Kampil, historically known as Kampilya, is a town and a Nagar panchayat in Farrukhabad district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Southern Panchala kingdom or Panchala-proper, one of the historical mahajanapadas of ancient India (c. 6th to 4th centuries BC),[1] had Kampilya city as its capital.

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.

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.

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.

Bhumanyu begat upon his wife, Pushkarini six sons named Suhotra, Suhotri, Suhavih, Sujeya, Diviratha and Kichika.

While Samvarana, the son of Riksha, was ruling, there happened a great loss of people from famine, pestilence, drought, and disease.

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.

After this, Drona released the king of Panchala, and cheerfully performing the usual offices of regard, bestowed upon him half the kingdom.

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.

Beginning with the Matsyas, the residents of the Kuru and the Panchala countries, the Naimishas as well and the other respectable peoples, the pious among all races are conversant with the eternal truths of religion.

The Kauravas with the Panchalas, the Salwas, the Matsyas, the Naimishas, the Koshalas, the Kasapaundras, the Kalingas, the Magadhas, and the Chedis who are all highly blessed, know what the eternal religion is (8,45).

It is believed that the Pandavas lived in a small town named Ekachakra, belonging to this territory, during their wanderings after Duryodhana attempted to murder them at Varanavata (a Kuru city).

Desirous of beholding the Swayamvara (self-choice ceremony of the princess), the citizens, roaring like the sea, all took their seats on the platforms that were erected around the amphitheatre.

Gadhi mentioned to Richika about a custom followed by their race, that during marriage, that the bridegroom should give to the bride side a dower of 3,000 fleet steeds with brown color.

Not far from Kanyakubja, a spot in the sacred bank of the Ganges is still famous among men as Aswatirtha in consequence of the appearance of those horses at that place (13,4).

Bhargava Rama ( Richika's race) was mentioned as an expert in the use of the battle-axe, which he got from Kailasa region (Kailas range Tibet).

However during the later periods, when the Vedic religion became rigid in its four-order caste-system, the Bhargavas were accepted as Brahmanas and the Kusikas as Kshatriyas Gadhi was mentioned as a sovereign whose military force was exceedingly great (3,115).

Panchala was one among the countries considered by the Pandavas to spend their 13th year of anonymity along with the kingdoms viz Chedi, Matsya, Surasena, Pattachchara, Dasarna, Navarashtra, Malla, Salva, Yugandhara, Saurashtra, Avanti, and the spacious Kuntirashtra (4,1).

The king of the Salwayana tribe with their brethren and followers, and the southern Panchalas and the eastern Kosalas also had to flee to the country of the Kuntis (which was south of these kingdoms) (2,14).

Bhima during his military campaign to the east, to collect tribute for Yudhishthira's Rajasuya sacrifice, first visited the Panchala kingdom after leaving his home city Indraprastha (2,28).

When the Pandavas were banished by Duryodhana to the woods, by taking over their kingdom, both the Panchalas and Yadavas visited them along with other cousins like Chedis and Kekeyas (3,12).

Drupada, the king of the Panchalas, surrounded by his ten heroic sons, Satyajit and other headed by Dhrishtadyumna, and well-protected by Shikhandi, and having furnished his soldiers with necessary things, joined the Pandavas with a full Akshauhini (5,57).

At (1,140) Satyajit is mentioned as the commander-in-chief of the Panchala army under king Drupada who fought against Arjuna who was then a disciple of Drona, the preceptor in warfare, in the Kuru kingdom.

Similarly the Panchala prince Kumara is mentioned as one of the protectors of Yudhishthira's car-wheels, along with another hero Yugadhara (hailing from the city of Yugandhara, located somewhere to the west of Kurujangala (either in Haryana or Punjab)).

When Ashwathama slaughtered the Panchalas in an ambush at night, when they were asleep, the Prabhadrakas headed by Shikhandi woke up and tried to put up some resistance.

A descendant of this poet Ms. Neera Misra Chairperson of Draupadi Trust is working for Restoration of the historical and heritage value of this land.

(references: Kampilyamahatmya of Durgadatta Sharma, Information as per the book Dalpati Chandrika) It is believed to be the birthplace of the 13th tirthankar Brahlan Vimal Nath.

Shri Vimalnath Digambar Jain Atishay Kshetra: this 1800 year old temple us dedicated to Bhagwan Vimalnatha, thirteenth Tirthankara of Jainism.