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Ikshvaku dynasty

Ikshvaku dynasty was a dynasty founded by Ikshvaku, grandson of Vivasvan or Surya and son of Vaivasvata Manu. This dynasty is also known as (the Solar dynasty). The supreme perceptor of the Ikshvaku dynasty is Sage Vashishta. The important kings of this dynasty are Harishchandra, Dileepa, Sagara, Raghu and Rama. The word Ikshvaku means "Sugarcane". Some scholars have pointed out that the legends of Ikshvaku and Sumati may have their origin in the Southeast-Asian myth of the birth of humanity from a Sugarcane. The more commonly accepted theory is a transference in the opposite direction, from India to Southeast Asia.

Ikshvaku dynasty lineage

The lists of kings of or dynasty are found in the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Harivamsha and the Puranas. But the two lists found in the Ramayana vary significantly with all other lists. The Raghuvamsha of Kalidasa also mentions the names of some of the kings of this dynasty.

The genealogy

The genealogy of the Ikshvaku dynasty as mentioned in the Ramayana (i.69.17-32 and ii.102.4-29) is as follows:

Brahma created 10 Prajapatis, one of whom was Marichi.
Kashyapa is the son of Marichi and Kala. Kashyapa is regarded as the father of humanity.
Vivasvan or Surya is the son of Kashyapa and Aditi.
Vaivasvata Manu, originally Satyavrata, the then Emperor of Dravida is the son of Vivasvan. He is regarded as the first ruler belonging to the Ikshvaku dynasty.
Ikshvaku is the son of Vaivasvata Manu.
Kukshi is the son of Ikshvaku
Vikukshi is the son of Kukshi
Bana is the son of Vikukshi
Anaranya is the son of Bana
Prithu is the son of Anaranya
Trishanku is the son of Prithu
Dhundhumara is the son of Trishanku
Yuvanashva is the son of Dhundhumara
Mandhata is the son of Yuvanashva
Susandhi is the son of Mandhata
Dhruvasandhi and Presenajit are the sons of Susandhi
Bharata is the son of Dhruvasandhi
Bahu (Asita) is the son of Bharata
Sagara is the son of Bahu
Asamanja is the son of Sagara
Amsumanta (Ansuman) is the son of Asamanja
Dileepa is the son of Amsumanta
Bhagiratha is the son of Dilipa
Kakustha is the son of Bhagiratha
Raghu is the son of Kakushta. The clan of Raghuvamsha started with Raghu
Pravriddha is the sone of Raghu
Shankhana is the son of Pravriddha
Sudarshana is the son of Shankhana
Agnivarna is the son of Sudarshana
Shighra is the son of Agnivarna
Maru is the son of Shighra
Prashushruka is the son of Maru
Ambarisha is the son of Prashushruka
Nahusha is the son of Ambarisha
Yayati is the son of Nahusha
Nabhaga is the son of Yayati
Aja is the son of Nabhaga
Dasharatha is the son of Aja
Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna are the sons of Dasaratha
Lava and Kusha are the sons of Rama

The Puranas provide a genealogical list from Kusha to Brihadbala, who was killed by Abhimanyu in the Mahabharata war. This list is corroborated by the Raghuvamsha till Agnivarna:

Atithi, the son of Kusha
Nishadha, the son of Atithi
Nala, the son of Nishadha
Nabhas, the son of Nala
Pundarika, the son Nabhas
Kshemadhanvan, the son of Pundarika
Devanika, the son of Kshemadhanvan
Ahinagu, the son of Davanika
Paripatra, the son of Ahinagu
Dala (or Bala), the son of Ahinagu
Uktha, the son of Dala
Vajranabha, the son of Uktha
Shankhana, the son of Vajranabha
Vyushitashva, the son of Shankhana
Vishvasaha, the son of Vyushitashva
Hiranyanabha, the son of Vishvasaha
Pushya, the son of Hiranyanabha
Dhruvasandhi, the son of Pushya
Agnivarna, the son of Dhruvasandhi
Shighra, the son of Agnivarna
Maru, the son of Shighra
Prasushruta, the son of Maru
Susandhi, the son of Prasushruta
Amarsha and Sahasvant, the sons of Susandhi
Vishrutavant, the son of Amarsha
Brihadbala, the son of Vishrutavant.

