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Battle of the Ten Kings

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391:, whom Witzel deems to have produced the most "detailed, and ingenious reinterpretation" of the hymns, locates a unique poetic moment across the RV corpus, in their extraordinarily abundant usage of sarcastic allusions, similes and puns to mock the tribal alliance. Some of those allusions seem to be heavily context-specific and (still) remain unrecognized; there exist considerable disputes about interpretations of particular words, in light of the employed figures of speech and other poetic devices. 462:
Though seemingly an unequal battle, going by the numbers (this aspect is highlighted multiple times in the hymns), Sudas decisively won against the tribal alliance by strategic breaching of a dyke on the river thereby drowning most (?) of the opponents. This sudden change in fortunes is attributed to
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adopts a similar stance. However, Witzel maintains the nucleus text of the Mahabharata to be in description of some event in the Late Vedic spans; it was since reshaped (and expanded) over centuries of transmission and recreation to (probably) reflect the Battle of the Ten Kings.
510:
A political realignment between Purus and Bharatas probably followed soon enough and might have included other factions of the tribal union as well; this is exhibited from how the core collection of RV prominently features clan-hymns of both the sides.
385:, while Ranbir Chakravarti argues that the battle was probably fought for controlling the rivers, which were a lifeline for irrigation. The hymns also makes mention of the concurring tribes seeking to steal cows from the Bharatas. 514:
The territory would eventually become the first South-Asian "state" under the Kuru tribe in post-RV span. It became the heart-land of Brahminical culture and purity, which eventually would influence and transform Indian culture,
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have considered the battle as a historical event, based on the narration-characteristics of the verses. Witzel dates the battle between approximately 1450 and 1300 BCE; he deems the concerned hymns to be late interpolations.
419:. The principal antagonist is doubtful, and names of the participating tribes are difficult to retrieve, in light of the phonological deformations of their names. Plausible belligerents of the tribal union include (in order) 594:
rejects Witzel's and Brockington's arguments as "baffling fancy" and notes a complete lack of means to connect the battle with the "fratricidal struggle" of the Mahabharata.
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Both Witzel and Jamison find the very next hymn (7.19, verse 3) to show a striking shift of allegiance with Indra helping Sudas as well the Purus, who won land.
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Palihawadana, Mahinda (2017). Mumm, Peter-Arnold; West, Tina (eds.). "The Indra Cult as Ideology A Clue to Power Struggle in an Ancient Society".
1467: 1340: 1300: 937: 411:. The Bharata king and their priest are respectively mentioned as Sudas Paijavana and Vasistha, in the Rig Veda; however the names change in 377:. This alliance was confronted in a battle, which is described in the 18th hymn (verses 5-21) of Book 7. The exact motivations are unclear; 1462: 553:
notes it to be the most famous historical conflict in RV—in that, it secured the dominance of Bharatas over Vedic tribes—as does Witzel.
581:. John Brockington takes a similar approach. S. S. N. Murthy goes to the extent of proposing the battle as the very "nucleus" of the 1130: 745: 1224: 1171: 499:
ritual to commemorate the establishment of a realm, free of enemies from the north, east, and west. He still had enemies in the
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warns against using it as a major source to reconstruct history since the description of the battle is "anything but clear."
975:"PROFESSOR V.K. THAKUR MEMORIAL PRIZED PAPER: WHEN THE BHŪPATI SOUGHT THE GOPATI'S WEALTH: LOCATING THE "MAHĀBHĀRATA ECONOMY" 613: 568: 640:, who replaced Vishwamitra. However, Jamison rejects that there exists any evidence of Vasistha-Vishwamitra feud in RV. 652:
deemed it to be Bheda, incorrectly. Witzel proposes Trasadasyu. Palihawadana proposes Purukutsa, Trasadasyu's father.
