Solar dynasty


The Solar dynasty or , also called the Ikshvaku dynasty, is a lineage or dynasty said to have been founded by Ikshvaku. In Hindu literature, it ruled the Kosala Kingdom, with its capital at Ayodhya, and later at Shravasti. They worshipped their clan deity, Surya, after whom the dynasty is named. Along with the Lunar dynasty, the Solar dynasty comprises one of the main lineages in Hinduism.
According to Jain literature, the first Tirthankara of Jainism, Rishabhanatha himself, was King Ikshvaku. Twenty-one further Tirthankaras were born in this dynasty.
According to Buddhist literature, Gautama Buddha descended from this dynasty.
The important personalities belonging to this royal house are Mandhatri, Muchukunda, Ambarisha, Bharata, Bahubali, Harishchandra, Dilīpa, Sagara, Raghu, Dasharatha, Rama, and Pasenadi. Both the Hindu Puranas and the Buddhist texts include Shuddodhana, Gautama Buddha, and Rahula in their accounts of the Ikshvaku dynasty but, according to the Buddhist texts, Mahasammata, an ancestor of Ikshvaku who was elected by the people as the first king of the present era, was the founder of this dynasty.

Origins

Suryavansha, or the Solar Dynasty, is one of the two major legendary Kshatriya dynasties found in Hindu Puranic and epic literature, the other being Chandravamsha or the Lunar dynasty. According to Harivamsa, Ikshvaku is considered the primogenitor of the dynasty of, and was granted the kingdom of Aryavarta by his father Vaivasvata Manu. Manu settled down in the Aryavarta region after he survived the great flood. A. K. Mozumdar states that Manu is the one who built a city on the Sarayu and called it Ayodhya meaning the 'invincible city'. This city served as the capital of many kings from the solar dynasty and is also believed to be the birthplace of Rama.
Some Hindu texts suggest Rishi Marichi, one of the seven sages and first human creations of Brahma as the progenitor of the dynasty. Marichi's eldest son Kashyapa is said to have settled down in Kashmir. He also contributed to the verses of the Vedas. Later, Vivasvan, son of Kashyapa and Aditi, famously known as the Hindu god Surya married Saranyu who was the daughter of Vishvakarman, the architect of devas. He had many children but Manu was given the responsibility of building the civilization and as a result it formed a dynasty that was named 'Suryavansha' or the solar dynasty. Manu is also the progenitor of the Lunar Dynasty because he married his daughter Ila to Budha, the son of Chandra or the moon god and the couple gave birth to the magnanimous King Pururavas who became the first king of the Chandravamsha, or the Lunar dynasty.

Historical claimants

After the death of the powerful king Prasenjit and disappearance of his successor Viḍūḍabha after defeating the Shakyas, the kingdom of Kosala declined. King Sumitra, who regarded himself to be the last Suryavansha ruler, was defeated by the powerful emperor Mahapadma Nanda of Magadha in 362 BCE. However, he wasn't killed, and fled to Rohtas, located in present-day Bihar.

Bhagavata Purana

Ikshvaku and his ancestor Manu are also mentioned in the Bhagavata Purana,

Buddhism

The Buddhist text, Buddhavaṃsa and Mahāvaṃsa traces the origin of the Shakyas to king Okkaka and gives their genealogy from Mahasammata, an ancestor of Okkaka. This list comprises the names of a number of prominent kings of the Ikshvaku dynasty, namely, Mandhata and Sagara. The genealogy according to the Mahavamsa is as follows:
  1. Okkāka
  2. Okkāmukha
  3. Sivisamjaya
  4. Sihassara
  5. Jayasena
  6. Sihahanu
  7. Suddhodana
  8. Gautama Buddha
  9. Rāhula