However, the Nepalese and Bauddhists continue the dynasty further.

Lineage Descrepencies

From the 2 sources listed above, there are differences which needs to be resolved for accuracy of above data. The following is the list of descrepencies:

Valmiki Ramayana states that Prthu is the son of Anaranya and father of Trisanku. Ramakatha Rasavahini misses Prthu and states that Anaranya fathered Trisanku

Valmiki Ramayana states that Presenjit is the father of Bharatha while Ramakatha Rasavahini statest Daivasandhi as the father of Bharatha

Valmiki Ramayana states that Sankhana is the son of Pravardha and Sankhana's son was Sudarsana. Ramakatha Rasavahini misses mentioning Sankhana and attributes Sudarsana as the son of Pravardha

Seeghraga is mentioned as the son of Agnivarna & father of Maru in Ramakatha Rasavahini. Valmiki Ramayana does not mention Seeghraga and states that Maru's father was Agnivarna

Ikshvaku dynasty in Jaina tradition

The Ikshvaku dynasty has a significant place in Jaina tradition, as 22 Tirthankaras were born in this royal house. The first Tirthankara Rishavadeva was son of Ikshvaku King Nabhi. The second Tirthankara, Ajitanatha, son of Ikshvaku King Jitashatru was cousin of Sagara

Andhra Ikshvakus

The Andhra Ikshvakus were one of the earliest ruling dynasties of Andhra Pradesh. They ruled the eastern Andhra country along the Krishna river during the later half of the second century CE.Their capital was Vijayapuri (Nagarjunakonda). Some scholars have suggested that this dynasty was related to the ancient Ikshvakus of Hindu mythology. Rama of Ramayana, who is considered as the incarnation of Vishnu belonged to the line of Ikshvaku. According to Hindu mythology, Ikshvaku, who was the Manu and father of Kukshi, was the founder of the Suryavanshi dynasty, reigning from Ayodhya at the commencement of the Treta Yuga. There is however no direct evidence to suggest that the Andhra Ikshvakus were related to the mythological Ikshvakus.

Archaeological evidence has suggested that the Andhra Ikshvakus immediately succeeded the Satavahanas in the Krishna river valley. Ikshvakus have left inscriptions at Nagarjunakonda, Jaggayyapeta, Amaravati and Bhattiprolu.

Literary Evidence of Andhra Ikshvakus to Ikshvakus

A Kannada poem Dharmamrita states that the Ikshvakus of Andhra were the descendents of the renowned Ikshvakus of northern India. The oriental scholars like Buhler and Rapson expressed the view that the northern Ikshvakus might have migrated south. According to the Vayu Purana, Manu, the great patriarch of ancient India had nine sons of whom Ikshvaku was the eldest. His capital was Ayodhya. He had one hundred sons, and the eldest Vikushi succeeded his father as the ruler of Ayodhya. Of the rest, fifty sons founded small principalities in Northern India. Forty eight of his sons migrated to the south and carved out kingdoms for themselves.

Buddhist literature refers to the penetration of the Ikshvakus into South India and declares that they founded the Asmaka, Mulaka and other principalities. These Kshatriyas settled down in the south and established small kingdoms there . Jain literature also refers to the exodus of northern Indian princes to the south. In Dharmamrita a reference was made that during the lifetime of the 12th Tirthankara, a prince named Yasodhara hailing from the Ikshvaku family came from the Anga kingdom to Vengi in the south. We are informed that the prince was so impressed with beauty of the region, and the fertility of the soil that he made it his permanent home and founded a city called Pratipalpura. It is believed that Pratipalapura is the modern Bhattiprolu, a town in Guntur District. Inscriptions have also been discovered in the Nagarjunakonda valley and at Jaggayyapeta and Bhattiprolu alluding to this.