The Kingdom of Kamboja – Kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India
Kamboja kingdom was ruled by Kambojas, they belonged to a Kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India. Their presence and activities were frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature. Modern scholars believe that the Kambojas belonged to the Eastern Iranian tribe who later settled in at the boundary of ancient India. Some other scholars believe that their tribe was Mleccha or barbarous according to the Vedic Inhabitants of India. Later the Kambojas have adopted Hinduism in the late Vedic Period.
The Kamboja Kingdom in the epic Mahabharata:
Kamboja in the ancient Kingdom was mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. It is also called Kamboja. The western kingdoms all were supervised under the Kamboja rule. The kingdoms were very cold so that the people used blankets. They also reared sheep and drank sheep milk. Their horses were of excellent quality. The soldiers used the horses in the wars with force on the enemies. So most of the kingdoms used the Kamboja soldiers in their armies on a payment basis. The Kamboja soldiers participated on both sides of Pandavas and Kauravas in the Kurukshetra War. According to the epic scriptures the Kinnaras, who were the separate tribe were believed to be the Kamboja horse warriors. These people had extraordinary skills in cavalry warfare.
About the Kamboja Kingdom:
According to the epic Mahabharata, the Kamboja kingdom is a republic, and the powers are given to the king by the people of Kamboja. Like democracy at the present time, the people of Kamboja also elect their chiefs and through them, the kingdom rules the country, like Kamboja the Ashtra, Madra, Kekeya are some. The Kambojas followed their own culture and tradition which is quite different from Vedic culture. In the present Yuga, Kambojas had many colonial states in central India among them one is Aswaka of Maharashtra state another is the southeast country of Cambodia.
The migration of Kambojas:
In the Krita age, the Kambojas were nowhere on earth. From the Treta Yuga, they have had their origin and began to multiply. But in Dwapara Yuga the Kambojas engaged themselves in battle.
Arjuna and Karna’s conquests:
Arjuna encountered two Kamboja kingdoms in the northern region. One is close to the Daradas, and the other one is the eastern Kambojas.
Karna also conquered the Kamboja kingdom with Rajapura as its capital. Karna vanquished all the Kambojas.
The Kamboja Kings:
The main Kamboja kings are Chadravarman a king of Kamboja he belonged to Daitya clan of Asuras. Sudakshina and Kamatha.
Kambojas in Kurukshetra War:
Drupada, the father-in-law of Pandavas wished to bring kings of the Kambojas to fight against the Kauravas. But Kambojas had a close relation with Jayadratha, the brother-in-law of Duryodhana. So Kambojas were interested in participating in the Kurukshetra war in favor of Kauravas. With their profound support, impeached Duryodhana and he made Sudakshina, one of the generals of the Kaurava army.
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