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Lord Rama was born in the 81st generation of Ikshvaku Dynasty of Surya Vamsam or Solar Dynasty. This lineage continued for another 64 generations until 1634 BCE, where the last king Sumitra was killed by Chanakya’s contemporary Mahapadma Nanda. Brihadbala, who was 115th generation king, participated in Kurukshetra war and was killed by Abhimanyu. Raghuvanshi is an offshoot dynasty born out of the Suryavanshi clan after the king Raghu (57th generation).
These are the notable and the well-known figures of the Suryavasnh or also called as Solar Dynasty. Here is a list of the different generations of the Suryavansh:
1. Vishnu Purana, Valmiki Ramayana and Mahabharata contain accounts of this dynasty.
Brahma created 10 Prajapatis , one of whom was Marichi.
2. Kashyapa is the son of Marichi and Kala. Kashyapa is regarded as the father of humanity. His sons from Aditi, the sky goddess, and the daughter of Daksha Prajapati are called Adityas (Sons of Aditi), they were, Aṃśa, Aryaman, Bhaga, Dhūti, Mitra, Pūṣan, Śakra, Savitṛ, Tvaṣṭṛ, Varuṇa, Viṣṇu, and Vivasvat or Vivasvan .
3. Vivasvan or Vaivasvata (one of the sons of Lord Sun) – the Sun God, progenitor of the clan. His parents were the sage Kashyapa, father of all beings, and Aditi, Aditi’s 12 sons, the Adityas, are the sun deities, and both Vivaswan and Aditya mean sun. Therefore, another name for Vivaswan is Surya or the Sun, hence the name, Suryavansha. Vivaswan’s sons include Shrraaddev and Shanishchar.
4. Manu or Vaivasvata Manu – the King of all mankind and the first human being. (According to Hindu belief there are 14 Manvantaras; in each, Manu rules. Vaivasvata Manu was the seventh Manu . Manu is referred to as a Rajan (King) in the Shatapatha Brahmana scripture. He had nine sons, Vena, Dhrishnu, Narishyan, Nabhaga, Ikshvaku, Karusha, Saryati, Prishadhru, Nabhagarishta and one daughter, Ila, who was married to Budha of the Lunar Dynasty). He left the kingdom to the eldest male of the next generation, Ikshvaku, who was actually the son of Manu’s brother Shraaddev.
5. Ikshvaku – the first prominent monarch of this dynasty, giving the dynasty another name the ‘Ikshvaku dynasty’. This lineage continued for another 64 generations until 1634 BCE, where the last king Sumitra was killed by Chanakya’s contemporary Mahapadma Nanda. Ikshvaku dynasty was a dynasty founded by the legendary king Ikshvaku.
6. 22 out of 24 Jain Tirthankara belonged to this dynasty. Rishabha(Ikshvaku) is present in both Hindu as well as Jain mythology.
7. Both refers to the same person. Prince Siddhartha (Gautama Buddha) belonged to ikshvaku dynasty in 139th generation.
8. Ikshvaku (इक्ष्वाकु, ikṣvāku), was 2nd generation king or rather the 1st king of this dynasty. His name originally was Rishabha.
9. When he was exhausted during hunting and was about to die, a Rishi saved him by providing Ikshu (Sugar cane) Rasa (Juice).
10. His voice became sweet and he was named Ikshvaku (one who speaks sweetly).
11. He ruled the Kingdom of Kosala in ancient India. Acoording to the Vishnu Purana, he had a hundred sons, among whom the eldest was Vikukshi.
12. Ikshvaku‘s another son, named Nimi, founded the Videha dynasty.
13. Vikukshi – He is said to have eaten the meat of a rabbit at the time of Shraddha and was known as Shasad. (Some records claim him to be grandson of Ikshvaku.) His son was Kakuthsa or Puranjay.
14. Kakutstha or Puranjaya – He was a brave king and fought in the Devasur Sangram. His original name was Puranjaya. But after he annihilated Asuras (demons) (or “Ahuras” ie Persians)while sitting on the hump (Kukud) of a bull, he was known as Kakuthstha, which means seated on the hump. His dynasty was also known as Kakuthstha after him.