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versus a confederation of tribes. It resulted in a decisive victory for the Bharatas and subsequent formation of the
1381: 1002: 1096: 859: 586: 520: 479:, wherein the local chieftain Bhida was defeated along with three other tribes — Ajas, Śighras, and the Yakṣus. 1472: 1285:
Recht, Staat und Verwaltung im klassischen Indien / The State, the Law, and Administration in Classical India
404: 649: 536: 1280: 1252: 1203: 919: 915: 787: 673: 550: 541: 523:. The Purus went on to survive as a marginal power in Punjab; Witzel and some other scholars believe 516: 388: 1428: 1373: 994: 943: 420: 186: 636:, the family priest of the Bharatas and makes no mention of the battle. Book 7 was composed by 1477: 1420: 1365: 1336: 1296: 1126: 1088: 1044: 986: 933: 851: 807: 741: 693: 381:
argues that it might have been a product of intra-tribal resentment or intrigues of an ousted
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to the south, which was inhabited by the despised (unknown if Indo-Aryan or non-Indo-Aryan)
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The Battle of the Ten Kings led Bharatas to occupy the entire Puru territory of Western
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area where they came across a nascent (and temporary) inter-tribal alliance of both
740:. Vol. I. Oxford University Press. pp. 880, 902–905, 923–925, 1015–1016. 444: 427:(probably commanded by Turvasa), Yaksu (relatively unimportant or a pun for Yadu), 362: 327: 131: 101: 467:, the patron-god of Bharatas, whose blessings were secured by Vasistha's poetics. 1333:
Rethinking the Mahabharata: A Reader's Guide to the Education of the Dharma King
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The Indo-Aryans of Ancient South Asia: Language, Material Culture and Ethnicity
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and complete their east-ward migration. Sudas celebrated his victory with the
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Hiltebeitel, Alf (1 June 2000). "John Brockington, The Sanskrit Epics".
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Witzel notes this battle to be the probable archetype/prototype of the
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Thereafter, the battleground (probably) shifted to the banks of river
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Historicity of the Mahabharata § The Battle of the Ten Kings
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Schmidt, Hans-Peter (March 1980). "Notes on Rgveda 7.18.5–10".
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The first phase of the battle took place on the banks of the
916:"4. Early Indian history: Linguistic and textual parametres" 1121:
Brereton, Joel P.; Jamison, Stephanie W., eds. (2020).
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Brereton, Joel P.; Jamison, Stephanie W., eds. (2014).
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Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute
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Hiltebeitel, Alf (30 October 2001). "Introduction".
527:(c. early 300 BC) to be a king from the same tribe. 738:
The Rigveda: The Earliest Religious Poetry of India
