Kampil, historically known as Kampilya, is a town and a Nagar panchayat in Farrukhabad district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located about 45 km from Farrukhabad, and 55 km from Budaun. It is a very important place from a historical point of view.
History
Shraman Era
It is believed to be the birthplace of the 13th Tirthankara Bhagwan Shree Vimalnath. This is a Holy Land where the four Kalyanakas—chayavan, birth, diksa and omniscience—of Tirthankara 1008 Bhagawan Shree Vimalnatha, the thirteenth Tirthnakara took place. This place was also graced by the visit of Lord Mahavira. Apart from these, there are many old temples, which signify the historical and religious importance of Kampil. During the epic period, it was the capital of King Drupada, the father of Draupadi. The sacrificial altar (Yajna Kunda) from which Draupadi is believed to have been born from the fire of knowledge, is situated in Kampil. Near the sacrificial altar, there is a structure, which is the hermitage of a sage Kampila, where he used to perform penance.
Southern Panchala
Southern Panchala kingdom or Panchala-proper, one of the historical mahajanapadas of ancient India (c. 6th to 4th centuries BC),Raychaudhuri, H.C. (1972). Political History of Ancient India, Calcutta: University of Calcutta, p. 85 had Kampilya city as its capital. This kingdom extended from the Ganga River to the river Charmanwati. It was annexed into the Nanda Empire during the reign of Mahapadma Nanda.Raychaudhuri, H.C. (1972). Political History of Ancient India, Calcutta: University of Calcutta, p. 206 Ahichchhatra was the capital of northern Panchala and Kampilya was the capital of southern Panchala.
By tradition, the temple of Rameshwarnatha Mahadeva is attributed to Shatrughana, brother of Rama. It is said that he had brought the idol (Lingam) of Shiva, which was worshiped by Sita, the wife of Rama in Ashoka Vatika while she was held in captivity in Lanka and installed it in this temple.
Mughal era Kampil is listed in the Ain-i-Akbari as a pargana under the sarkar of Kannauj, producing a revenue of 1,651,586 dams for the imperial treasury and supplying a force of 200 infantry and 100 cavalry.
References of Panchala in Mahabharata
People from Panchala In Mahabharata, many figures were mentioned as the natives of Panchala:
Panchali: wife of the Pandavas Dhrishtadyumna: commander-in-chief of the Pandavas in Kurukshetra War and brother of Panchali Drupada: father of Panchali and Dhristadyumna Shikhandi: another son of Drupada (he married from Dasarna – see Dasarna kingdom) Prishata: father of Drupada (1,131) Satyajit: commander-in-chief of Panchala army under king Drupada Sage Dhaumya: priest of the Pandavas (1,185). Aruni: a Brahmin boy from Panchala and a disciple of sage Dhaumya (1,3).
Many other sons of Drupada (a total of 10) and other Panchala princes (like Yudhamanyu, Uttamaujas, Janamejaya (8,82) etc.) were mentioned as battling in Kurukshetra War, allied with the Pandavas.
Origin of Panchala tribe Mahabharata, Book 1, Chapter 94: The lineage extending from Puru to Santanu.
The following passage from Mahabharata, that describes the Puru lineage of kings, shows the kinship of the Kurus and the Panchalas, both branched out from the same line.
When Janamejaya wished to hear the history of kings who were descended from Puru, Vaisampayana narrated the lineage of kings in Puru's line.
Lineage of Puru kings up to the branching of Panchala tribe
Puru had by his wife Paushti three sons, Pravira, Iswara, and Raudraswa. Amongst them, Pravira was the perpetuator of the dynasty. Pravira had by his wife Suraseni a son named Manasyu. Manasyu had for his wife Sauviri. And he begat upon her three sons called Sakta, Sahana, and Vagmi. Raudraswa begat upon the Apsara Misrakesi ten sons. They all had sons. They are Richeyu, Kaksreyu Vrikeyu, Sthandileyu, Vaneyu, Jaleyu, Tejeyu, Satyeyu, Dharmeyu and Sannateyu the tenth.
Amongst them all, Richeyu became the sole monarch and was known by the name of Anadhrishti. Anadhristi had a son of the name of Matinara who became a famous and virtuous king and performed the Rajasuya and the Ashwamedha. Matinara had four sons viz., Tansu, Mahan, Atiratha, and Druhyu. (Amongst them, Tansu of great prowess became the perpetrator of Puru's line). Tansu begat a son named Ilina. Ilina begat upon his wife Rathantara five sons with Dushmanta (Dushyanta) at their head. They were Dushmanta, Sura, Bhima, Pravasu, and Vasu. The eldest of them, Dushmanta, became king. Dushmanta had by his wife Sakuntala an intelligent son named Bharata who became king. Bharata gave his name to the race of which he was the founder. It is from him that the fame of that dynasty hath spread so wide. Bharata begat upon his three wives nine sons in all. But none of them were like their father and so Bharata was not at all pleased with them. Their mothers, therefore, became angry and slew them all. The procreation of children by Bharata, therefore, became vain.
The monarch then performed a great sacrifice and through the grace of Bharadwaja obtained a son named Bhumanyu. Then Bharata, the great descendant of Puru, regarding himself as really possessing a son, installed that son as his heir-apparent. Bhumanyu begat upon his wife, Pushkarini six sons named Suhotra, Suhotri, Suhavih, Sujeya, Diviratha and Kichika. During the virtuous reign of Suhotra the surface of the whole earth was dotted all over with hundreds and thousands, of sacrificial stakes. Suhotra, begat, upon his wife Aikshaki three sons, viz., Ajamidha, Sumidha, and Purumidha. The eldest of them, Ajamidha, was the perpetuator of the royal line. And he begat six sons,--Riksha was born of the womb of his wife Dhumini; Dushmanta and Parameshthin, of his wife Nili; Jahnu, Jala and Rupina were born of his wife Kesini. Kushikas are the sons of Jahnu.