15. Anena or Anaranya
16. Prithu
17. Vishvagashva
18. Ardra or Chandra
19. Yuvanashva I
20. Shravast – He founded the town of Shravasti near Kosala.
21. Vrihadashva
22. Kuvalashva – He killed a Rakshasa named Dhundh. It is said that Dhundhar region and the Dhund river are named after Dhund. Eighteen of Kuvalashva’s sons died in the battle with Dhund. Thereafter, Kuvalashva was called “Dhundhumara”.
23. Dridhashva
24. Pramod
25. Haryashva I
26. Nikumbh
27. Santashva
28. Krishasva
29. Prasenjit I – His daughter Renuka was married to sage Jamdgni. She was mother of Parashurama.
30. Yuvanashva II – He was married to Gori, daughter of the Chandravanshi king Matinaar.
31. Mandhata – He became a famous and Chakravarti (ideal universal ruler) king. He defeated most of the other kings of his time. He married Bindumati, a daughter of the Chandravanshi king.
32. Ambarisha – Great devotee of Vishnu.
33. Purukutsa & Harita – Purukutsa performed the Ashwamedha Yajna (horse sacrifice). He married Nagkanya “Narmada”. He helped Nagas in their war against the Gandharvas. Harithasa gotra linage starts from here. Ambarisha (adopted by Yuvanashva), Muchukunda (helped Deva in Deva-Asur War andlatter he killed Kaal Yavan by fire from his eyes at the time of Sri Krishna Avatara in end of Dwaparayuga) (Contemporary to Chandravanshi King Sibi who was founder of Keikaya and Madra Kingdom)
34. Traddasyu
35. Sambhoot
36. Anaranya II
37. Trashdashva
38. Haryashva II
39. Vasuman
40. Tridhanva
41. Tryyaruna
42. Satyavrata or Trishanku – His original name was Satyavrata, but he committed three (tri) sins, and hence got the name Trishanku. First, while he was a prince, he misbehaved and was temporarily exiled from the kingdom. Next, he killed the milch cow of his preceptor Vasishta. His third sin was that he used the unsanctified meat of his kill as food. Trishanku also had a desire to ascend to heaven in his mortal body. After Vashistha refused him this boon, since it is against nature to ascend into heaven as a mortal, the sage Vishwamitra, Vashistha’s rival, created another heaven for him, called “Trishanku’s Heaven”, and located in mid-air. His sons were Dhundumara, and Harishchandra, who was borh of the princess of “Kaikaya” named “Satyaraksha”.
43. Harishchandra – He is known for his honesty, truth and devotion to duty or Dharma.
44. Rohitashva – He was the son of Harishchandra. He founded town of Rohtas Garh in Rohtas district, Bihar and Rohtak, originally Rohitakaul, meaning from the Kul (family) of Rohit
45. Harit
46. Chanchu
47. Vijay
48. Ruruk
49. Vrika
50. Bahu or Asit – He was attacked and defeated by another clan of Kshatriyas. After this, he left Ayodhya and went to the Himalaya mountains to live as an ascetic with his queens. At that time Yadavi queen was pregnant with Sagara.
51. Sagara – He recaptured Ayodhya from the “Haihaya” and “Taljanghi” Kshtriyas. He then attempted to perform the horse sacrifice, Ashwamedha Yajna. However, the sacrificial horse was stolen by the god Indra on the south eastern shores of the ocean, which was at that time an empty bed with no water in it. At least sixty of Sagara’s sons died attempting to recover the horse, also causing great destruction by their reckless search. Puranic legends say the number of his sons was 60 thousand.
52. Asmanja – Sagara’s surviving son was not made king due to his bad conduct.
53. Anshuman – He was the grandson of Sagara, and his successor as king. He did penance in an attempt to bring the holy river Ganges to earth, that she might wash away the sins of his ancestors.
54. Dileepa I – He also tried to bring Ganges to earth, but also failed.
55. Bhagiratha – Sagara’s great-grandson, after strenuous penances, at last succeeded in bringing Ganga down from heaven. When she flowed over the remains of his ancestors, their souls were redeemed, and the ocean was refilled. Ganga also bears the name “Bhagirathi”, in honour of his deed.
56. Shrut
57. Nabhag
58. Ambarish – According to Buddhist legends, he went to Tapovana to be a renunciant but after a public outcry returned and ruled for some time.
