Bhishma

, quickly approached Arjuna

Arjuna

for battle (6:59).

Other References

Prompted by sinful motives, Shishupala
Shishupala
Shishupala or Sisupala was son of Damaghosha, king of Chedi, by Srutadeva, sister of Vasudeva. Therefore he was not only cousin of Krishna, but also Krishna's implacable foe, because Krishna had carried off Rukmini, his intended wife...

of Chedi
Chedi Kingdom
Chedi kingdom was one among the many kingdoms ruled during early periods by Paurava kings and later by Yaduvanshi Rajput kings in the central and western India. It falls roughly in the Bundelkhand division of Madhya Pradesh regions to the south of river Yamuna and along river Betwa or Vetravati...

ravished the reluctant wife of the innocent Vabhru (Akrura) on her way from Dwaraka
Dwaraka Kingdom
In the Mahabharata, Dvārakā is the capital of the Yadus who ruled the Anarta Kingdom....

to the country of the Sauviras. This is an indication of the ancient route that existed connecting Dwaraka and Sauvira.
Manasyu (a king in the line of Puru
Puru
The Purus were a tribe, or a confederation of tribes, mentioned many times in the Rigveda, formed around 3180 BCE. RV 7.96.2 locates them at the banks of the Sarasvati River. There were several factions of Purus, one being the Bharatas...

) had for his wife Sauviri. And he begat upon her three sons called Sakta, Sahana, and Vagmi. (1:94).
Shalya is mentioned as belonging to Sauvira clan at (8:9) (This could be a translation error).

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.