The Kingdom of Kamboja
The Presence of Kamboja Kingdom:
Kambojas ruled the Kamboja kingdom; they belonged to a Kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India. Their presence and activities were frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature. Modern scholars believe that the Kambojas belonged to the Eastern Iranian tribe, who later settled at the boundary of ancient India. Some other scholars believe that their tribe was Mleccha or vicious, according to the Vedic Inhabitants of India. Later the Kambojas adopted Hinduism in the late Vedic Period.
The Kamboja Kingdom in the epic Mahabharata:
Kamboja, the ancient Kingdom, was mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. It is also called Kamboja. The western kingdoms all were supervised under Kamboja rule. The domains were very cold, so the people used blankets. They also reared sheep and drank sheep milk. Their horses were of excellent quality. The soldiers used horses in the wars with force on the enemies. So most of the kingdoms used the Kamboja soldiers in their armies on a payment basis. The Kamboja soldiers participated in the Kurukshetra War on both sides of Pandavas and Kauravas. According to the epic scriptures, the Kinnaras, a separate tribe, were believed to be the Kamboja horse warriors. These people had extraordinary skill in cavalry warfare.
About the Kamboja Kingdom:
According to the epic Mahabharata, the Kamboja kingdom is a republic, and the people of Kamboja give the king the powers. Like democracy, the people of Kamboja also elect their chiefs; through them, the Kingdom rules the country; Kamboja the Ashtra, Madra, and Kekeya are some. The Kambojas followed their own culture and tradition, which differs from Vedic culture. In the present Yuga, Kambojas had many colonial states in central India. Among them, one is Aswaka of Maharashtra state; another is the southeast country of Cambodia.
The migration of Kambojas:
In the Krita age, the Kambojas were nowhere on earth. From the Treta yuga, they have had their origin and began to multiply. But in Dwapara Yuga, the Kambojas engaged themselves in battle.
Arjuna and Karna’s conquests:
Arjuna encountered two Kamboja kingdoms in the northern region. One is close to the Daradas, and the other is the eastern Kambojas.
Karna also conquered the Kamboja kingdom with Rajapura as its capital. Karna vanquished all the Kambojas.
The Kamboja Kings:
The central Kamboja king was Chadravarman, a king of Kamboja. He belonged to the Daitya clan of Asuras. Sudakshina and Kamatha.
Kambojas in Kurukshetra War:
Drupada, the father-in-law of Pandavas, wished to bring kings of the Kambojas to fight against the Kauravas. But Kambojas had a closed relation with Jayadratha, the brother-in-law of Duryodhana. So Kambojas were interested in participating in the Kurukshetra war in favour of Kauravas. With their profound support, imposed Duryodhana, and he made Sudakshina one of the generals of the Kaurava army.