Wikipedia Trail: From Vyasa to the Kuru Kingdom

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 I began my Wikipedia Trail on Vyasa, who was both the author of the Mahabharata and an important character. I wanted to read up more on who he was and what he accomplished during his life. Vyasa lived near the banks of Ganga near what is now known as Uttarakhand. His Wikipedia page mentioned that this area was also home to the sage Vasishtha, who I had never heard of. This led me to my second Wikipedia page on Vasishtha, one of the oldest and most revered Vedic rishis. He and his family are mentioned in many Vedic texts, including the Rigveda. Furthermore, Vasishtha is credited for writing Mandala 7 of the Rigveda. Although I had heard of the Rigveda, I was interested in learning more about it. This led me to my third Wikipedia page on the Rigveda. The Rigveda is ancient collection of Sanskrit hymns, and it's one of the oldest texts of any Indo-European languages. The dating of the texts were difficult, but some scholars consider it to be written around 1200-1000 BCE in the Kuru Kingdom. I was interested in learning more about this kingdom, and this led me to my fourth Wikipedia page on the Kuru Kingdom. The Kuru Kingdom was a tribal union in northwest India during the Iron Age. It was the first recorded state-level society on the Indian subcontinent and played an important role in various religious texts. For example, the kingdom provided the basis for the Mahabharata epic. While the epic involves clans from the kingdom, archaeological evidence has failed to provide solid support for the narrative.

A painting of Vasishtha and his wife. Source: Wikipedia


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