Dasharatha

Dasharatha
Kaikeyi demands that Dasharatha banish Rama from Ayodhya
Information
Title	Maharaja
Spouse(s)	Kausalya Kaikeyi Sumitra
Children	Rama Lakshmana Bharata Shatrughna

Dasharatha (Sanskrit: दशरथ, IAST Daśaratha) was, according to Ramayana, the Hindu king(Kshatriya of Ayodhya and a descendant of Ikshvaku dynasty(also known as Suryavamsha or Raghuvamsa dynasty).His life story is narrated principally in the Hindu epic Ramayana. He was a descendant of Raghu and was father of prince Rama, the principal character in Ramayana as well as father of Lakshmana, Bharatha, Shatrughna. Dasharatha was son of Aja and Indumati. He had Jhalli as mahamantri of his great kingdom. Sumanth was also a trusted minister of his kingdom. He had three wives who are his queen consorts:

Dasharatha was son of King Aja of Ayodhya and Princess Indumati of Vidarbha. His birth name was Nemi, but he acquired the name Dasharatha as his chariot could move in all eight directions, fly as well as come down on earth and he could fight with ease in all these directions.

Dasharatha became king after his parents died. He was a great warrior who single handedly conquered the whole earth with his prowess and had defeated and slain many Asuras in war.

Dasharatha has three queen-consorts, namely, Kaushalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi. Kaushalya was from the Kingdom of Magadha. Sumitra was from Kashi. Kaikeyi was from Kekeya Kingdom. To marry her in immense desire to beget a son he promised her father Aswapati and her brothers that the son born of her womb would succeed him as King of Kosala. The count of number of his wives varies from versions to versions ranging from 350 to 60000. But he has only three chief consorts.