View source for Kikata

{{Short description|Ancient Indian kingdom}}
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{{Infobox country
| native_name            = Kīkaṭa
| conventional_long_name = Kikata
| common_name            = Kikata
| era                    = c. 1700–1300 BCE
| government_type        = [[Monarchy]]
| p1                     = Copper Hoard culture
| flag_p1                = 
| s1                     = Brihadratha dynasty{{!}}Magadha
| flag_s1                = 
| image_coat             = 
| image_map              = Early Vedic Culture (1700-1100 BCE).png
| image_map_caption      = 
| image_map2             = 
| image_map2_caption     = 
| capital                = 
| common_languages       = [[Vedic Sanskrit]]
| religion               = [[Vedic Dharma]]
| currency               = 
| leader1                = 
| today                  = [[India]]
| demonym                = 
| area_km2               = 
| area_rank              = 
| GDP_PPP                = 
| GDP_PPP_year           = 
| HDI                    = 
| HDI_year               = 
}}

The '''Kīkaṭa''' kingdom, mentioned in the [[Vedas]], is an ancient [[India]]n kingdom whose precise geographical location remains a subject of scholarly debate. While some scholars associate it with the [[Magadha (ancient kingdom)|Magadha]] region in present-day [[Bihar]], because Kikata is used as synonym for Magadha in the later texts;<ref>e.g. McDonell and Keith 1912, Vedic Index; Rahurkar, V.G. 1964. The Seers of the Rgveda. University of Poona. Poona; Talageri, Shrikant. (2000) [[The Rigveda: A Historical Analysis]]</ref> while others suggest a more western location, possibly in the vicinity of [[Kurukshetra]] (see [[#Location|below]]).

The Rigveda references the Kīkaṭas as a non-Vedic people, potentially of non-Aryan origin,  living on the eastern side to Vedic India, who did not practice Vedas.<ref name="Witzel1995">M. Witzel. "[https://books.google.com/books?id=OZ0gAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA333 Rigvedic history: poets, chieftains, and polities]," in ''The Indo-Aryans of Ancient South Asia: Language, Material Culture and Ethnicity.'' ed. G. Erdosy (Walter de Gruyer, 1995), p. 333</ref> Scholars like Zimmer have argued in referring to [[Yaksha]], that they were a non-Aryan people. According to Weber, they were a descendants of Pre-Vedic Aryan people and were sometimes in conflict with other Vedic people.<ref>[[R. C. Majumdar]] and [[A. D. Pusalker]] (editors): ''[[The History and Culture of the Indian People]]''. Volume I, The Vedic age. Bombay : Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan 1951, p. 252</ref>

== Location ==
While some scholars associate the Kīkaṭa kingdom with the Magadha region in Bihar, others propose alternative locations based on textual evidence and geographical analysis. Mithila Sharan Pandey suggests a location near [[Western Uttar Pradesh]],<ref>Mithila Sharan Pandey, [https://books.google.com/books?id=F80BAAAAMAAJ ''The Historical Geography and Topography of Bihar''] (Motilal Barnarsidass, 1963), p.101</ref> while O.P. Bharadwaj places them near the [[Sarasvati River]].<ref>O.P. Bharadwaj [https://books.google.com/books?id=_5MtAAAAMAAJ ''Studies in the Historical Geography of Ancient India''] (Sundeep Prakashan, 1986), p.210</ref> Historian Ram Sharan Sharma believes they were likely situated in Haryana,<ref>R.S. Sharma, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Ll3vDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA12 ''Sudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order Down to Circa A.D. 600''] (Motilal Banarsidass, 1990), p.12</ref> and [[Michael Witzel]] proposes a location south of Kurukshetra, possibly in Eastern Rajasthan or Western Madhya Pradesh. Witzel's argument is further supported by the observation that the Magadha region is not explicitly mentioned in the Rigveda.<ref name="Witzel1995" />

== References in texts ==
The names, Kitava and Kitika, closely resemble Kikata, and were found in the [[Mahabharata]].