832:"The Questionable Historicity of the Mahabharata" 334:may have "formed the 'nucleus' of story" of the 330:. The Battle of the Ten Kings, mentioned in the 535:Numerous translators since the 1800s including 34: 1208:: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of April 2024 ( 1030: 1028: 1026: 1024: 1022: 1020: 8: 1335:. University of Chicago Press. p. 2. 979:Proceedings of the Indian History Congress 557:Possible prototype for the Kurukshetra War 31: 1176:crossasia-repository.ub.uni-heidelberg.de 1358:"KṚṢṆA, PARIS, AND SEVEN SIMILAR HEROES" 1186:(inactive 25 April 2024). Archived from 1125:. Oxford University Press. p. 34. 665: 625: 1261: 1250: 1201: 812:: CS1 maint: archived copy as title ( 805: 698:: CS1 maint: archived copy as title ( 691: 423:(erstwhile master-tribe of Bharatas), 1458:Battles involving the Indian kingdoms 1326: 1324: 1165: 1163: 1161: 1116: 1114: 1067:Stuhrmann, Rainer (11 October 2016). 1062: 1060: 1058: 909: 907: 905: 903: 901: 899: 897: 830:Murthy, S. S. N. (8 September 2016). 770:Harvard Oriental Series, Opera Minora 731: 729: 7: 1069:"Die Zehnkönigsschlacht am Ravifluß" 895: 893: 891: 889: 887: 885: 883: 881: 879: 877: 727: 725: 723: 721: 719: 717: 715: 713: 711: 709: 463:the benevolence and strategizing of 1148:Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies 1073:Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies 954:from the original on 12 August 2021 836:Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies 794:from the original on 12 August 2021 680:from the original on 12 August 2021 1384:from the original on 12 April 2021 1309:from the original on 12 April 2021 1005:from the original on 12 April 2021 491:(then Panchanada) centered around 25: 353:of the Rig Veda states that the 27:Battle recounted in the Rigveda 614:Historicity of the Mahabharata 365:, moving towards the (future) 314:(RV) and took place between a 306:) was first alluded to in the 1: 1283:. In Kölver, Bernhard (ed.). 517:merging with local traditions 47: 1468:Wars involving ancient India 1463:2nd-millennium BC conflicts 918:. In Erdosy, George (ed.). 301: 59:Near Parusni river (modern 1494: 1417:10.1163/000000000124993958 566: 560: 930:10.1515/9783110816433-009 521:Historical Vedic religion 291: 241: 111: 39: 1279:Witzel, Michael (1997). 1223:Witzel, Michael (2000). 1170:Witzel, Michael (1997). 1085:10.11588/ejvs.2016.1.933 914:Witzel, Michael (1995). 848:10.11588/ejvs.2003.5.782 761:Witzel, Michael (1997). 519:and developing into the 1233:10.11588/xarep.00000120 1184:10.11588/xarep.00000110 632:Book 3 was composed by 284:Battle of the Ten Kings 35:Battle of the Ten Kings 1356:Ruben, Walter (1977). 1260:Cite journal requires 650:Karl Friedrich Geldner 242:Commanders and leaders 1293:10.1524/9783486594355 973:Sinha, Kanad (2015). 1405:Indo-Iranian Journal 1123:The Rigveda: A Guide 551:Stephanie W. Jamison 542:Stephanie W. Jamison 403:(then Parusni) near 1099:on 22 December 2021 389:Hanns-Peter Schmidt 1239:on 11 January 2022 862:on 26 January 2019 577:, narrated in the 417:Yajurveda Samhitas 1342:978-0-226-34054-8 1302:978-3-486-59435-5 1190:on 12 August 2021 1178:: 263, 267, 320. 939:978-3-11-081643-3 280: 279: 107: 106: 16:(Redirected from 1485: 1437: 1436: 1400: 1394: 1393: 1391: 1389: 1353: 1347: 1346: 1328: 1319: 1318: 1316: 1314: 1276: 1270: 1269: 1263: 1258: 1256: 1248: 1246: 1244: 1235:. Archived from 1220: 1214: 1213: 1207: 1199: 1197: 1195: 1167: 1156: 1155: 1143: 1137: 1136: 1118: 1109: 1108: 1106: 1104: 1095:. Archived from 1064: 1053: 1052: 1032: 1015: 1014: 1012: 1010: 970: 964: 963: 961: 959: 911: 872: 871: 869: 867: 858:. 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F. Geldner 530: 528: 526: 522: 518: 512: 508: 506: 502: 498: 494: 490: 482: 480: 478: 470: 468: 466: 460: 458: 454: 450: 446: 442: 438: 434: 430: 426: 422: 418: 414: 410: 406: 402: 394: 392: 390: 386: 384: 383:family priest 380: 376: 372: 368: 364: 360: 356: 355:Bharata tribe 352: 345: 343: 341: 337: 333: 329: 325: 321: 317: 313: 309: 305: 303: 297: 289: 285: 273: 272: 271: 266: 263: 260: 259: 258: 257:First Phase: 255: 253: 249: 246: 245: 240: 235: 232: 229: 226: 223: 222: 221: 216: 213: 210: 208: 205: 203: 200: 197: 193: 190: 188: 185: 183: 180: 178: 175: 173: 170: 168: 165: 163: 160: 157: 153: 150: 148: 145: 143: 140: 138: 135: 133: 130: 129: 128: 127:First Phase: 125: 123: 119: 116: 115: 110: 103: 100:Emergence of 98: 94: 91: 86: 85: 81: 77: 74: 71: 70: 66: 62: 57: 54: 53: 46: 43: 42: 38: 33: 30: 19: 1408: 1404: 1398: 1386:. Retrieved 1361: 1351: 1332: 1311:. Retrieved 1284: 1274: 1253:cite journal 1241:. Retrieved 1237:the original 1218: 1204:cite journal 1192:. 