Usinara

Usinaras (Devanagari:उसीनर) were an ancient people attested to have been living in central Punjab since remote antiquity. They were often associated with Madras, Kekayas, Sibis etc. and their territory formed part of Vahika country according to evidence of Pāṇini.

There is a reference to princess Usinarini (i.e. queen of Usinara) in the Rigveda Aitareya Brahmana seems to locate Usinaras along with the Kurus, Panchalas and the Vasas (Savasa) in middle region or Madhyadesha (Mid India).Kaushitakai Upanishada colllocates the Usinaras with the Satvat-Matsyas, the Kuru-Panchalas and the Svasas. They probably lived in a territory to the north of Madhyadesa, as neighbors to the Udichyas or the northerners. This is why the Gopatha Brahamana collocates the Usinaras and Svasas with the Udichyas or northerners.

Divyavadana refers to the Svasas as people of Uttarapatha with headquarters at Takshasila to which king Ashoka was deputed by his father Bindusara as a Viceroy to quell their rebellion. The ancient Savasa or Svasa is said to be modern Chhibba which comprises Punch, Rajauri and Bhimbara.

Thus, the Usinaras, the very neighbors of the Svasas must also be located in Punjab proper.

There are many references to Usinaras in the epic Mahabharata. At several places, it refers to king Usinara and his son prince Sibi or Sivi whose charity has been enormously glorified by sage Markandeya.

Adi Parava of Mahabharata says that prince Sivi, son of Usinara had attended Draupadi's self-choice (Swayamvara; "groom-choosing") ceremony along with the kings of neighbouring kingdoms viz Shalya, the king of Madra Kingdom, with his son, the heroic Rukmangada, Rukmaratha, Somadatta (king of Bahlika Kingdom) of the Kuru race with his three sons - Bhuri, Bhurisrava, and Sala and Sudakshina Kamboja the arch-bowman of the Puru race See Ganguli's Trans: [1].

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