Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c16.34

c16.34

There are no passages, as far as I know, that lend colour to any connexion between king Kuru’s descendants (the Kurus) and the northern Kurus, except perhaps two: one says that in the time of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s and Pāṇḍu’s youth the southern Kurus rivalled the northern Kurus;¹ and the other says that, when the victorious Pāṇḍavas re-entered Hastināpura, flags waving in the wind displayed in a way (*iva*) the southern and northern Kurus.² The people of Hastināpura were not Kurus, but the name Kuru of the royal family was extended to their people and country according to a common Indian usage.³ Both passages occur in rhapsodies on the extraordinary happiness of the Kaurava kingdom at those times, and the similarity of name suggested the comparison of the Kurus (Kauravas) with the northern Kurus, a simple folk whose condition is portrayed as one of continual ideal bliss.⁴ The comparisons are merely happy poetic similes, and do not indicate racial identity.⁵ The adjective ‘northern’ was added to distinguish the Himalayan folk.