Tradition has it that Rama was the ideal king. Gandhiji was only reinforcing it when he named his ideal state 'Rama-Rajya'. Yet the predecessors of Rama, in his dynasty of the Ikshwakus, were as valiant and as benign as Rama himself. This story tells of their deeds. The heroes of epics have their tragic flaws because epics always tell the whole truth. Like Rama, his ancestors also had flawed characters despite the glory of their personalities.
Inspired by the epic of Valmiki, Kalidasa wrote his classic poem 'Raghuvamsha'. While chronicling the lives of the ancestors of Rama, it noted the decline of the ruling house also. It is interesting to note that the Puranas trace the genealogy of Rama to the Sun. some of the illustrious ancestors listed in the genealogy are Manu, Ikshwakum, Harishchandra, Rohita, Sagara, Bhagiratha, Ambarisha and Rituparna. Brihadbala, who fought in the Mahabharata war is said to be a descendant of Rama.
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