Tribes in Ancient India c31.41

c31.41

We return to the *Mahābhārata* references to Kāśī. A certain king of Kāśī gave his daughter Sārvasenī in marriage to Bharata, son of Duṣmanta (Duṣyanta), king of the Kuru dynasty, and Śakuntalā, daughter of Viśvāmitra.³ Kāśya, another king of Kāśī, had three daughters, Ambā, Ambikā and Ambālikā, who were won by Bhīṣma for his brother Vicitravīrya in a Svayaṃvara.⁴ Suvāhu, a king of Kāśī, was conquered by Bhīṣma.⁵ On the occasion of the marriage ceremony of Abhimanyu, the king of Kāśī and others were invited by Yudhiṣṭhira to a city named Upaplavya near Virāṭa.⁶ The king of Kāśī was an ally of Yudhiṣṭhira, and helped the Pāṇḍavas in the Kurukṣetra war.⁷ In battle he rode horses decorated with gold and garlands⁸; Śaivya and he guarded the centre of the Pāṇḍava army with 30,000 chariots.⁹ The king of Kāśī is mentioned as the best archer.¹⁰ Kāśī, Karūṣa and Cedi armies were under the leadership of Dhṛṣṭaketu.¹¹