*HISTORY OF AYODHYA AND the GENEOLOGY AND FAMILY TREE OF KING RAMA*
Manu founded the city of Ayodhya on the banks of Sarayu River around 13800 BC during the early Vedic era. Rigveda (10.64 & 4.30.18) refers to Sarayu River.
Ayodhya became the capital of Devas during the Deva-Asura Sangram around 13600-12600 BC. Atharvaveda (10.2.31) refers to Ayodhya as the capital of Devas.
Raivata Manu founded his new capital “Kushasthali” in Saurashtra around 12500 BC.
Vaivasvata Manu and his son Ikshvaku and his twelve descendants reigned in Saurashtra and Madhyadesha around 11250-11000 BC.
King Sagara, son of Ikshvaku King Asita shifted his capital from Saurashtra to Ayodhya around 11000 BC when Vedic Sarasvati River lost in sands at Vinashana and the flow of Sarasvati River had shifted westwards from Kurukshetra.
Ayodhya was the capital of India from 11000 BC to 4700 BC and total 60 kings of Ikshvaku dynasty reigned around 11000-5635 BC and Shri Ram was the 61st king.
Treta Yuga was around 6777-5577 BC and the Ramayana events took place in the last century of Treta Yuga i.e. 5677-5577 BC.
Shri Ram was born on 3rd Feb 5674 BC. He killed Ravana on 30 Nov 5635 BC and became the king of Ayodhya on 21 Dec 5635 BC.
During the reign of Agnivarna (4750 BC), the decline of Ikshvaku dynasty led to the rise of Kuru dynasty (a branch of Bharatas). Hastinapur became the capital of India.
Mahabharata war took place in 3162 BC (25 Oct 3162 BC) and Ayodhya King Brihadbala was a contemporary of King Yudhishthira.
Many kings of Ayodhya from Brihatkshaya to Sumitra reigned over Ayodhya from 3162 BC to 1662 BC. During this period, Ayodhya came to be known as Saketa.
Buddha was born in 1944 BC and attained Nirvana in 1864 BC. His father King Shuddhodana was a descendant of Ikshvaku dynasty.
Mahapadma Nanda (1662-1608 BC) conquered Ayodhya during the reign of Ikshvaku King Sumitra and made it part of the Magadha empire.
During the reign of Maurya King Shalishuka (1494-1481 BC), the Yavanas of Takshashila and Sakala invaded and destroyed the city of Saketa i.e. Ayodhya.
King Vikramaditya (984-925 BC) of Chandra dynasty had re-established the city of Ayodhya and constructed the temple of Vishnu Avatar Shri Ram at the Janmabhoomi Kshetra.
The Vishnu-Hari inscription found in the excavations at Ayodhya refers to a temple of Vishnu-Hari (incarnation of Vishnu) during the period of Gahadwala Kings of Kanauj.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji visited the temple of Ayodhya and went for darshan.
There were three important Hindu temples at Ayodhya: these were the Janmasthanam, the Svargadvaram, and the Treta-Ke-Thakur.
All three were destroyed and desecrated by Babur.
*SURYAVANSH OR IKSHAVAAKU DYNASTY*
*(7000-1634BC)*
Shri Rama was born on 9th day of Shukla paksha in the chaitra month in the year 5114 BC.
RAMA is the 81st King of his Suryavamshi Dynasty based at Kosala or Ayodhya in 5114 BC
*Sumitra* was the 179th and last King of Suryavamshi or Ikshavaku dynasty who was killed by Magadha ruler in *1634 bc*
*KINGS BEFORE RAMA*
(7000BC - 5114 BC)
Ikshvaku
Vikukshi (Sasada)
Puranjaya (Kakusta)
Anena (Suyodhana or Anaranya)
Vishwarandhari (contemporary of Ravana of Lanka)
Vishwagashwa (contemporary of King Pururavas who founded Chandravansha)
Aadra
Yuvanashwa
Shravasta founded the city of Shravasti.
