Historical Geography of Ancient India c6.106

c6.106

Ayodhyā is important in the history of Jainism and Buddhism.⁶ The succession to the throne of Ayodhyā was generally determined according to the law of primogeniture in the Ikṣvāku family.⁷ Ayodhyā had many well-known kings.⁸ The kings of Ayodhyā were connected with the Vaśiṣṭha family. The Vaśiṣṭhas were their hereditary priests.¹ The kingdom of Ayodhyā rose to great eminence under Yuvanāśva II and especially his son Māndhātṛ.² The supremacy of Ayodhyā waned and the Kānyakubja kingdom rose into prominence under its king Jahnu. The Haihayas overcame Ayodhyā and the foreign tribes settled there after its conquest. Ayodhyā again became famous under Bhagīratha and Ambarīṣa Nābhāgi.³ Daśaratha sought the help of the rustic Ṛṣyaśṛnga from Aṅga.⁴ The eastern and southern kings and kings of the distant Punjab were invited to Daśaratha’s horse sacrifice at Ayodhyā. Ayodhyā and the Vaśiṣṭhas had no association then with the brahmanically élite region, as Pargiter points out.⁵ The Kathāsaritsāgara refers to the camp of Nanda in Ayodhyā.⁶ The Yoginītantra mentions this city (2/4, pp. 128-129). The Pali texts refer to some more kings of Ayodhyā.⁷ A large number of coins were found at the site of Ayodhyā. For further details vide Law, Indological Studies, Pt. III.