The Ajas, the Prishnis, the Sikatas, the Arunas, and the Kitavas, have all gone to heaven through the merit of [[Historical Vedic religion|Vedic]] study (12:26).

The Abhishahas, the [[Surasena kingdom|Surasenas]], the [[Sivi kingdom|Sivis]], and the Vasatis, the [[Salwa kingdom|Ṡalvas]], the [[Matsya kingdom|Matsyas]], the Amvashtas, the [[Trigarta kingdom|Trigartas]], and the [[Kekaya kingdom|Kekayas]], the [[Sauvira kingdom|Sauviras]], the Kitavas, and the dwellers of the Eastern, Western, and the Northern countries,--these twelve brave races were resolved to fight reckless of the lives for [[Bhishma]](6:18). The Sauviras, the Kitavas, the Easterners, the Westerners, the Northerners, the Malavas, the Abhishahas, the Surasenas, the Sivis, and the Vasatis were mentioned as taking part in [[Kurukshetra War]] siding with the [[Kauravas]] (6:107). The Sauviras, the Kitavas, the Easterners, the Westerners, the Northerners, the Malavas, the Abhishahas, the Surasenas, the Sivis, the Vasatis, the Salwas, the Sayas, the Trigartas, the Amvashthas, and the Kaikeyas were again mentioned on the [[Kaurava]] side at (6:120).

The tribes Vairamas, Paradas, Tungas, with the Kitavas who lived upon crops that depended on water from the sky or of the river and also they who were born in regions on the sea-shore, in woodlands, or countries on the other side of the ocean waited at the gate, being refused permission to enter, with goats and kine and asses and camels and vegetable, honey and blankets and jewels and gems of various kinds. -- bringing tribute to [[Pandava]] king [[Yudhishthira]] (2:50).

Madraka, and Karnaveshta, Siddhartha, and also Kitaka; Suvira, and Suvahu, and Mahavira, and also Valhika, Kratha, Vichitra, Suratha, and the handsome king Nila were mentioned as kings at (1:67).

Kikata (कीकट) is mentioned in [[Mahabharata]] (VIII.30.45).<ref>कारः करान महिषकान कलिङ्गान कीकटाटवीन, कर्कॊटकान वीरकांश च दुर्धर्मांश च विवर्जयेत [[Mahabharata]] (VIII.30.45)</ref>...."The [[Karasakara]]s, the [[Mahishaka]]s, the [[Kalinga (Mahabharata)|Kalinga]]s, the Kikatas, the [[Atavi]]s, the [[Karkotaka]]s, the [[Viraka]]s, and other peoples of no religion, one should always avoid."

Like Rigveda attributes of Kikatas, Atharvaveda also speaks about south eastern tribes like Magadhas and Angas as hostile tribe who lived on the borders of Brahmanical India.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g6inYJea_ggC&q=kikata&pg=PA350|title=Original Sanskrit Texts on the Origin and History of the People of India, Their Religion and Institutions: Inquiry whether the Hindus are of Trans-Himalayan origin, and akin to the western branches of the Indo-European race. 2d ed., rev. 1871|date=1871|publisher=Trübner|language=en}}</ref> According to [[Puranas|Puranic literature]] Kikata is placed near [[Gaya, India|Gaya]]. It is described as extending from Caran-adri to Gridharakuta ([[Vulture Peak|vulture peak]]), [[Rajgir]].

==List of rulers==
''Known notable rulers were:''

*King Kitaka
*Pramangada
*Suvira
*Suvahu
*Mahavira
*Valhika
*Kratha
*Vichitra
*Suratha
*Nila
*Madraka
*Karnaveshta
*Siddhartha

== See also ==
*[[Janapada]]
*[[Mahajanapada]]
*[[Rigveda]]
*[[Mahabharata]] and [[Vyasa]]
*[[Historical Vedic religion]]

== References ==
<references/>

{{Tribes and kingdoms of the Mahabharata}}

[[Category:Kingdoms in the Mahabharata]]
[[Category:History of Bihar]]
[[Category:Kingdoms of Bihar]]
[[Category:Former kingdoms]]