Kosala

Kosala (Sanskrit: कोशल) was an ancient Indian region, corresponding roughly in area with the region of Oudh [harvnb|Mahajan|1960|p=230] in the present day Uttar Pradesh state. According to the Buddhist text "Anguttara Nikaya" and the Jaina text, the "Bhagavati Sutra", Kosala was one of the "Solasa" (sixteen) Mahajanapadas (powerful realms) in 6th century BCE [harvnb|Raychaudhuri|1972|pp=85-6] and its cultural and political strength earned it the status of great power. The Kosala kingdom had three major cities, Ayodhya, Saket and Shravasti and a number of minor towns as Setavya and Ukattha. [harvnb|Raychaudhuri|1972|p=89] Shravasti was the capital of Kosala between 6th century BCE to 6th century CE. However, it was later weakened by a series of wars with the neighboring kingdom of Magadha and, in the 4th century BCE, was finally absorbed by it.

The Kosala kingdom

In the Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Puranas the ruling family of the Kosala kingdom was descended from king Ikshvaku. The Puranas give lists of kings of the Aikhsvaka dynasty (the dynasty founded by Ikshvaku) from Ikshvaku to Presenajit (Pasenadi). [harvnb|Raychaudhuri|1972|pp=89-90] A Buddhist text, the "Majjhima Nikaya" mentions Buddha as a Kosalan [harvnb|Raychaudhuri|1972|pp=88-9] and Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism taught in Kosala. In the time of king Mahakosala, Kashi was an integral part of the kingdom. [harvnb|Raychaudhuri|1972|p=138] . Mahakosala was succeeded by his son Pasenadi (Prasenajit). He was a follower of Buddha. During his absence from the capital, his minister Digha Charayana raised his son Vidudabha to the throne. [harvnb|Raychaudhuri|1972|p=186] . Kosala kingdom was absorbed not much later into Magadha kingdom.

Kosala under Mauryan rule

It may be presumed that during the Mauryan reign, Kosala was administratively under the viceroy at Kaushambi] . [harvnb|Mahajan|1960|p=318] The Sohgaura copper plate inscription, probably issued during the reign of Chandragupta Maurya deals with a famine in Shravasti and the relief measures to be adopted by the officials. [harvnb|Thapar|2001|pp=7-8] The Yuga Purana refers about the "Yavana" (Indo-Greek) occupation of Saket during the reign of the last Maurya ruler Brihadratha. [harvnb|Lahiri|1974|pp=5-6]

Kosala in Post-Mauryan period

The names of a number of rulers of Kosala of the post-Maurya period are known from the square copper coins issued by them. The rulers are: Muladeva, Vayudeva, Vishakhadeva, Dhanadeva, Naradatta, Jyesthadatta and Shivadatta. There is no way to know whether king Muladeva of the coins is identifiable with Muladeva, murderer of the Sunga ruler Vasumitra or not (though a historian, Jagannath has tried to do so). [harvnb|Lahiri|1974|p=141n] King Dhanadeva of the coins is identified with king Dhanadeva (1st century BCE) of Ayodhya inscription. In this Sanskrit inscription, King Kaushikiputra Dhanadeva mentions about setting a "ketana" (flag-staff) in memory of his father, Phalgudeva. In this inscription he claimed himself as the sixth in descent from Pusyamitra Sunga. Dhanadeva issued both cast and die-struck coins and both the types have a bull on obverse. [harvnb|Bhandare|2006|pp=77-8, 87-8] [harvnb|Falk|2006|p=149]

Notes

References

#Harvard reference
Surname1 = Bhandare
Given1 = S.
Year = 2006
Title = Between the Empires: Society in India 200 BCE to 400 CE
editor = "Numismatic Overview of the Maurya-Gupta Interlude" in P. Olivelle
Publisher = New York: Oxford University Press
ISBN = 0 19 568935 6.
#Harvard reference
Surname1 = Falk
Given1 = H.
Year = 2006
Title = Between the Empires: Society in India 200 BCE to 400 CE
editor = "The Tidal Waves of Indian History" in P. Olivelle
Publisher = New York: Oxford University Press
ISBN = 0 19 568935 6.
#Harvard reference
Surname1 = Lahiri
Given1 = B.
Year = 1974
Title = Indigenous States of Northern India (Circa 300 B.C. to 200 A.D.)
Publisher = Calcutta: University of Calcutta.
#Harvard reference
Surname1 = Mahajan
Given1 = V.D.
Year = 1960
Title = Ancient India
Publisher = New Delhi: S. Chand
ISBN = 81-219-0887-6.
#Harvard reference
Surname1 = Raychaudhuri
Given1 = H.C.
Year = 1972
Title = Political History of Ancient India
Publisher = Calcutta: University of Calcutta.
#Harvard reference
Surname1 = Thapar
Given1 = R.
Year = 2001
Title = IAST|Aśoka and the Decline of the Mauryas
Publisher = New Delhi: Oxford University Press
ISBN = 019-564445-X.