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Retrieved 668: 645: 628: 587:Walter Ruben 572: 549: 546: 534: 513: 509: 486: 474: 471:Second phase 461: 398: 387: 363:Sutlej river 349: 299: 283: 281: 269: 256: 219: 126: 112:Belligerents 102:Kuru kingdom 29: 1079:(1): 1–61. 842:(5): 1–15. 634:Vishwamitra 609:Mahabharata 579:Mahabharata 531:Historicity 409:Kurukshetra 395:First phase 371:Indo-Aryans 367:Kurukshetra 340:Mahabharata 328:Kuru polity 308:7th Mandala 265:Vishwamitra 97:Kurukshetra 87:Territorial 1447:Categories 1411:(2): 162. 866:26 January 660:References 567:See also: 497:Ashvamedha 407:, west of 401:Ravi river 359:Beas river 324:King Sudas 95:settle in 1433:189772160 1425:1572-8536 1370:0378-1143 1093:1084-7561 1049:0019-686X 1043:: 41–47. 991:2249-1937 985:: 67–68. 948:238465491 856:1084-7561 483:Aftermath 451:, Sivas, 449:Vishanins 261:Ten Kings 252:Vashishta 207:Vishanins 18:Dasarajna 1478:Bharatas 1388:12 April 1382:Archived 1378:41691699 1313:12 April 1307:Archived 1243:12 April 1194:15 April 1154:(2): 51. 1103:15 April 1009:12 April 1003:Archived 999:44156566 958:12 April 952:Archived 808:cite web 798:12 April 792:Archived 694:cite web 684:12 April 678:Archived 638:Vasistha 598:See also 453:Vaikarna 441:Bhalanas 413:Samaveda 357:crossed 320:Bharatas 288:Sanskrit 215:Vaikarna 147:Bhalanas 93:Bharatas 55:Location 1453:Rigveda 505:Kikatas 437:Pakthas 433:Druhyus 429:Matsyas 338:in the 332:Rigveda 318:of the 312:Rigveda 310:of the 230:Śighras 202:Pakhtas 167:Turvasa 162:Druhyus 142:Bhrigus 118:Bharata 89:changes 82:victory 80:Bharata 1431:  1423:  1376:  1368:  1339:  1299:  1227:: 37. 1129:  1091:  1047:  1037:Indica 997:  989:  946:  936:  854:  776:: 264. 744:  489:Punjab 477:Yamuna 455:, and 445:Alinas 351:Book 3 346:Battle 322:named 234:Yakṣus 182:Matsya 177:Yakṣus 72:Result 65:Punjab 1429:S2CID 1374:JSTOR 995:JSTOR 944:S2CID 766:(PDF) 620:Notes 525:Porus 465:Indra 421:Purus 274:Bhida 211:Sivas 196:Parni 192:Panis 187:Purus 172:Yadus 156:Dahae 132:Alina 122:Trtsu 76:Trtsu 1421:ISSN 1390:2021 1366:ISSN 1337:ISBN 1315:2021 1297:ISBN 1266:help 1245:2021 1210:link 1196:2021 1127:ISBN 1105:2021 1089:ISSN 1045:ISSN 1011:2021 987:ISSN 960:2021 934:ISBN 868:2019 852:ISSN 814:link 800:2021 742:ISBN 700:link 686:2021 425:Yadu 415:and 373:and 361:and 316:king 296:IAST 282:The 227:Ajas 152:Dasa 61:Ravi 44:Date 1413:doi 1289:doi 1229:doi 1180:doi 1081:doi 926:doi 844:doi 457:Anu 137:Anu 63:), 1449:: 1427:. 1419:. 1409:43 1407:. 1380:. 1372:. 1360:. 1323:^ 1305:. 1295:. 1257:: 1255:}} 1251:{{ 1206:}} 1202:{{ 1174:. 1160:^ 1152:24 1150:. 1113:^ 1087:. 1077:23 1071:. 1057:^ 1041:17 1039:. 1019:^ 1001:. 993:. 983:76 981:. 977:. 950:. 942:. 932:. 876:^ 850:. 840:10 838:. 834:. 822:^ 810:}} 806:{{ 790:. 772:. 768:. 708:^ 696:}} 692:{{ 676:. 585:; 507:. 459:. 447:, 443:, 439:, 435:, 431:, 342:. 298:: 294:, 290:: 158:?) 48:c. 1435:. 1415:: 1392:. 1345:. 1317:. 1291:: 1268:) 1264:( 1247:. 1231:: 1212:) 1198:. 1182:: 1135:. 1107:. 1083:: 1051:. 1013:. 962:. 928:: 870:. 846:: 816:) 802:. 774:2 750:. 702:) 688:. 286:( 198:) 194:( 154:( 78:- 20:)

Index

Dasarajna
Ravi
Punjab
Trtsu
Bharata
Bharatas
Kurukshetra
Kuru kingdom
Bharata
Trtsu
Alina
Anu
Bhrigus
Bhalanas
Dasa
Dahae
Druhyus
Turvasa
Yadus
Yakṣus
Matsya
Purus
Panis
Parni
Pakhtas
Vishanins
Vaikarna
Yakṣus
Sudas Paijavana
Vashishta

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