Dravida is mentioned as one of the kingdoms in the southern part of present-day mainland India during the time of the Mahabharata.
Dravida in the Mahabharata
Dravida is listed among the ancient Indian (Bharata Varsha) kingdoms:
"In the south, are the Dravidas, the Keralas, the Mushikas, and the Vanavashikas; the Karanatakas, the Mahishakas, the Vikalpas, and also the Mushakas; the Jhillikas, the Kuntalas. (6,9)"
Origin
The
Mahabharata links the origin of Dravidas with sage
Vasishtha. Vishvamitra, a king in the Chandravamshi Amavasu clan, attacked the cow of Vasishtha. Then many armies emerged for the protection of that cow and they attacked the armies of Vishvamitra.
Other kingdoms that were mentioned along with the Dravidas in this incident were Sakas, Yavana kingdom, Sora people, Kanchi kingdom, Pundra kingdom and Kirata kingdom, Nishada kingdom, and Sinhala kingdom, and the barbarous kingdoms of Khasas, Chivukas, Pulindas, Chinas Huna kingdom with Keralas, and Mleccha.
Sahadeva's conquests
Pandava Sahadeva reached the Dravida country during his southern military campaign.
Sahadeva brought under his subjection and exacted tributes from the Paundrayas, the Dravidas along with the Udrakeralas and the Andhra kingdom and the Talavanas. He also vanquished the Karnata kingdom, Pashandas, the town of Sanjayanti, the Kalinga, the Ustrakarnikas, the city of Atavi and the city of Yavanas. (2,30)
Yudhishthira's Rajasuya
Dravidas are mentioned along with other kings who attended
Pandava king
Yudhishthira's
Rajasuya sacrifice.
The kings of the Dravidas and the Sinhala kingdom were present in the sacrifice (2,33). On another occasion, the Chera Dynasty, Chola kingdom and Dravidas (3,51).
Pandavas visited Dravida land during their pilgrimage
Pandavas reached the sea in the
Dravida land, and visited the holy spot passing under
Agastya’s name, which was exceedingly sacred and exceptionally pure. And the valiant king visited the feminine sacred spots. They visited one by one those holy places on the coast of the sea and many other sacred spots and came to the holiest of all known by the name of Surparaka. (3,118)
Arjuna's conquests
Arjuna in his military campaign after the Kurukshetra War, visited the Dravida country
Arjuna proceeded towards the southern ocean. In those regions battle took place between him and the Dravidas and Andhras and the fierce Mahishakas and the hillmen of Kolwa. (14,83)
Dravidas in Kurukshetra war
On the side of Pandavas
-
Arjuna converted the people of the Dravida land to be a portion of his own army (5,22)
-
The Kuntalas, the Andhras, and the Talacharas, and the Shuchupas, and the Venupas were described as allies of Pandavas (5,140)
-
The Pandyas, the Cholas, the Keralas and the Andhras supported Dhristadyumna, Sikhandi and Satyaki. (8,12)
-
The Andhaka, and the Nishada foot-soldiers, urged on by Satyaki, once more rushed towards Karna in that battle (8,49)
On the side of Kauravas
-
The Kamvojas, the Sakas, the Khasas, the Salwas, the Mlechchhas, the Pulindas, the Dravidas, the Andhras, and the Kanchis were described as allied to the Kauravas (5-161,162)
-
The Kaikeyas, the Malavas, the Madrakas the Dravidas of fierce prowess, the Yaudheyas, the Lalittyas, the chander, the Usinaras, the Tundikeras, the Savitriputras who supported Karna were slain by Arjuna (8,5)
Dravida kingdom in the Pallava era
Dravida was conquered twice during the
Pallava dynasty, first by
Dhruvaniti around 400 CE, and again by
Kongani-varma III in the late 6th and early 7th Century.
[Foulkes, Thomas. “The Pallavas.” The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, vol. 17, no. 2, 1885, pp. 183–220. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/25197020. Accessed 27 May 2020.][Charles Philip Brown, 1863, Carnatic Chronology: The Hindu and Mahomedan methods of reckoning time explained: with essays on the systems; symbols used for numerals, a new titular method of memory, etc., London, Bernard Quaritch, pg.41]
Jana Gana Mana
In Jana Gana Mana, the national anthem of India, the line about Dravid is found as follows:
- Dravida Utkala Banga (द्राविड़ उत्कल बंग)
See also
-
Kingdoms of Ancient India
-
Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, translated to English by Kisari Mohan Ganguli
