Kosala Kingdom

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Kosala Kingdom
unknown (?~1200 BCE)–unknown (?~500 BCE)
Kosala and other kingdoms of the late Vedic period
Capital	Ayodhya
Religion	Historical Vedic religion
Government	Monarchy
Maharaja
Historical era	Bronze Age, Iron Age
• Established	unknown (?~1200 BCE)
• Disestablished	unknown (?~500 BCE)

Kosala is the kingdom of Rama mentioned in the Ramayana. Ayodhya was its capital, now located in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. Rama's sons Lava and Kusha inherited parts of this kingdom. Lava ruled from the city called Shravasti and Kusa from the city called Kushavati. A colony of Kosala kings existed in Madhya Pradesh. It was called Dakshina Kosala. Rama's mother Kausalya was from this kingdom. Rama extended his influence up to the island-kingdom of Lanka situated in the Indian Ocean. He had friendly relations with the southern kingdom of Kishkindha.

Rama's brother Bharata, colonized the Gandhara kingdom and founded the city of Takshasila. Gandhara lied close to Kekeya Kingdom, the native kingdom of Bharata's mother, Kaikeyi. Rama's second brother Lakshmana founded the city of Lakshmanapura near river Ganges which is now known as Lucknow. He colonized the Vanga kingdom and founded the city of Chandrakanta there. Rama's youngest brother Satrughna destroyed the forest of a demon named Madhu and founded the city of Mathura which later became the capital of the Surasena Kingdom.

Nishadha king Nala's friend Rituparna was a ruler of Kosala. Brihadbala another ruler of Kosala during Dvapara Yuga, took part in Mahabharata war and was killed by Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna.

An 1880 reference described Uttara Kosala was one of the five main divisions of the kingdom of Rama in prehistoric Awadh; the region was described as corresponding to the modern trans-Ghaghra districts including Bahraich, Gonda, Basti and Gorakhpur.^[1]