Janapada of Kuru: Map & History
The Kuru Kingdom was a Vedic Indo-Aryan tribal union in northern India of the Bharata and Puru tribes.
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The Kuru Kingdom was a Vedic Indo-Aryan tribal union in northern India of the Bharata and Puru tribes. The Kuru kingdom appeared in the Middle Vedic period during the Iron age of India, encompassing parts of the modern-day states of Haryana, Delhi, and some North parts of Western Uttar Pradesh. The Kuru Kingdom was the first recorded state-level society in the Indian subcontinent.
Modern Countries Once Part of Janapada of Kuru
At its mapped extent, Janapada of Kuru covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Janapada of Kuru's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Janapada of Kuru in Depth
History
The main contemporary sources for understanding the Kuru kingdom are the Vedas, containing details of life during this period and allusions to historical persons and events.
The Kuru Kingdom was formed in the Middle Vedic period (c. 1200 – c. 900 BCE) as a result of the alliance and merger between the Bharata and Puru tribes, in the aftermath of the Battle of the Ten Kings. With their centre of power in the Kurukshetra region, the Kurus formed the first political centre of the Vedic period and were dominant roughly from 1200 to 800 BCE. The first Kuru capital was at Āsandīvat, identified with modern Assandh in Haryana. Later literature refers to Indraprastha (identified with Purana Qila in modern Delhi) and Hastinapura as the main Kuru cities.
Location
Kuru state was located in northwestern India, stretching from the Gaṅgā and the border of the Pañcāla in the east to the Sarasvatī and the frontier of Rohītaka in the west, and bordered the Kulindas in the north and the Sūrasenas and Matsya in the south. The area formerly occupied by the Kuru Kingdom covered the presently Thanesar, Delhi, and most of the upper Gangetic Doab.
The rivers flowing within the Kuru state included the Aruṇā, Aṃśumatī, Hiraṇvatī, Āpayā, Kauśikī, Sarasvatī, and Dṛṣadvatī or Rakṣī.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Kuru kingdom (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Janapada of Kuru: Key Facts
| Capital | Assandh |
|---|---|
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Form of government | monarchy |
| Founded | 12th century BCE |
| Dissolved | 9th century BCE |
Facts from Wikidata Q1068408 (CC0).
Janapada of Kuru Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Janapada of Kuru appears, with the other states of the time.
Janapada of Kuru Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 5,232 km² in 428 BCE.
Janapada of Kuru: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Janapada of Kuru exist?
Janapada of Kuru is dated to 600 BCE – 405 BCE, in the Bronze & Iron Age Civilizations era.
What was the capital of Janapada of Kuru?
The capital of Janapada of Kuru was Āsandīvat (modern Haryana), Hastinapura (modern Meerut division, Saharanpur division and Aligarh division), Indraprastha (modern Delhi and some part of National Capital Region (India)).
How large was Janapada of Kuru at its peak?
At its peak in 428 BC Janapada of Kuru covered about 5,232 km².
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