Kekeya kingdom
The epic Ramayana mentions one of the wives of Dasharatha, the king of Kosala and father of Rama, was from Kekeya kingdom and was known as Kaikeyi.
Ravana, the son of Vishrava and Kaikesi (Princess of Kaikeya may be an early predecessor of Bhagawan Rama’s Step mother)[citation needed] was born in Devagana.
Dyumatsena, the chief of bowmen among the Kekayas was present in Yudhishthira's court, newly inaugurated at Indraprastha (2,3).
The five Kekaya brothers who battled on the Kauravas side in Kurukshetra War is mentioned at many places (5–61,83,144).
And in their share are included the Malavas also, and the Salwakas, as also, the two famous warriors of the Trigarta host who have sworn to conquer or die.
The princes of Kekaya, and Dhrishtaketu, and the son of the king of the Kasis, and Srenimat, and Vasudana, and the invincible Sikhandin, all hale and hearty, cased in armour and armed with weapons and decked with ornaments, marched behind Yudhishthira (5,152).
The Kekayas on the Kaurava side marched under Drona along with Vinda and Anuvinda, both of Avanti and the Vahlikas.
The camp of the Kekayas used to have loud sound of song and slapping of palms which their soldiers, engaged in dance and revelry, used to make.
(7,84) The Kekaya brothers, were all of the hue of Indragopaka insects (mix of red and black colors) (5,141).
Their coats of mail, of the splendour of heated gold, and their tall standards and cars and garlands, all made of the same metal, are shedding a bright light on the earth like so many blazing fires.
Dwaraka, Kasi, Magadha, Matsya, Mahishmati, Chedi, Pandya and the Yadus of Mathura were allies of Pandavas while the allies of the Kauravas were nations of Pragjyotisha, Anga, Kekaya, Sindhudesa, Avanti in Madhyadesa, Madras, Gandhara, Bahlika, Kamboja (with Yavanas, Sakas, Tusharas) and many others had sided with Kauravas.
[11] Madra-Kekayah [12] (7–21,83,107), (8–3) Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas, became protectors of Arjuna’s car-wheels, along with the Kekaya brothers, and Dhrishtaketu, and Chekitana of great valour.
Excellent steeds of the Sindhu breed, of beautiful limbs, and of the hue of the smoke of straw, quickly bore the Kaikeya prince, Vrihatkshatra.
The mighty car-warrior of the Kaikeyas, Vrihatkshatra the eldest of five brothers, rushed against Drona, the generalissimo of the Kauravas.
(8,82) The Abhishahas, the Surasenas, the Sivis, and the Vasatis, the Salwas, the Matsyas, the Amvashtas, the Trigartas, and the Kekayas, the Sauviras, the Kitavas, and the dwellers of the Eastern, Western, and the Northern countries,--these twelve brave races protected the Kaurava generalissimo, Bhishma.
Similar to other western rulers, like the Kambojas, the Kekayas also had migrated to east, hence in principle, could reach Avanti.
(Bhagavata Purana, Canto 9, Chapter 24 (The history of Yadavas), Verses 37–40) Bhagavata Purana attests that the prince of Kekaya along with princes from Matsya, Kosala, Vidharbha, Kuru, Srnjaya, Kamboja, Uśīnara, Madra, Kunti, Anarta, Kerala was present at Samanta-pancaka in Kurukshetra at the occasion of the solar eclipse.
Bhagavata Purana also testifies that the Kekayas and other nation like those of the Yadus, Srnjayas, Kurus and Kambojas had participated in the Rajasuya sacrifice of Yudhishtra.
"The massed armies of the Yadus, Srnjayas, Kambojas, Kurus, Kekayas and Kosalas made the earth tremble as they followed Yudhishira Maharaja, the performer of the Rajasuya sacrifice, in procession" [14] [3].
The Kekayas, Madras and Kambojas from north are stated to have sided with king Jarasandha of Magadha and had participated in a war against Krishna and his Yadava army [15][16] [4].
Kekays had participated in the marriage ceremony of Rukmini, queen consort of Krishna, the daughter of Bhishmaka, the king of Vidarbha.
Bhagavata Purana further states that the Usinaras, the Sibi, the Madras, and the Kekayas were the direct descendants of Yayati's son Anu.
Pāṇini refers to the Kaikeyas or Kekayas in his Ashtadhyayi[21] and mentions their land as a part of the Vahika country.
