Everything about Madra Kingdom totally explained
Madra Kingdom was a kingdom grouped among the western kingdoms in the epic
Mahabharata. Its capital was
Sagala, modern
Sialkot (in the
Punjab province of
Pakistan). The
Kuru king
Pandu's second wife was from Madra kingdom and was called
Madri. The Pandava twins,
Nakula and
Sahadeva, were her sons. Madri's brother
Shalya was the king of Madra. Though affectionate to the
Pandavas, he was tricked to give support to
Duryodhana and fought against the Pandavas during the
Kurukshetra War. He was killed by
Yudhisthira, the eldest Pandava. Other than the Madra kingdom (Eastern Madra or Purva Madra) with Sagala as its capital, it's believed that there was a Western Madra (Apara Madra) and a Northern Madra (
Uttara Madra).
Madra Culture
In the epic, the Madra culture is described to be different from the
Vedic culture, prevailed in kingdoms of the
Gangetic plain like the Kurus and Panchalas.
Brahmins had less influence there. Women enjoyed more freedom. They ate cakes of barley mixed with meat, including beef, which was taboo in Kuru and Panchala. Vedic religious rites were less practiced, and
castism based on the four castes (
Brahmana,
Kshatriya,
Vaisya and
Shudra) was less rigid. Hence the Kuru, Panchalas considered them to be degraded Kshatriyas.
This was the culture prevailed in other western kingdoms like the
Sindhu-
Sauvira,
Kekeya,
Gandhara and
Kamboja. The western kingdoms were also known by the general name Bahika (Vahika, Vahlika and
Bahlika as variations of the name) meaning 'outsider'. Thus these people were considered as 'outsiders' of the Vedic culture. However the name Bahlika is some time used to denote a kingdom different from Madra, Sindhu, Keyeya, Gandhara or Kamboja. The
Kuru king
Santanu, a forefather of
Kauravas and
Pandavas, had a brother who ruled the
Bahlika Kingdom.
See also
Bahlika Culture
Madra as a Bahlika country
Bahlika or western countries were cold countries and people used blankets. They also reared sheep and drank sheep milk. They had good knowledge of camels. They had horses of excellent quality. Their horses and even
horsemen were used in the wars between kings of
Aryavarta (North Indian kingdoms where Vedic culture of the norm, prevailed).
Their soldiers used to aid both the parties engaged in a battle on a payment basis. Probably this was the reson why Shalya, the Madra king, has to side with Duryodhana in the
Kurukshetra War, since he was tricked to accept the payment for siding with Duryodhana.
Another collective name denoting the western kingdoms is Arashtra or
Aratta, meaning a kingless country. This raises the doubt, whether these countries were a republic ruled by elected chiefs, if we take the positive sense of the word. In a negative sense the word Arashtra can mean a kingdom with no control or with utter disorder.
References in Mahabharata
Origin of Madra tribe
The
Yavanas, the
Kiratas, the
Gandharvas, the
Chinas, the
Savaras, the Barbaras, the
Sakas, the
Tusharas, the Kankas, the Pathavas, the
Andhras, the
Madrakas, the
Paundras, the
Pulindas, the Ramathas, the
Kamvojas were mentioned together as tribes beyond the kigdoms of
Aryavarta. The Aryavarta-kings had doubts on dealing with them. (12,64)
The
Andrakas, Guhas, Pulindas, Savaras, Chuchukas,
Madrakas, the Yamas,
Kamvojas,
Gandharas,
Kiratas and Barbaras were mentioned as unknown tribes. In the
Krita age, they were nowhere on earth (meaning Ancient India). It is from the
Treta age that they've had their origin and began to multiply. When the terrible period came, joining Treta and the Dwapara, the
Kshatriyas, approaching one another, engaged themselves in battle (12,206).
The
Madra tribe and
Salwa tribe had a common origin as hinted by a myth at (1,121).
Here the origin of these two tribes were attributed to a king in the race of
Puru, known by the name of Vyushitaswa. His wife was Bhadra, the daughter of Kakshivat (Kakshivat was the son of Gautama-Dirghatamas, begotten upon the servant-maid of the queen of a king named Vali who ruled in the outskirts of
Magadha. (See also
Anga and
Magadha). Seven sons were born to Bhadra, after the death of Vyushitaswa. Later they all became kings. Three of them became the three kings of
Salwa and four of them became the four kings of
Madra.
The myth describes that these seven kings were born of the dead-body of her husband !
Alliances of Madra brides with the Kurus
Madra Custom of Marriage
Bhishma, the father-like guardian of
Kuru king
Pandu went to the capital of Madra, to ask for
Shalya's sister as a bride to Pandu. Upon which
Shalya replies:- "There is a custom in our family observed by our ancestors, which, be it good or bad, I'm incapable of transgressing it. It is well-known, and therefore is known to thee as well, I doubt not." The custom was that the groome had to give dowry to the kinsmen of the bride. Bhishma gave much wealth to Shalya and took Madri as the bride for
Pandu (1,113).
