Sudas
was an Indo-Aryan tribal king of the Bharatas, during the main or middle
Rig Vedic period (c. 14th century BCE). He led his tribe to victory
in the Battle of the Ten Kings near the Parusni (modern Ravi River)
in Punjab, defeating an alliance of the powerful Puru tribe with other
tribes, for which he was eulogised by his purohit Vashishth in a hymn
of the Rig Ved. His victory established the ascendency of the Bharat
clan, allowing them to move eastwards and settle in Kurukshetra, paving
the way for the emergence of the Kuru "super-tribe" or tribal
union, which dominated northern India in the subsequent period.
Mention
in Rig Ved :
Sudas
is mentioned in Rig Ved as the chief of Bharat's who conquered the ten-kings
confederacy. It is further mentioned that the king replaced Vishvamitra
with Vashishth as his priest, thereby creating a rivalry between the
two. The ten-kings, viz. Puru, Yadu, Turvasa, Adu, Druhyu, Alina, Paktha,
Bhalanas, Siva and Vishanin, then revolted against Sudas but were defeated
by him. He also fought Ajas, Sigrus and Yakshus soon after.