Dashratha

Dasharatha
Ramayana character
Kaikeyi demands that Dasharatha banish Rama from Ayodhya
Information
Spouse(s)	Kausalya, Kaikeyi, Sumitra
Children	Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata, Shatrughna, Shanta
Parent(s)	Aja
Dynasty	Ikshvaku dynasty

Dasharatha (Sanskrit: दशरथ, IAST Daśaratha) was, according to Ramayana, the Hindu Kshatriya king of Ayodhya and a descendant of the 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 and Shatrughna. Dasharatha was the 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 were his queen consorts:

Dasharatha was the 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 defeated and slew many Asuras in war.

Dasharatha had three queen consorts, namely, Kaushalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi. Kaushalya was from the Kingdom of Magadha. Sumitra was from Kashi. Kaikeyi was from Kekeya Kingdom. Having an immense desire to beget a son, Dasharatha promised Kaikeyi's father Ashwapati and her brothers that the son she bore would succeed him as King of Kosala. Different versions of the story vary his number of wives from 350 to 60,000. But he had only three chief consorts.