Brihadratha

Brihadratha
Brihadratha
	Late Vedic culture extent
Successor	Jarasandha
Texts	Mahabharata, Puranas
Genealogy
Parents	Uparichara Vasu (father), Girika (mother)
Children	Jarasandha, Shashirekha
Dynasty	Brihadratha dynasty

Brihadratha (Sanskrit: बृहद्रथ, romanized: Bṛhadratha) was the founder of the Brihadratha dynasty, the earliest ruling dynasty of Magadha featured in Hindu literature. He established Magadha on the banks of the river Ganges, transferring the centre of power from Chedi, a neighbouring kingdom, to the newly settled Magadha. During his reign and that of his son Jarasandha, Magadha became a major power of the land. He had a daughter named Shashirekha who was the second wife of Dhrishtadyumna.

Brihadratha was the eldest of the five sons of Vasu, (also known as Uparichara Vasu) the Kuru king of Chedi^[1] and his queen Girika. His father was the ruler of Chedi and Brihadratha established Magadha at the border of Chedi Kingdom. He is mentioned in the epic Mahabharata and the Puranas. The name of Brihadratha is also found in the Rigveda (I.36.18, X.49.6).^[2]

^ Misra, V.S. (2007). Ancient Indian Dynasties, Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, ISBN 81-7276-413-8, pp.129–36
^ Raychaudhuri, H.C. (1972). Political History of Ancient India, Calcutta: University of Calcutta, p.102

[m-1] Misra, V.S. (2007). Ancient Indian Dynasties, Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, ISBN 81-7276-413-8, pp.129–36

[2] Raychaudhuri, H.C. (1972). Political History of Ancient India, Calcutta: University of Calcutta, p.102

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