Mahisha or Mahishaka was a kingdom in ancient India. The capital, Mahishuru, is currently known as

Mysore Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...

, a city in

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

. This kingdom is mentioned in

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the s ...

, though Puranas (especially Markandeya Purana) gives more information. The name ''Mahisha'' ( sa, महिष) means ''great'', ''powerful''.

History

King Mahisha built a vast kingdom with Mahishuru as its center, which was the Mahisha kingdom. The name of 'Mysore', came from its ruler Mahisha.

In the Mahabharata

Bhisma Parva, Mahabharata, Book VI, Chapter 10 describes geography and provinces of

ancient India According to consensus in modern genetics, anatomically modern humans first arrived on the Indian subcontinent from Africa between 73,000 and 55,000 years ago. Quote: "Y-Chromosome and Mt-DNA data support the colonization of South Asia by m ...

. Mahisha is mentioned in Mahabharata- "There are other kingdoms in the south. They are the Dravidas, the Keralas, the Prachyas, the Mushikas, and the Vanavashikas; the Mahishakas, the Vikalpas, the Mushakas.....". Karna Parva, Mahabharata Book VIII, Chapter 30 mentions the tribes who are not followers of

Brahmanism The historical Vedic religion (also known as Vedicism, Vedism or ancient Hinduism and subsequently Brahmanism (also spelled as Brahminism)), constituted the religious ideas and practices among some Indo-Aryan peoples of northwest Indian Subco ...

- "The Karasakaras, the Mahishakas, the Kalingas, the Kikatas, the Atavis, the Karkotakas, the Virakas, and other peoples of no religion, one should always avoid."

Yudhishthira's Rajasuya sacrifice

Yudhishthira ''Yudhishthira'' (Sanskrit: युधिष्ठिर, IAST: ''Yudhiṣṭhira'') is the eldest among the five Pandava brothers. He is mentioned in the ancient epic Mahabharata. He was sired by King Pandu of the Kuru Dynasty and his firs ...

, the Kuru king, performed a Rajasuya sacrifice in order to again imperial sovereignty. All his brothers went on extensive military campaigns to extract tribute from all the kingdoms and subjugate those who refused to do so. 'A battle took place between Arjuna and the Dravidas and Andhras and the fierce Mahishakas and the hillmen of Kolwa. Subjugating those tribes without having to accomplish any fierce feats, Arjuna proceeded to the country of the Surashtras, his footsteps guided by the horse.' (14,83)

References

Sources

* *Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, translated to English by Kisari Mohan Ganguli * * *

External links