Madra


Madra is the name of an ancient region and its inhabitants, located in the north-west division of the ancient Indian sub-continent. The kingdom's boundaries are believed to have extended from portions of the Hindu Kush to the present day Punjab and Haryana province of India. Some support for this belief lies within the ancient epic, the Mahabharata that describes the armies of the Madra Kingdom led by King Shalya, marching from ancient Northwest Punjab to what would be known today as Haryana. The Madra are numerously referenced in ancient Sanskrit and Pali literature and some scholarly work references them as being part of the Kshatriya group during the time of the Mahabharata. Recent scholarly work references the Madra kingdom existing for at least two thousand years and places its home between the Ravi and Chenab. The Kingdom of Madra was founded by Madra who was the son of Shibi in Treta Yuga.