View source for Surasena

{{Short description|Ancient Indian region}}
{{about|the historical region|the king in Indian mythology|Shurasena}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2017}}
{{Infobox country
| native_name            = 
| conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Surasena
| common_name            = Surasena
| era                    = [[Bronze Age]], [[Iron Age]]
| government_type        = [[Monarchy]]
| year_start             = c. 700 BCE
| year_end               = c. 300 BCE
| s1                     = Nanda Empire{{!}}Magadha
| image_map              = Mahajanapadas (c. 500 BCE).png
| image_map_alt          = 
| image_map_caption      = Surasena and other Mahajanapadas in the post-Vedic period.
| leader1                = 
| capital                = [[Mathura]]
| common_languages       = [[Sanskrit]], [[Prakrit]]
| religion               = [[Historical Vedic religion]]<br>[[Buddhism]]
| currency               = 
| title_leader           = [[Maharaja]]
| today                  = [[India]]
}}
{{HistoryOfSouthAsia}}

The kingdom of '''Surasena''' ({{IAST3|Śūrasena}}) was an [[ancient India]]n region corresponding to the present-day [[Braj]] region in [[Uttar Pradesh]], with [[Mathura]] as its capital city. According to the Buddhist text ''[[Anguttara Nikaya]]'', Surasena was one of the sixteen [[Mahajanapadas]] (lit. 'great realms') in the 6th century BCE.<ref>{{harvnb|Raychaudhuri|1972|p=85}}</ref> Also, it is mentioned in the Hindu epic poem [[Ramayana]]. The [[ancient Greek]] writers (e.g., [[Megasthenes]]) refer to the Sourasenoi and its cities, Methora and Cleisobra/Kleisobora .<ref>{{Cite book|last=Majumdar|first=Ramesh Chandra|title=Ancient India|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited|year=1995|isbn=978-81-208-0436-4|location=Delhi|pages=173}}</ref><ref name="Raychaudhuri 1972 71">{{harvnb|Raychaudhuri|1972|p=71}}</ref>

==Location==
The Śūrasena state was located on the [[Yamuna|Yamunā]] river, and its capital was the city of [[Mathura|Mathurā]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Raychaudhuri |first=Hemchandra |author-link=Hem Chandra Raychaudhuri |date=1953 |title=Political History of Ancient India: From the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of Gupta Dynasty |pages=138–143 |url= |location= |publisher=[[University of Calcutta]] |isbn=}}</ref>
==Origin==
It is speculated that the Surasena kingdom was established by [[Shurasena|Šúraséna]] on the banks of [[Sarasvati River|Saraswati]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Saraswati - AncientVoice |url=http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/saraswati |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=ancientvoice.wikidot.com}}</ref> The Surasenas claimed their descent from the [[List of ancient Indo-Aryan peoples and tribes|Yadus]] mentioned in the [[Rigveda]]. Surasena was one of the sixteen [[Mahajanapadas]]. The Sura-sena Janapada was occupied by [[Vrishni|Vrishnis]] and Andhakas, branches of the [[Yadu dynasty|Yadu tribe]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jain |first=Ram Chandra |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TH4BAAAAMAAJ |title=Ethnology of Ancient Bhārata |date=1970 |publisher=Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office |language=en}}</ref>

==History==
The [[Mahabharata]] and the [[Puranas]] refer to the rulers of the Mathura region as the Yadus or [[Yadava]]s, divided into a number of septs, which include the [[Vrishni]]s.<ref name="Raychaudhuri 1972 128">{{harvnb|Raychaudhuri|1972|p=128}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Singh|2008|p=264}}</ref> The Buddhist texts refer to Avantiputta, the king of the Surasenas in the time of [[Katyayana (Buddhist)|Maha Kachchana]], one of the chief disciples of [[Gautama Buddha]], who spread Buddhism in the Mathura region.<ref name="Raychaudhuri 1972 128"/>

Its capital, [[Mathura, Uttar Pradesh|Mathura]], was situated on the bank of the river [[Yamuna]], presently a sacred place for the [[Hinduism|Hindus]]. The ancient Greek writers mention another city, named Cleisobora, in this region.<ref name="Raychaudhuri 1972 71"/>

Archaeological excavations at Mathura show the gradual growth of a village into an important city. The earliest period belonged to the [[Painted Grey Ware culture]] (1100–500 BCE), followed by the [[Northern Black Polished Ware]] culture (700–200 BCE). Mathura derived its importance as a center of trade due to its location where the [[Grand Trunk Road|northern trade route]] of the [[Gangetic Plain]] met with the routes to [[Malwa]] (central India) and the [[Western India|west coast]].<ref name="Singh2008">{{cite book|author=Upinder Singh|title=A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H3lUIIYxWkEC&pg=PA281|year=2008|publisher=Pearson Education India|isbn=978-81-317-1120-0|pages=281, 336}}</ref>

==Gallery==

<gallery>
Saurasena coin.jpg|Saurasena coin, 400–300 BCE.
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Sources==
#{{Citation
 | surname1 = Raychaudhuri 
 | given1 = H.C. 
 | year = 1972
 | title = Political History of Ancient India: From the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty
 | publisher = Calcutta: University of Calcutta
}}.
#{{Citation
 | surname1 = Singh 
 | given1 = Upinder 
 | year = 2008
 | isbn = 978-81-317-1677-9
 | title = A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century
 | publisher = Delhi: Pearson Education
}}.

==External links==

{{Mahajanapada}}
{{Tribes and kingdoms of the Mahabharata}}
{{Mahabharata}}
{{Historical regions of North India}}

[[Category:Mahajanapadas]]
[[Category:Mahabharata]]
[[Category:Yadava kingdoms]]
[[Category:Rigvedic tribes]]
[[Category:Indo-Aryan peoples]]
[[Category:Iron Age countries in Asia]]
[[Category:Iron Age cultures of South Asia]]
[[Category:Ancient peoples of India]]
[[Category:Places in Hindu mythology]]
[[Category:Regions of Haryana]]
[[Category:Regions of Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Regions of Uttar Pradesh]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuru Kingdom}}