''Malla Kingdom'' was situated in the
Gangatic plain
The Indo-Gangetic Plain, also known as the North Indian River Plain, is a fertile plain encompassing northern regions of the Indian subcontinent, including most of northern and eastern India, around half of Pakistan, virtually all of Bangla ...
between the
Kosala
The Kingdom of Kosala (Sanskrit: ) was an ancient Indian kingdom with a rich culture, corresponding to the area within the region of Awadh in present-day Uttar Pradesh to Western Odisha. It emerged as a janapada, small state during the late Ve ...
and
Videha
Videha ( Prākrit: ; Pāli: ; Sanskrit: ) was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe of north-eastern South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age. The population of Videha, the Vaidehas, were initially organised into a monarchy but later ...
. The epic
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...
speaks about a ''Malla'' conquered by the Pandava
Bhima
In Hindu epic Mahabharata, Bhima ( sa, भीम, ) is the second among the five Pandavas. The ''Mahabharata'' relates many events that portray the might of Bhima. Bhima was born when Vayu, the wind god, granted a son to Kunti and Pandu. Af ...
during his military campaign through the eastern kingdoms to collect tribute for King
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 first w ...
's
Rajasuya
Rajasuya () is a Śrauta ritual of the Vedic religion. It is ceremony that marks a consecration of a king. According to the Puranas, it refers to a great sacrifice performed by a Chakravarti - universal monarch, in which the tributary princes may ...
sacrifice.
References in Mahabharata
Bhima's military campaign
*Mahabharata, Book 1, Chapter 29
Bhima
In Hindu epic Mahabharata, Bhima ( sa, भीम, ) is the second among the five Pandavas. The ''Mahabharata'' relates many events that portray the might of Bhima. Bhima was born when Vayu, the wind god, granted a son to Kunti and Pandu. Af ...
defeated the virtuous and mighty king Dirghayaghna of
Ayodhya
Ayodhya (; ) is a city situated on the banks of holy river Saryu in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
Ayodhya, also known as Sāketa, Saketa, is an ancient city of India, the birthplace of Rama and ...
. And then he subjugated the country of Gopalakaksha and the northern
Kosalas and also the king of Mallas. And the mighty one, arriving then in the moist region at the foot of the
Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
soon brought the whole country under his sway. He next conquered the country of Bhallata, as also the mountain of Suktimanta that was by the side of Bhallata. Then Bhima vanquishing in battle the unretreating Suvahu the king of
Kasi
KASI (1430 AM, "News Talk 1430") is a radio station licensed to serve Ames, Iowa. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. and licensed to iHM Licenses, LLC. It airs a News/Talk radio format.
The station was assigned the KASI call letters by ...
, brought him under complete sway. Then he overcame in battle, by sheer force, the great king Kratha reigning in the region lying about Suparsa. Then the hero of great energy vanquished the Matsya (Eastern Matsyas) and the powerful Maladas and the country called Pasubhumi that was without fear or oppression of any kind. And Bhima then, coming from that land, conquered Madahara, Mahidara, and the Somadheyas, and turned his steps towards the north. And the mighty son of Kunti then subjugated, by sheer force, the country called
Vatsabhumi, and the king of the Bhargas, as also the ruler of the Nishadas and Manimat and numerous other kings. Then Bhima, with scarcely any degree of exertion and very soon, vanquished the Southern Mallas and the Bhagauanta mountains.
Arjuna's list of kingdoms close to Kuru Kingdom
*Mahabharata, Book 4, Chapter 1
Surrounding the kingdom of the
Kurus, are, many countries beautiful and abounding in corn, such as
Panchala,
Chedi,
Matsya
Matsya ( sa, मत्स्य, lit. ''fish'') is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya m ...
,
Surasena
Kingdom of Surasena (or Sourasena) (Sanskrit: ) was an ancient Indian region corresponding to the present-day Braj region in Uttar Pradesh, with Mathura as its capital city. According to the Buddhist text ''Anguttara Nikaya'', Surasena was one ...
, Pattachchara,
Dasarna, Navarashtra, Malla,
Salva, Yugandhara,
Saurashtra,
Avanti, and the spacious
Kuntirashtra.
Drupada's list of kings allied to the Pandavas
*Mahabharata, Book 5, Chapter 4
Quickly send word to Salya, and to the kings under him, and to king Bhagadatta of immeasurable valour residing on the eastern sea-coast, and to fierce Hardikya, and Ahuka, and the king of the Mallas of powerful understanding, and Rochamana.
The list of provinces in Bharata Varsha (Ancient India)
*Mahabharata, Book 6, Chapter 9
.....the Goparashtras, and the Karityas; the Adhirjayas, the Kuladyas, the Malla-Rashtras, the
Keralas, the Varatrasyas, the Apavahas.....
See also
*
Kingdoms of Ancient India
The Mahājanapadas ( sa, great realm, from ''maha'', "great", and '' janapada'' "foothold of a people") were sixteen kingdoms or oligarchic republics that existed in ancient India from the sixth to fourth centuries BCE during the second urban ...
References
Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, translated to English by Kisari Mohan Ganguli
External links
{{Tribes and kingdoms of the Mahabharata
Kingdoms of the Ikshwaku clan