Historical Geography of Ancient India c10.133

c10.133

In the early Vedic age the Cedi king must have been very powerful inasmuch as he is described in the Ṛgveda (VIII, 5, 37-39) as making a gift of ten kings as slaves to a priest, who officiated at one of his sacrifices. The Cedi monarch Kaśu must have been a commanding personality in Ṛgvedic times as it appears that he brought many kings under his sway. According to the Mahābhārata (M. N. Dutt, Mahābhārata, p. 83) the beautiful and excellent kingdom of the Cedis was conquered by Vasu the Paurava. His capital was Śuktimatī on the river Śuktimatī. He extended his conquest eastwards as far as Magadha and apparently north-west over Matsya. Śiśupāla, the great Cedi monarch, appears to have acquired considerable power in the Epic period (Mahābhārata, I, 7029). He was desirous of slaying Kṛṣṇa with all the Pāṇḍavas, but he was killed by Kṛṣṇa. Yudhiṣṭhira installed his son in the sovereignty of the Cedis.