    Jainism

, the first Tirthankara, is identified with King Ikshvaku and the founder of the Ikshvaku dynasty. The earliest recorded reference to the Ikshvaku dynasty can be found in the Swayambhustotra, a Sanskrit epic poem composed by Acharya Samantabhadra, a Jain poet originally from Tamil Nadu. The Swayambhustotra praises the 24 Tirthankaras, including Rishabhanatha, and mentions the lineage of the Ikshvaku dynasty:
Rishabhanatha or Ikshvaku, the first of the kings of the Ikshvaku dynasty, was the seeker of liberation, won over His senses to get established in the pure Self, independent, endured afflictions, and steadfast in His resolve. He relinquished the expanse of the faithful lady earth, clothed,
as it were, up to the ocean, and embraced the noble asceticism. The Ikshvaku dynasty has a significant place in Jainism, as twenty-two Tirthankaras were born in this dynasty.
  • Origin
  • *Rishabhanatha, the founder of Jainism in the present Avasarpani era is said to have founded the Ikshvaku dynasty. The name for the Ikshvaku dynasty comes from the word ikhsu, another name of Rishabhanatha, because he taught people how to extract ikshu-rasa.
  • * Bharata Chakravarti and Bahubali, sons of Rishabha
  • *Arkakirti and Marichi, son of Bharata
  • at the time of Ajitanatha
  • *Jitashatru and his younger brother Sumitra
  • *Ajitanatha and Sagara
  • *Janhu, the one who flooded village of Nagas with waters of Ganga leading to turning of sixty thousand sons of Sagara into ashes by Jawalanprabha
  • *Bhagiratha
  • at the time of Sambhavanatha
  • *Jitari
  • *Sambhavanatha, the 3rd Tirthankara
  • at the time of Abhinandananatha
  • *Sanvara
  • *Abhinandananatha, the 4th Tirthankara
  • at the time of Sumatinatha
  • *Megha
  • *Sumatinatha, the 5th Tirthankara
  • at the time of Padmaprabha
  • *Sidhara
  • *Padmaprabha, the 6th Tirthankara
  • at the time of Suparshvanatha
  • *Pratishtha
  • *Suparshvanatha, the 7th Tirthankara
  • at the time of Chandraprabha
  • *Mahasena
  • *Chandraprabha, the 8th Tirthankara
  • at the time of Pushpadanta
  • *Sugriva
  • *Pushpadanta, the 9th Tirthankara
  • at the time of Shitalanatha
  • *Dridharatha
  • *Shitalanatha, the 10th Tirthankara
  • at the time of Shreyanasanatha
  • *Vishnu
  • *Shreyanasanatha, the 11th Tirthankara
  • at the time of Vasupujya
  • *Vasupujya
  • *Vasupujya, the 12th Tirthankara
  • at the time of Vimalanatha
  • *Kritavarma
  • *Vimalanatha, the 13th Tirthankara
  • at the time of Anantanatha
  • *Simhasena
  • *Anantanatha, the 14th Tirthankara
  • at the time of Dharmanatha
  • *Bhanu
  • *Dharmanatha, the 15th Tirthankara
  • at the time of Shantinatha
  • *Vishvasena
  • *Shantinatha, the 16th Tirthankara and 5th Chakravarti
  • * Chakrayudha, son of Shantinatha
  • * Kuruchandra, son of Chakrayudha
  • at the time of Kunthunatha
  • *Sura
  • *Kunthunatha, the 17th Tirthankara and 6th Chakravarti
  • at the time of Aranatha
  • *Sudarsana
  • *Arahnatha, the 18th Tirthankara and 7th Chakravarti
  • at the time of Mallinatha
  • *Kumbha
  • *Māllīnātha, the 19th Tirthankara
  • at the time of Munisuvrata
  • * Dasharatha
  • * Padma/Rama, the 8th Balabhadra
  • * Lakshmana, the 8th Vasudeva
  • * Madanankusha
  • * Anangalavana
  • at the time of Naminatha
  • *Vijaya
  • *Naminatha, the 21st Tirthankara
  • at the time of Parshvanatha
  • *Asvasena
  • *Parshvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankara
  • at the time of Mahavira
  • *Siddhartha
  • *Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara

    Rulers

Suryavanshi Kings before [Rama]

  1. Vaivasvata Manu or Satyavrata or Nabhi
  2. Ikshvaku
  3. Kukshi or Vikukshi or Śaśāda
  4. Bāna or Shakuni
  5. Kakutstha or Puranjaya or Anaranya I
  6. Anena
  7. Prithu
  8. Vishtarashva, Visvarandhi, or Viśvagandhi
  9. Chandra
  10. Yuvanashva I
  11. Shravasta
  12. Brihadashva
  13. Dhundumārashva or Kuvalayashva
  14. Dhreedhashva or Kapilashva or Bhadrashva
  15. Pramoda
  16. Haryashva I
  17. Nikumbha
  18. Baharnashva
  19. Giritashva
  20. Amitashva
  21. Krishashva or Akrutashva
  22. Prasenajit I
  23. Yuvanashva II
  24. Mandhata
  25. Purukutsa I and Muchukunda
  26. Ambarisha
  27. Trasadasyu
  28. Sambhruta
  29. Anaranya II
  30. Preeshadashva
  31. Haryashva II
  32. Hastya
  33. Sumana
  34. Tridhanva
  35. Trayyaruni
  36. Trishanku or Satyavrata II
  37. Harishchandra
  38. Rohitashva
  39. Harita
  40. Chanchu
  41. Chakshu or Sudeva
  42. Vijaya
  43. Ruruka or Brahuka
  44. Pratapendra
  45. Bruka
  46. Sushandhi
  47. Bahuka
  48. Vrika or Bharata II
  49. Bahu or Asita
  50. Sagara
  51. Amshuman
  52. Dilipa I
  53. Bhagiratha
  54. Suhotra
  55. Shruti
  56. Kukutsa II
  57. Raghu I
  58. Nabhaga
  59. Ambarisha II
  60. Shindhudvipa
  61. Ayutayu
  62. Pratayu
  63. Rituparna
  64. Sarvakama I
  65. Sudasa
  66. Kalmashapada
  67. Asmaka
  68. Mulaka or Sarvakama II
  69. Dasharatha I
  70. Ilibil or Ananaranya III
  71. Vishvamashaha
  72. Nidhna
  73. Animitra
  74. Duliduh or Mūlaka
  75. Dilipa II or Dirghabhahu or Khaṭvāṅga
  76. Raghu II
  77. Aja
  78. Dasharatha II
  79. Bharata III
  80. Lord Rama

    Suryavanshi Kings after [Rama]

  81. Kusha and Lava
  82. Atithi
  83. Nishadha
  84. Nala II
  85. Nabhas
  86. Paundrika
  87. Kshemadhanva
  88. Devanika
  89. Ahinagu
  90. Ruru
  91. Pariyatra
  92. Sala
  93. Dala
  94. Bala
  95. Uktha
  96. Sahasrasva
  97. Para II
  98. Chandravaloka
  99. Rudraksh
  100. Chandragiri
  101. Banuchandra
  102. Srutayu
  103. Uluka
  104. Unnabha
  105. Vajranabha
  106. Sankhana
  107. Vyusitasva
  108. Visvasaha
  109. Hiranyanabha Kausalya
  110. Para III
  111. Brahmistha
  112. Putra
  113. Pusya
  114. Arthasidhi
  115. Dhruvasandhi
  116. Sudarsana
  117. Agnivarna
  118. Sighraga
  119. Maru
  120. Parsusruta
  121. Susandhi
  122. Amarsana
  123. Mahasvana
  124. Sahasvana
  125. Visrutvana
  126. Visvabhava
  127. Visvasahva
  128. Nagnajit
  129. Brihadbala