User:Sattvic7/Kosala

Culture
Kosala belonged to the Northern Black Polished Ware culture (c. 700-300 BCE), which was preceded by the Black and red ware culture (c.c. 1450-1200 BCE until c. 700-500 BCE). The Central Gangetic Plain was the earliest area for rice cultivation in South Asia, and entered the Iron Age around 700 BCE. According to Geoffrey Samuel, following Tim Hopkins, the Central Gangetic Plain was culturally distinct from the Painted Grey Ware culture of the Vedic Aryans of Kuru-Pancala west of it, and saw an independent development toward urbanisation and the use of iron.

Epic
While Mahabharata is set in the "Kuru-Panchala" realm, Ramayana is set in the "Kosala-Videha" realm in which the Kosalan prince Rama marries the Videhan princess Sita.

According to Romila Thapar, Kosala (along with Magadha) was the earliest state to transition from a lineage-based society to a monarchy. The presence of the lineage of Ikshavaku—described as a raja in the Ṛgveda and an ancient hero in the Atharvaveda —to which Rama, Mahavira, and the Buddha are all thought to have belonged—characterized the Kosalan realm.

Society
Kosala was situated at the crossroads of Vedic heartland of Kuru-Panchala and Greater Magadhan culture. According to Alexander Wynne, Kosala-Videha culture was at the center of unorthodox Vedic traditions, ascetic and speculative traditions, possibly reaching back to the late Ṛgveda. Kosala-Videha culture is thought to be the home of the Śukla school of the Yajurveda.

According to Michael Witzel and Joel Brenton, the Kāṇva school of Vedic traditions (and in turn the first Upanishad i.e, Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad) was based in Kosala during the middle and late Vedic periods. Kosala had a significant presence of the muni tradition, which included Buddhists, Jains, Ajivikas, Naga, Yakṣa, and tree worshipers as well as Vedic munis. The muni tradition emphasized on "practicing yoga, meditation, renunciation and wandering mendicancy" as contrasted to the ṛṣis who "recited prayers, conducted homa, and led a householder lifestyle". According to Hopkins, the region was marked by a "...world of female powers, natural transformation, sacred earth and sacred places, blood sacrifices, and ritualists who accepted pollution on behalf of their community."

Buddhism
Kosala had a particularly strong connection to the Buddha's life. Buddha introduced himself to the king of Magadha in the Suttanipata as a Kosalan. In the Majjhima Nikāya too, king Prasenajit refers to Buddha as a Kosalan. He spent much of his time teaching in Śrāvastī, especially in the Jetavana monastery.

The conquest of Kashi
The Mahavagga and Jatakas recount intense conflicts between Kashi and Kosala. The Kuṇāla-Jāta INa reports that Brahmadatta had attacked Kosala and abducted the Kosalan queen to Kashi. Other Jātakas also mention Kashi's triumphs over Kosala. Nevertheless, despite initial setbacks, Kosalan sovereigns ultimately emerged victorious. By the time of King Mahakosala and his successor Prasenajit, Kosalan sovereignty over Kashi had become well-established.

Relations with Magadha
During Prasenajit's life, the royal dynasties of Kosala and Magadha intermarried. When Kosaladevi married King Bimbisara of Magadha, Kashi was given to Magadha as a part of dowry. After Bimbisara was overthrown by his son Ajatashatru, Prasenajit revoked the dowry owing to death of Kosaladevi and Bimbisara. This was followed by a series of war between the two kingdoms, in which Ajatshatru was captured but his life was spared by the Kosalan king. As part of the peace agreements, Kashi was returned to Magadha.