Mahabharata - Family Tree of the Kuru Dynasty

Dynasty, Duty, and Doom in the Epic of India

Illustration

Simeon Netchev
by
published on 26 August 2021
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This infographic illustrates the legendary lineage of the Kuru Dynasty of Hastinapur, as described in the Mahabharata, one of the world’s oldest and longest epic poems. Through kings, princes, and sages, the family tree captures the dynastic tensions that culminate in the epic’s climactic war—the battle of Kurukshetra.

According to tradition, the Mahabharata was composed in Sanskrit by the sage Vyasa (himself a character in the story) and first written down around 2,000 years ago, following centuries of oral transmission. At nearly 7 times the length of the Iliad and Odyssey together and 15 times the length of the Bible, it weaves together tales of greed, revenge, honor, and fate, centered on two branches of the Kuru family—the Pandavas and Kauravas—whose rivalry escalates from palace intrigue to a devastating civil war that annihilates much of the dynasty.

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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About the Author

Simeon Netchev
Simeon is a freelance visual designer and history teacher, passionate about the human stories that shape the past. He believes every image should tell a story and invite interaction, while every map should lead on a journey — blending imagination with e

Cite This Work

APA Style

Netchev, S. (2021, August 26). Mahabharata - Family Tree of the Kuru Dynasty. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/14420/mahabharata---family-tree-of-the-kuru-dynasty/

Chicago Style

Netchev, Simeon. "Mahabharata - Family Tree of the Kuru Dynasty." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified 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." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 26 Aug 2021, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/14420/mahabharata---family-tree-of-the-kuru-dynasty/. Web. 15 Jun 2025.

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