Panchala

The Indian civilization is among one of the most ancient civilizations. The history of India goes so long back that it cannot be traced. Various civilizations have existed in India, and they have been annihilated. Many kingdoms and kings came into existence, and some of them made a mark. 

The Panchala kingdom was one of the kingdoms which made a mark on history and contributed significantly to the course of history. The Panchala kingdom was one of the most influential kingdoms of the late Vedic period. It existed from around 30th BC to 4th BC.

The Panchala kingdom

Most of us would have heard about the Panchala kingdom from the stories of Mahabharata that our elders tell us. The Panchala kingdom was truly among the greatest empires to have ever existed, which influenced the course of history.

The Panchala mahajanapada was among the 16 mahajanapadas or kingdoms that emerged during the Vedic age.

The Panchala Kingdom in ancient India had a great influence on other kingdoms.

Later it became a part of the Nanda Empire when Mahapadma reigned the Nanda empire. Panchala was divided into northern Panchala and southern Panchala. The capital of Northern Panchala was Ahichchhatra, and the capital of the southern Panchala was Kampilya.

Geography of Panchala

The Panchala kingdom from the Mahabharata extended from the northern region of the Himalayas and included the river Charmanwati, Kuru, and Matsya kingdoms from the west and extended up to the Naimisha Forest to the east. The south Panchala lies to the south, as the name suggests, as it was ruled by King Drupad, the father of Draupadi and father-in-law of the Pandavas. The North Panchala ruler was the son of Drona, Ashwathama. Drona was a friend of Drupad and the guru of the Pandavas. The northern Panchala and the southern Panchala were separated by the Ganges River.

Notable personalities from Panchala

Some of the most popular historical people have originated in Panchala. They have greatly influenced history and played a major role during the Mahabharata. Let us take a look at those people.

• Draupadi: Draupadi was originally named Panchala after her kingdom Panchal, and she was the wife of Pandavas. She suffered great humiliation and pain throughout her life, and that led to her wanting vengeance and further agitating the war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas.

• Dhrishtadyumna: He was the brother of Draupadi. Later he became the commander-in-chief for the Pandava army and lost his life in the battle of Mahabharata.

• Draupada: He was the king of the Panchala kingdom and the father of Draupadi and Drishtadyumna.

• Shikhandi: He was another daughter of King Drupad. His role in the battle of Mahabharata is quite significant as with his help, the Pandavas could kill Bhisma Pitamah was considered invincible.

• Satyajit: He was the commander-in-chief of the Panchala kingdom army during the reign of King Drupad. He is popularly known as Chitraratha during Mahabharat.

Origin of the Panchala kingdom

The first known king of the Kingdom, Panchala, is believed to be King Yayati. He was succeeded by his son King Puru who was succeeded by Santanu.

 The kinship of the Panchalas and the Kurus 

is believed to have originated from the same lineage.

The war between the Panchalas and the Kurus

The Kurus and the Panchals were constantly at one way or another.

These wars are the reasons why the Panchalas were exiled to the banks of river Sindhu.

This was followed by Riksha becoming the King, who was followed by his son Samvarna.

The reign of Samvarna was greatly characterized by famines, droughts, and diseases. Hence, the King of Panchala invaded the land of Kurus and exiled King Samvarna of kurus with his family and government in the Forest. Bharatas lived there for about a thousand years.

King Samvarna and his wife had a son together named Kuru.

One day sage Vashista approached them and helped them regain their kingdom, and King Kuru made all the king’s pay tribute to him.

Kuru was a victorious king who founded the Kuru dynasty. He stood by his kingdom and people against the Panchala kingdom and fought for them.

This all leads to the ongoing war between the Kurus and the Pandava Kingdom.

Ascension of Drupada

King Prishata of the Northern Panchala was a great friend of Bharadwaj, who was the father of Drupad. Drupada would accompany his father to the training sessions and the hermitage. Bharadwaj succeeded the throne of Northern Panchala. Drupada rules his kingdom with care.

Such is the history of the ancient kingdom of the Panchala.

Conclusion

The history of India is characterized by lots of kingdoms and wars. Some of the kingdoms have left such a great mark on history that they are still talked about. The Panchala kingdom is among those kingdoms. Most people know about the Panchala kingdom due to its participation and significance in the Mahabharata.

The Panchala Kingdom was divided into the northern Panchal and southern Panchala. The capital of the southern Panchala was Kampilya, and Drupada was the ruling king during the Mahabharata. Some of the noteworthy people that originated from Panchala are Draupadi, Drishtadyumna, and Shikhandi.