SUDAS
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.