Brihadashva
Kuvalayashva (Dundhumara)
Haryashva
Nikumbha
Sanhatashva
Krishashva
Prasenjit was the maternal grandfather of God Parashurama
Yuvanashva
Mandhatri (contemporary of God Parashurama, Druhyu king Arabdha and demon King Madhu and Lavanasura)
Muchukunda fought in the Devasura War. So, his younger brother Purukutsa became the king. (contemporary of Druhyu King Gandhara who founded the Gandhara Kingdom)
Trasyadasu
Sambhuta
Anaranya was killed by Ravana. (contemporary of Anu King Janamejaya)
Prishadashva
Sumanas
Tridhanawan (contemporary of Anu King Shibi who founded the Sivi Kingdom)
Trayarunya
Trishanku (Satyavrata) (contemporary of Anu Kings, Vrshadarbha of Sivi Kingdom, Setuka, Madra who founded the Madra Kingdom and Kekaya who founded the Kekaya Kingdom)
Harischandra (contemporary of Anu King Asvapati who was the father of Savitri)
Rohitashva (contemporary of Haihaya king Kritavirya and Satyavan and Savitri)
Haritashva (contemporary of Haihaya King Kartavirya Arjuna)
Vijaya (contemporary of Anu King Sauvira who founded Sauvira Kingdom)
Bahuka (Asita)
Sagara
Asamanja
Amshuman
Dilipa
Bhagiratha
Sindhudwipa (contemporary of Anu King Bali (Chandravanshi))
Rituparna (contemporary of Nala and Damayanti)
Sarvakama
Sudasa (contemporary of Anu Kings, Anga, Vanga, Kalinga, Pundra, Suhma and Odra who founded the Anga, Vanga, Kalinga, Pundra, Suhma and Odra kingdoms)
Kalmashapada (Mitrasaha or Saudasa or Veerasaha)
Asmaka
Mulaka
Vishvasaha
Anaranya(3)
Khatvanga
Dilīpa (Deerghabahu)
Raghu
Aja
Dasharatha (contemporary of Videha King Janaka(2), Anu King Ashwapati and Druhyu King Nagnajit
*Rama*(contemporary of Yadava King Satvata, an ancestor of Krishna, Kashi King Pratardhana and Anga King Chaturanga)
*King Rama* - Not God*. A human being who just performed his responsibilities as prescribed at that time.
Born on the nineth day(navami) of the waxing moon(shukla paksh) of Chaitra masa(1st month) of the calender, Some 5111 years ago.
He is the 81st generation of his family lineage and another 64 generations of his ikshavaku or suryavamsham dynasty lasted till 1600 BC.
He married Sita at age 16. She was from Videhi dynasty from mithila kingdom, daughter of King Janaka, present day Bihar. Janakpuri - Sitamarhi.
He never preached anything. He never said any good words.
His life was full of disasters.
He was always the quiet one. He never expressed any wish or desires.
He always did what others told him.
Till age 16 he followed whatever his father's wish was. Without uttering any objection, He accepted banishment to the forest for 14 years.
Being elder son, he didnot had the chance to perform his fathers last rites.
He travelled from Ayodhya, crossed Ganga, went through prayagraj, crossed yamuna, then to Chitrakoot to Nasik and then to Bhadrachalam - Panchavati. Here his wife was kidnapped.
In her search he went to lepakshi ( place where Jatayu Bird died). He then travelled to Hampi, Karnataka where he met Hanuman, Sugreeva. Here Rama kills Vaali. He then went to Sabari Ashram in Kerala along the Pampa River. And then to Rameshwaram, DhanushKodi, built the Ramasethu bridge and then to Sri Lanka.
While returning, he installed Sivalingas at Shankari Shaktipeet at Trincomalee and Rameshwaram.
After getting crowned as King at Ayodhya, he ruled his kingdom as per protocols and guidelines.
There were several rules of that age called Yuga - Dharma, to live and rule a life of Responsibility with Righteousness at that age.
In this process, he had to send his wife to forests in Amritsar, Punjab. Here Valmiki shelters her. Luva and Kusha are born here.
*Lineage of King Rama*
King Rama had three brothers. Lakshmana, Shatrughna and Bharata.
Bharata founded the city of Takshashila, Taxila in modern Pakistan which later became the center of higher education in the ancient world with its majestic Takshashila University, one of the many great universities of ancient India.
Lakshmana founded the city of Lakshmana Puri, modern day Luckhnow.
Shatrughana cleared a forest called Madhuvana and founded the modern city of Mathura, the city in which Krishna was born during the times of Mahabharata.
*Children of Rama*
Lord Rama had two sons Lava and Kusha. They were born at a place called Ramtirth or Rama Theertha, which is a famous pilgrimage in modern day Amritsar, 11 km from the city of Amritsar, in the state of Punjab. There is also a hut near the Ram Tirth temple here, where Maharshi Valmiki is said to have lived during the era of Ramayana.
*Lava*
Lava is said to be the founder of the modern city of Lahore in Pakistan, originally called Lavapuri. Modern day Laos was originally named after Lava. Ramayana is very popular in Laos even today, and has its own local version of Ramayana called Phra Lak Phra Ram. Also the city of Lobpuri in Thailand, which is about 150 km from Bangkok, is named after Lava. Kalavarnadish, the king of Takshasila in 7th century founded this city in Thailand and named it after Lavpuri which later became Lobpuri.
