Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c13.s1.1

c13.s1.1

The genealogy of the kings of Ayodhyā, to whom were especially applied the titles, the ‘Solar race’, the Ikṣvākus, Aikṣvākus or Aikṣvākas, is given by many authorities. Thirteen Puranas give the whole list of kings more or less completely.² The Rāmāyaṇa gives the list down to Rāma twice.³ The Mahābhārata mentions the early part as far as Dṛḍhāśva,⁴ and other small portions elsewhere.¹ The Raghuvamśa has much of the latter half, from Dilīpa II to Agnivarṇa.² All these authorities are on the whole in general agreement, so far as they extend, except the Rāmāyaṇa. Its two lists are practically the same, but differ widely from the others. Most of its names occur in the other lists, but they are arranged in such absolutely different order that its lists cannot be reconciled with the others. There are thus two wholly distinct genealogies, and it is necessary to examine which is more probably right.