All the tribes of the Panchalas are descended from Dushmanta and Parameshthin, two sons of the second wife of Puru king Ajamidha.
War between Panchalas and the forefathers of Kurus
Continuous war between the Kurus and Panchalas led the defeated Kurus to be exiled from their kingdom. They lived in the forests on the banks of Sindhu. Later the Kurus retook their capital.
Riksha who was older than both Jala and Rupina became king. Riksha begat Samvarana, the perpetuator of the royal line. While Samvarana, the son of Riksha, was ruling, there happened a great loss of people from famine, pestilence, drought, and disease. The Bharata princes were beaten by the troops of enemies.
And the Panchalas setting out to invade the whole land with their four kinds of troops soon brought the whole land under their sway. And with their ten Akshauhinis the king of the Panchalas defeated the Bharata prince. Samvarana then with his wife and ministers, sons and relatives, fled in fear, and took shelter in the forest on the banks of the Sindhu extending to the foot of the (western) mountains. There the Bharatas lived for a full thousand years (for a long period), within their fort. After they had lived there a long period, one day the sage Vasishtha approached the exiled Bharatas.
It hath been heard that Vasishtha (becoming the priest) then installed the Bharata prince in the sovereignty of all the Kshatriyas. The king retook the capital that had been taken away from him and once more made all monarchs pay tribute to him. The powerful Samvarana, was thus installed once more in the actual sovereignty of the whole land.
Samvarana begat upon his wife, Tapati (whose abode was on the banks of river Tapati (Tapti, Maharashtra)), the daughter of Surya (a king of the Solar Dynasty), a son named Kuru. This Kuru was exceedingly virtuous, and therefore, he was installed on the throne by his people. It is after his name that the field called Kurujangala (eastern Haryana) has become so famous in the world. Devoted to asceticism, he made that field Kurukshetra sacred by practising asceticism there. He was the founder of the Kuru dynasty and the Kuru kingdom.
It seems that the Samvarana who retook the capital was another king in the line of the exiled king Samvarana. Another interesting fact is that sages in the line of Vasistha, were the priests of Solar Dynasty of kings (especially the Ikshwakus) for many generations. This could be the reason why Samvarana, who took Vasistha as his priest, married from the Solar Dynasty. The history of Samvarana falling in love with Tapati, while he roamed in the vicinity of Tapati river (Tapti river Maharashtra) and Vasistha's help in getting the consent of king Surya, her father, to give her in marriage to Samvaran—all these are mentioned at (1-173,174,175,176).
Drupada becomes the king of Panchala Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva, Chapter 131: The History of Drona
There was a king named Prishata who was a great friend of Bharadwaja. About this time Prishata had a son born unto him, named Drupada. Drupada, the son of Prishata, used every day to come to the hermitage of Bharadwaja to play with Drona and study in his company. When Prishata was dead, this Drupada became the king of the Northern Panchalas. Once Drupada became the king, he forgot his friendship with Drona. Drupada insulted Drona by telling him that he deserved not to be his friend, because Drona was not a king, but a poor Brahmana.
The partition of the Panchala kingdom Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva, Chapter 140: Arjuna takes Drupada captive
Drona defeated Drupada, by means of his disciple Arjuna, to settle his old scores. Drona spoke as follows to the captive Drupada:-
Thou toldest me before that none who was not a king could be a king's friend. Therefore, is it, O Yajnasena (Drupada), that I retain half thy kingdom. Thou art the king of all the territory lying on the southern side of the Bhagirathi (Ganga), while I become king of all the territory on the north of that river. And, O Panchala, if it pleaseth thee, know me hence for thy friend.
On hearing these words, Drupada answered:-, Thou art of noble soul and great prowess. Therefore, O Brahmana, I am not surprised at what thou doest. I am very much gratified with thee, and I desire thy eternal friendship.
After this, Drona released the king of Panchala, and cheerfully performing the usual offices of regard, bestowed upon him half the kingdom. Thenceforth Drupada began to reside sorrowfully in the city of Kampilya within the province of Makandi on the banks of the Ganges filled with many towns and cities. And after his defeat by Drona, Drupada ruled the Southern Panchalas up to the bank of the Charmanwati river. Meanwhile, Drona continued to reside in Ahichatra. Thus was the territory of Ahicchatra full of towns and cities, obtained by Arjuna, and bestowed upon Drona. (Later, Drona gave the rulership of Northern Panchala kingdom to his son Ashwathama and stayed at Hastinapura the capital of Kuru kingdom.)
The higher status of Panchalas and Kurus in ancient India
The Kuru-Panchala was considered foremost among the provinces in Bharata Varsha (ancient India), comprising the Kuru and Panchala kingdoms (6,9).
The Kurus and Panchalas were considered as foremost among the ruling tribes in ancient India, adhering close to the Vedic religion. They were the proponents of the Vedic religion in its dogmatic and purest form. Other tribes imitated the practices of these tribes and thus got accepted into the Vedic religions.
Commencing with the Panchalas, the Kauravas, the Naimishas (a forest-country to the east of Panchala), the Matsyas, all these, know what religion is. The old men among the Northerners, the Angas, the Magadhas, without themselves knowing what virtue is follow the practices of the Kuru-Panchalas (8,45).