*Kosala Kingdom*
Ayodhya was the capital of the Kosala Kingdom during the times of Rama. After Rama, his sons Lava and Kusha inherited the kingdom which was divided into North Kosala, to the north of Ayodhya and East Kosala, to the east of Ayodhya. Shravasti was the capital of North Kosala. During the times of Gautama Buddha, Shravasti was one of the six largest cities in India.
Kushavati, modern day Kushinagar, a town near Gorakhpur in the state of Uttar Pradesh was the capital of Kusha’s kingdom.
Kosala Kingdom at the time of Mahabharata
Buddhaghosa, a 5th century Buddhist scholar says that the city had a population of 18 million during the times of Buddha. During the times of Mahabharata, Kosala Kingdom was split into five. The five Kosala kingdoms mentioned in Mahabharata.
Eastern Kosala was captured by the Magadha king Jarasandha, who was later killed by Bhima.
Central Kosala, the original Kosala ruled by Rama, still had Ayodhya as its capital during the times of Mahabharata and was ruled by Dheerghayaghnya.
Central Kosala and North Kosala were conquered by the Pandava brother Bhima in his military expedition.
Southern Kosala, the native kingdom of Rama’s mother Kausalaya, in modern day Madhya Pradesh, was conquered by the Pandava Brother Sahadeva in his military expedition.
The fifth Kosala Kingdom between Central Kosala and South Kosala was ruled by Brihadbala, a descendant of Kusha. The kingdom of Kashi was probably a part of this Kosala kingdom during the times of Mahabharata. The paternal grandmothers of Pandavas, Ambika and Ambalika, who were the daughters of the King of Kashi, are referred in Mahabharata sometimes as the princesses of Kashi, and sometimes as the princesses of Kosala.
Brihadbala was the 28th descendant of Rama’s Son Kusha. And he fought on the side of the Kauravas in the Mahabharata war at Kurukshetra!
On the thirteenth day of the Mahabharata war, Drona forms the Chakrya Vyuha formation, a seven-tier defensive spiral formation intended to capture Yudhishtira, the eldest of the Pandava brothers. A game plan had been already set to lure Arjuna away from the main battle field, as Arjuna was aware of the techniques of breaking this formation successfully. The Kaurava side hopes to capture Yudhishtira hoping that he would try to break this formation and would be captured as he is lacks the knowledge required to break it.
However, Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna, who had partial knowledge of the Chakryavyuha formation, takes up the challenge and enter the Chakrya Vyuha. It is in this battle that Brihadbala, along with Ashvaththaama, Karna, Kritavarma, Krupacharya, Drona pounce upon Abhimanyu at the same time violating the rules of the war, in an effort to kill the heroic son of Arjuna. Abhimanyu after killing the warriors on Brihadbala’s side, kills his charioteer, breaks his bow, cuts his flag and finally beheads Brihadbala.
The descendant of Lord Rama not only ends up on the wrong side in Mahabharatha, he also ends up being a part of the battle which violated the very code of conduct of a warrior. The battle against Abhimanyu is recorded as the most shameless violation of the ethics of war in which a defenseless warrior was attacked and killed by multiple big warriors through illicit means.
The Genealogy of Lord Rama after the Mahabharata war is recorded as follows.
The last in the list, Sumitra was defeated by MahaPadma Nanda, the founder of the famous Nanda dynasty with Magadha as its capital. The descendants of MahaPadma Nanda were later over thrown by Chandragupta Maurya who went on to form one of the greatest empires in history, the Mauryan Empire.
1. Lord Rama 2. Kusha 3. Atithi 4. Nishadha 5. Nala 6. Nabhas 7. Pundarika 8. Kshemadhanvan 9. Devanika 10. Ahinagu 11. Paripatra 12. Dala 13. Uktha 14. Vajranabha 15. Shankhana 16. Vyushitashva 17. Vishvasaha 18. Hiranyanabha 19. Pushya 20. Dhruvasandhi 21. Agnivarna 22. Shighra 23. Maru 24. Prasushruta 25. Susandhi 26. Amarsha 27. Vishrutavanta 28. Brihadbala 29. Brihatkshaya 30. Urukshaya 31. Vatsavyuha 32 Prativyoma 33 Divakara 34 Sahadeva 35 Brihadashva 36 Bhanuratha 37 Pratitashva 38 Supratika 39. Marudeva 40 Sunakshatra 41. Kinnara 42. Antariksha 43 Suvarna 44. Sumitra Amitrajit 45. Dharmin 46. Kritanjaya 47. Sanjaya Mahakosala 48. Prasenajit 49. Kshudraka 50. Kulaka 51 Suratha 52. Sumitra
This is the lineage of Lord Rama’s ancestors in the Ikshvaku lineage the oldest continuously inhabited city on Earth till date.
Rama is a historical personality. He lived amongst us. He did no miracles.
Ramayana is not a story or mythology as misinterpreted and misunderstood by westerners.
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