Uśīnara

(Redirected from Usinara)

Ushinara (Sanskrit: Uśīnara) was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe of north-western South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age.[1]

Location of the Anu tribe from which the Uśīnaras were descended among the Vedic tribes
Location of the Uśīnaras during the post-Vedic period

Location

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The Uśīnaras lived in the northernmost part of the Madhya-deśa, with the Uśīnara-giri ("Uśīnara mountain") being located near Kanakhala.[1]

History

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The Uśīnaras, as well as the neighbouring Kekaya and Madraka tribes, were descended from the Ṛgvedic Anu tribe which lived near the Paruṣṇī river in the central Punjab region.[2]

A queen of Uśīnara, named Uśīnarāṇī, is mentioned in the Ṛgveda.[1]

In mythology

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The Uśīnaras appear in epic Hindu literature, especially in the Rāmāyaṇa and the Mahābhārata.

References

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  1. ^ a b c Raychaudhuri 1953, p. 65-66.
  2. ^ Raychaudhuri 1953, p. 63.

Further reading

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  • Raychaudhuri, Hemchandra (1953). Political History of Ancient India: From the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of Gupta Dynasty. University of Calcutta.