59. Sindhu Dweep
60. Pratayu
61. Shrutuparna
62. Sarvakama
63. Sudaas
64. Saudas or Mitrasah – He performed the Ashwamedha Yajna, but as the rituals were concluding a Rakshasa tricked him into serving human meat to Brahmin,s including Rishi Vashishta. He was then cursed by the Brahmins. He wanted to curse them back, but his wife prevented him. He spent twelve years in exile in the forest.
65. Sarvakama II
66. Ananaranya III
67. Nighna
68. Raghu I
69. Duliduh
70. Khatwang Dileepa
71. Raghu II or Dirghbahu – He was a famous king, who conquered most of India. The great epic Raghuvamsa describes his victories. After him the Sun dynasty was also known as the dynasty of Raghu as Raghav (Raghuvanshi).
72. Aja
73. Dasaratha to whom Sri Rama was born as mentioned in Valmiki Ramayana (contemporary to Videha King Siradwaja (Janaka-2) father of Seeta)
74. Rama – He is considered the seventh Avatar of the god Vishnu. He is worshiped by every Hindu. Many Hindus include his name in either their first or last name. Rama’s story before he became king of Ayodhya is recounted in the Ramayana. After he ascended the throne, he performed the Ashwamedha Yajna. Bharata, his younger brother, won the country of Gandhara and settled there.
75. Lava and Kusha – They were the twin sons of Rama and his wife Sita. Lava ruled south Kosala while Kusha ruled north Kosala, including Ayodhya. Kusha married “Nagkanya” “Kumuddhati”, sister of Kumuda. After Kusha the following kings of the solar dynasty ruled Ayodhya:
76. Atithi
77. Nishadh
78. Nal
79. Nabha
80. Pundarika
81. Kshemandhava
82. Dewaneek
83. Ahinagu, Roop and Rooru
84. Paripatra
85. Bala
86. Ukta
87. Vajranabh
88. Shankh
89. Vishvashaha
90. Hiranyanabha
91. Pusya
92. Dhruvsandhi
93. Sudarshan
94. Agnivarna
95. Shighraga
96. Maru
97. Prasut
98. Susandhi
99. Amarsha
100. Vishrutwan
101. Vishravbahu
102. Prasenjit I
103. Takshaka – Laid the foundation of Nagavansh
104. Brihadbal – He fought in Battle of Kurukshetra on the Kaurava side and was killed in battle. (at Mahabharata time, Abhimanyu killed Brihadbala at age 125 years in Mahabharata War).
105. Average lifespan of a human kept dropping with each Yuga.
106. Buddha in the History of Ikshvaku Dynasty
107. The list of kings of lkshvaku dynasty from 3138 BCE to 1634 BCE
108. Brihadbala was killed in the Mahabharata war by Abhimanyu. His son ‘Brihadkshana’ became king after the war.
109. Brahatkshtra
110. Arukshay
111. Vatsavyuha
112. Prativyom
113. Diwakar
114. Sahdeva
115. Vrihadashwa
116. Bhanuratha
117. Pratitashwa
118. Supratika
119. Marudeva
120. Sunakshtra
121. Antariksha
122. Sushena
123. Anibhajit
124. Vrihadbhanu
125. Rawats
126. Dharmi
127. Kritanjaya
128. Rananjaya
129. Sanjay
130. Prasenjit II – He was a contemporary of Gautama Buddha and King Bimbisara of Magadha. His sister, Koushala Devi, was married to Bimbisara. The city of Kashi (Varanasi) was given as a dowry to her. After Bimbisara was murdered by his own son Ajatshatru, Prasenjit undertook a long series of wars with Ajatshatru. He also respected Buddha, who was also a Kshatriya from solar dynasty. In Buddhist literature he is addressed as “Pasenadi”.
131. Kshudrak
132. Kulak
133. Surath
134. Sumitra – He was the last king of Ayodhya from solar dynasty. In the fourth century BC, emperor Mahapadma Nanda of the Nanda Dynasty forced Sumitra to leave Ayodhya. He went to Rohtas with his sons. This was also mentioned in Matsya, Vayu and Brahmanda Puranas. His son Kurma established his rule over Rohtas. Vishnu Purana, Amsa IV, chapter 22 mentions :
IkshvakuNaa mayaa vaMsaha, sumitrAntO gamishyatihi
When translated from Sanskirt, this sloka means that Ishvaku dynasty ended with Sumitra.
