The Kuru dynasty of Hastinapur, as portrayed in the Mahabharata, represents a legendary royal lineage whose internal divisions drive one of the most influential narratives in South Asian literary and cultural history. Centered on succession, kinship, and dharma (moral duty), the dynastic story traces generations of kings, princes, and sages whose competing claims to authority gradually destabilize the realm. These tensions culminate in the Battle of Kurukshetra, an epic civil war between two branches of the family, the Pandavas and the Kauravas, symbolizing the catastrophic consequences of unresolved rivalry, ambition, and moral failure within a ruling house.
Traditionally attributed to the sage Vyasa (a semi-divine figure within the narrative itself), the Mahabharata was composed in Sanskrit and transmitted orally for centuries before being committed to writing around the early centuries CE (c. 200 BCE–200 CE). Far more than a dynastic chronicle, the epic functions as a philosophical and ethical exploration of kingship, justice, fate, and responsibility, embedding genealogical history within debates on governance, warfare, and cosmic order. Through its vast scale and layered storytelling, the Kuru lineage becomes a vehicle for reflecting on political legitimacy and human agency, ensuring the Mahabharata’s enduring influence across religious thought, historical memory, and cultural identity in South Asia.
Many thanks to Atita-guna (@atita_guna ) for letting me use her beautiful and wonderfully intricate peg dolls for this illustration.
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Cite This Work
APA Style
Netchev, S. (2021, August 26). Mahabharata - Family Tree of the Kuru Dynasty: Dynasty, Duty, and Doom in the Epic of India. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/14420/mahabharata---family-tree-of-the-kuru-dynasty/
Chicago Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Mahabharata - Family Tree of the Kuru Dynasty: Dynasty, Duty, and Doom in the Epic of India." World History Encyclopedia, August 26, 2021. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/14420/mahabharata---family-tree-of-the-kuru-dynasty/.
MLA Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Mahabharata - Family Tree of the Kuru Dynasty: Dynasty, Duty, and Doom in the Epic of India." World History Encyclopedia, 26 Aug 2021, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/14420/mahabharata---family-tree-of-the-kuru-dynasty/.
