Introduction
There were many brave and strong kings and queens in Indian history, like Maharana Pratap and Rani Laxmi Bai. They fought against their enemies with all their might till their last breath. But there were many lesser-known kings and queens of ancient India. In this article, we will try to cover as many lesser-known kings and queens of ancient India as possible.
Lesser-known Queens of ancient India
1. Queen Didda
Queen Didda was a great queen during the 10th century, and she belonged from the Lohara Dynasty.
Didda was born in 924 AD.
Her father's name was Simharaja, and her mother's name is unknown, but she was a princess of the royal family in Kashmir.
She married King Kshemgupt, ruler of Kashmir, in 950 AD.
Later in 958 AD, her husband died and after that, her son Abhimanyu became king, but he was a child at that time.
Didda became regent queen to rule on behalf of her son.
But unfortunately, her son also died at a young age.
After her son's death, she became a Queen to rule the empire with her own power.
She ruled for around 45 years from 958 AD to 1003 AD.
The capital city of her kingdom was Srinagar (in present-day location in Jammu and Kashmir).
In 1003 AD, she died due to old age.
After Didda, her adopted nephew Samgramaraja became the next ruler of Kashmir.
Lesser-known kings of ancient India
1. Raja Raja Chola I
Raja Raja Chola I was a great South Indian ruler of the Chola dynasty who ruled most of the parts of South India and some of the parts of Sri Lanka.
Born in 947 AD at Thanjavur, Chola Kingdom (Now Tamil Nadu).
His father's name was Parantaka Chola II (also known as Sundara Chola), and his mother's name was Vanavan Mahadevi.
Gained fame by doing many wars and battles with his father and brother.
Later became the king of the Chola dynasty in 985 AD.
After becoming the king, he expanded his kingdom over most of the parts of India and some parts of Sri Lanka.
He died at the age of 67 years in 1014 AD.
After his death, his son Rajender Chola I became the king of the Chola dynasty.
2. Suhal Dev, the legendary king of Shravasti
Raja Sahul Dev was a great king in the northern part of India during the 11th century. He was the ruler of Shravasti (in present-day Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh).
Born around 1000 AD at Shravasti (in present-day Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh).
His father's name was King Mandra Dev, and his mother's name is not mentioned in any historical sources.
Ghazi Sayyid Salar Masud, who was the nephew of Mohammad Ghaznavi, tried to capture the territories of Suhal Dev during 1031-1034.
The Battle of Baharaich between Sahul Dev and Ghazi Sayyid Salar Masud.
The outcome of the battle of Baharaich was that Sahul Dev won.
Ghazi Sayyid Salar Masud was killed by Sahul Dev, and his army was destroyed.
3. Samundra Gupt
Samundra Gupt was one of the greatest kings of the Gupt dynasty and a great king during the 4th century.
Born in 319 AD at Patliputra (in present-day Patna, Bihar).
His father's name was Chandra Gupta I, and his mother's name was Kumara Devi.
He became king at the age of just 16.
He ruled from 335 AD to 375 AD almost 40 years.
He defeated 9 North Indian kings and 12 South Indian kings in battles.
He died in 375 AD.
Later, Chandragupt II (also known as Vikramaditya) became his successor.
4. Gautamiputra Satakarni
Gautamiputra Satakarni was a great king in the Deccan during the 1st century. He was one of the greatest kings of the Satavahana Dynasty.
His father's name was Satakarni, and his mother's name was Gautami Balashi (His name "Gautamiputra" was after his mother's name, which means son of Gautami).
He ruled for around 24 years from 78 AD to 102 AD.
The capital city of his kingdom was Pratishthana (in present-day Paithan, Maharashtra).
He fought the battles against Pahlavas, Sakas, and Yavanas (Indo-Greeks) and defeated them.
The Saka/Salivahana Samvat, which is the Hindu calendar, was created because of his victory against the Sakas.
5. Lalitaditya Muktapida
A great king in Kashmir during the early medieval era. He belonged to the Karkota dynasty.
He is famous because of his administration and architecture.
He ruled for around 36 years from 724 AD to 760 AD.
According to some legends, the Martand Sun Temple, which is located in Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir was built in his reign.
His father's name was Durlabhaka Pratapaditya II, and his mother's name was Queen Narendraprabha.
For administration and culture, it was a golden period of Kashmir during his reign.
He died around 760 AD.
6. Milinda
He ruled the north-west part of India in the 2nd century BC.
He was a Greek King with an Indo-Greek kingdom in the north-west part of India.
He ruled for around 35 years from 165 BC to 130 BC.
The capital of his kingdom was Sakala (in the present day, it is situated in the Punjab province of Pakistan).
Later, he changed his religion to Buddhism.
There is no exact date of his death in any historical sources, but according to some legends, he died around 130 BC.
7. Skandagupt
He was the last great king of the Gupt dynasty.
He ruled for around 12 years from 455 AD to 467 AD.
His father's name was Kumara Gupt I, and his mother's name was Ananta Devi.
The Huna (also known as Hephthalites) tried to capture the territories of the Gupt dynasty during the decline of the Gupt dynasty.
They entered the territories from Khyber Pass and started attacking North Western part frontiers of the Gupt dynasty (in present-day Punjab and Rajasthan).
Skanda fought a battle against Huna and defeated him.
The capital of his kingdom was Patliputra (in present-day Patna, Bihar).
The battle caused a big loss of the Gupt Empire in their treasury.
Later, he died in 467 AD.
After him, Purugupt (his brother) became his successor, but during his reign, Huna attacked again, and this time they defeated the Gupt dynasty.
8. Pulakeshin II
Pulakeshin was a great king in Deccan during the 7th century. He was one of the greatest kings of the Chalukya dynasty.
He was born around the late 6th century at Vatapi (in present-day Badami, Karnataka).
His father's name was Kritivarman I.
After his father's death, his uncle Manglesha became regent, but after defeating his uncle, he became the next king of the Chalukya dynasty.
The capital city of his kingdom was Vatapi (in present-day Badami, Karnataka).
He was very famous because he defeated Harshavardhan of Kanauj in the battle of Narmada in 618-619 AD.
Because of the victory against Harshvardhan of Kanauj in the battle of Narmada, he got the title "Lord of the south".
He fought the battles and conquered the regions like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
He ruled for around 32 years from 610 AD to 642 AD.
Later, he died in 642 AD during the battle against Narasimhavarman I.
Narasimhavarman I won the battle and burnt the capital city of the Chalukya dynasty.
After the death of Pulakeshin II, his kingdom was separated into many small parts.
FAQs
1. Who is the forgotten king of India?
Ans: Kings like Raja Chola I, Samundra Gupt, Gautamiputra Satakarni, Pulakeshin II, and many other kings are forgotten in ancient Indian history.
2. Who is the kindest king of India?
Ans: Ashoka the Great is known as the kindest king of India because after the Kalinga war, he followed the path of Buddhism and became non-violent. He also promoted welfare, built hospitals, roads, and rest houses for people and animals.
3. Who is the strongest Queen of India?
Ans: Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi is known to be the strongest Queen of India. She fought bravely against the British while carrying her son on her back. She fought against them till her last breath.
4. Who founded the Maurya Empire?
Ans: Chandra Gupta Maurya is known to be the oldest king of India. He established the Maurya empire in 321 BC.
