Raghuvaṃśa (dynasty)

Raghuvanshi (Sanskrit: रघुवंशी) or Raghuvaṃśa (Sanskrit: रघुवंश) or Raghukula is a legendary[1] Indian Rajput dynasty, primarily featured in Hindu scriptures such as the Itihasas and the Puranas.

[2][3] It is considered to be an offshoot of the Sūryavaṃśa or the Ikshvaku Kshatriya dynasty lineage of kings, tracing its ancestry to the sun deity Surya.

The dynasty is named after Raghu, a legendary king who protected the sacrificial horse of ashvamedha from Indra.

Raghuvaṃśī kings include Mandhata, Harishchandra, Sagara, Bhagiratha, Dilīpa, Raghu, Aja, Dasharatha and Lord Rama.Kalidasa's work, Raghuvaṃśa, narrates the epic of the Raghuvaṃśa in 19 sargas (cantos).

[4] In the modern era, the Raghuvanshi Kshatriyas are known as Raghav (Bargujar) Rajputs in the Indian subcontinent.