Ancient and Medieval Indian Rulers

According to the Hindu epic Mahabharata, the magical and illusionary palace known as Mayasabha was constructed by the Asura architect Maya for the Pandavas in Indraprastha. Vishwakarma is the divine architect of the gods, but Maya specifically designed this hall.

Harshavardhana (Harsha) belonged to the Vardhana (also called Pushyabhuti) dynasty, which ruled from Thanesar and later Kanauj. He unified much of North India after the Gupta decline and ruled from 606-647 CE. The Maurya, Gupta, and Kanva were different dynasties from other periods.

Sri Gupta (c. 240-280 CE) is regarded as the founder of the Gupta dynasty, though his grandson Chandragupta I (r. 320-335 CE) was the first great ruler who significantly expanded the empire and started the Gupta Era. Chandragupta II was a later famous ruler. Bimbisara belonged to the Haryanka dynasty.

Pulakeshin I (c. 543-566 CE) established the Chalukya dynasty of Badami in South India. His son Kirtivarman I and grandson Pulakeshin II expanded the kingdom; Pulakeshin II was famous for defeating Harshavardhana. Kirtivarman II was the last ruler of this dynasty.

Dantidurga (also called Dantidurga I or Dantivarman) founded the Rashtrakuta dynasty in the 8th century (c. 735-756 CE). He overthrew the Chalukya ruler Kirtivarman II and established Rashtrakuta dominance. Later famous rulers included Amoghavarsha I and Krishna I.

The Kakatiya dynasty was the most powerful dynasty to rule the Andhra region. They were known for their architectural achievements including the 1000 Pillar Temple and Warangal Fort. Pandya, Chola, and Pallava were Tamil dynasties.

Kallanai (Grand Anicut), built by Karikala Chola around the 2nd century AD, is one of the oldest operational water diversion structures in the world, located near Trichy. Rajendra Chola, Raja Raja Chola, and Kulothunga Chola were other great Chola rulers but not associated with Kallanai.

Hanuman belonged to the Kishkindha kingdom, which was ruled by his uncle Sugriva and later by Vali. Kishkindha was the monkey kingdom mentioned in the Ramayana, located in present-day Karnataka. Mithila, Panchvati, and Avadh are different locations associated with other characters.

Dasharatha's kingdom was Kosala (also spelled Kosala), with Ayodhya as its capital. While Ayodhya is located in the region historically known as Avadh, the kingdom itself was called Kosala in ancient texts. Mithila was Janaka's kingdom, and Panchvati was Rama's forest exile location.

The Pandya dynasty was one of the three ancient Tamil kingdoms (the other two being Chola and Chera) that ruled southern India from approximately 6th century BCE to 16th century CE. Their core territory was in modern-day Tamil Nadu, with trade contacts across the Indian Ocean.

Narasimha Gupta (also called Narasimhagupta) is generally considered the last significant Gupta ruler, reigning in the late 6th century CE. The Gupta Empire declined after his reign. Chandragupta I founded the dynasty, while Madhavagupta and Bhanu Gupta were other rulers but not the last.

Shikhandi was killed in battle during the Kurukshetra war. He played a crucial role in Bhishma's death by engaging him in combat, as Bhishma would not raise weapons against a woman (Shikhandi was originally female and later male). The other three options (Kritavarma, Kripacharya, and Ashwatthama) all survived the 18-day war.

Karna was made the King of Anga by Duryodhana after being insulted for his low birth. Anga was an ancient kingdom located in eastern India (modern-day Bihar/West Bengal region). This was Duryodhana's way of honoring Karna and gaining his loyalty. Karna ruled Anga faithfully throughout the Mahabharata war.

Rajaraja I (985-1014 CE), the great Chola emperor, was originally named Arumozhi Varman (also written as Arumolivarman). He adopted the name Rajaraja after his coronation. His son Rajendra I and predecessors like Parantaka I did not bear this birth name.