Pandava Sahadeva married Vijaya, the daughter of Dyutimat, the king of Madra, obtaining her in a self-choice ceremony and begat upon her a son named Suhotra. (1,95)
Kings of Madra
King Aswapati
Aswapati was the father of
Savitri the famous princess of Madra, who became the lover (and later, wife) of the famous
Salwa prince
Satyavan. Aswapati's wife was from a minor tribe known as
Malava. She was known as Malavi (3,291). The sons of Aswapati and Malavi, later became the powerful Malava kings. They spread their kingdom as far as
Avanti (
Ujjain,
Madhya Pradesh). Thus the royal line of Malavas originated from the Madra (
Punjab province of Pakistan) king Aswapati (3,297).
King Shalya
Shalya was the most famous king from Madra. He became the generalissimo of the
Kaurava army on the last day of the
Kurukshetra War. He was the oldest mace-fighter battled in
Kurukshetra War. (Other mace-fight experts were
Bhima,
Duryodhana and
Abhimanyu all of them the disciples of the mace-fight guru viz
Bala Rama).
Bhima had defeated
Shalya in mace-fight without knowing each other during the self-choice ceremony of
Draupadi (1,192). He was slain by
Pandava king
Yudhisthira during the last day (18th day) of
Kurukshetra War.
Shalya was rated by
Bhishma as an
Athiratha(a great chariot-warrior) (5,166). Shalya was also skilled in knowledge of steeds and in driving the chariot on the battle-field (8,31). For this reason, Shalya was forced to be the charioteer of
Karna for one day during the war.
Shalya had two sons named Rukmangada and Rukmaratha (1,188). Rukmaratha was mentioned as participating in the war. Similarly many brothers of Shalya also participated in the war. His younger brother was slain by
Abhimanyu (8,5).
There were other Madra kings like Dyutimat mentioned at (1,95) as the father-in-law of
Pandava Sahadeva.
Nakula's arrival at Madra Kingdom
Nakula, during his military campaign to the west, to collect tribute for yudhisthira's Rajasuya sacrifice came to the Madra Kingdom also
Nakula the son of
Pandu, by sheer force, reduced to subjection the Ramathas, the
Harahunas, and various kings of the west. And while staying there Nakula sent, messengers unto
Vasudeva Krishna. And Vasudeva with all the
Yadavas accepted his sway. And the mighty hero, proceeding thence to
Sakala, the city of the Madras, made his uncle
Shalya accept from affection the sway of the
Pandavas. The illustrious prince deserving the hospitality and entertainment at his uncle’s hands, was well entertained by his uncle.
Nakula obtained from Shalya a large quantity of jewels and gems, and left his kingdom.
Madra in Kurukshetra War
Madra king
Shalya, came with an Akshouhini of troops to join the army of
Pandavas, since his nephews viz the twins
Nakula and
Sahadeva were none other than the youngest Pandavas. His troops marched slowly on every day from Madra (
Punjab province of Pakistan) to
Upaplavya (somewhere on the border of
Rajasthan and
Haryana), the
Matsya city, where the
Pandavas were camped. When his army reached Kurujangala (the kingdom of the Pandavas, the modern-day
Haryana),
Duryodhana's men intercepted the army. They, without revealing their identity, received Shalya and his men, made tents for them and refreshed them with all comforts. The Madra soldiers also received payment from Duryodhana's officers for taking part in the
Kurukshetra War.
Shalya beceme indebted to battle for the sake of
Duryodhana, by the time he learned the truth. (5,8).
The main antagonist of
Shalya in bow-fight was, king
Yudhisthira (5,57). Both of them engaged may times in battle. (6-45 etc). He also made many battles with
Nakula and
Sahadeva. He defeated many like
Virata and
Drupada.
Shalya became the driver of
Karna's chariot on the 17th day (8,36). On the last day
Yudhisthira slew his uncle
Shalya, who was then the generalissimo of the Kaurava army (9,17).
Madra army battled along with other western armies like the
Trigartas, the
Kekeyas, the
Gandharas, the
Yavanas, the
Sindhus, the
Sauviras, the Amvasthas etc (6-51 etc).
On the day when
Shalya was forced to become the driver of
Karna's chariot, a dispute arose between them (8-40,44). The passages that describe this dispute give light to the cultural-differeces that existed between these warriors. (See
Bahlika Culture for more details).
Other References
- Madrabhujingas were mentioned as a kingdom of ancient India (Bharata Varsha) (6,9)
- Karna is mentioned as subjugating the Madras, along with the Gandharas, the Matsyas, the Trigartas, the Tanganas, the Khasas, the Pancalas, the Videhas, the Kulindas, the Kasi-kosalas, the Suhmas, the Angas, the Nishadhas, the Pundras, the Kichakas, the Vatsas, the Kalingas, the Taralas, the Asmakas, and the Rishikas (8,8)
- Trained elephants were mentioned as brought from the country of Madra by Vasudeva Krishna. These were given as present to the Pandavas on the occasion of their marriage with Draupadi (1,201). It isn't clear how elephant could naturally exist in Madra (Punjab province of Pakistan). However a training center to make them war-elephants could exist there.
- From the Nishadas sprang up the Madranabha caste whose members are seen to ride on cars drawn by asses. (13,48).
- Madra kings were equated to a clan of Asuras called Krodhaveshas. (1,67)
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