to the Puranas, Vitihotra was the great-grandson of Arjuna Kartavirya and the eldest son of Talajangha. The Puranas also mention the names of two Vitihotra rulers: Ananta, son of Vitihotra and Durjaya Amitrakarshana, son of Ananta. The northward expansion of the Haihaya territory to the mid-Ganges valley by the Vitihotra rulers was stopped by the Ikshvaku king Sagara. The Mahagovindasuttanta of the Dighanikaya mentions an Avanti king Vessabhu (Vishvabhu) and his capital Mahissati (Mahishmati). He was likely a Vitihotra ruler. During the rule of the later Vitihotras, the whole Avanti region probably developed into two realms, divided by the Vindhyas, having principal cities at Mahishmati and Ujjayini (present-day Ujjain). According to the Matsya Purana (5.37), Pulika, one of the ministers of Ripunjaya, the last Vitihotra king of Ujjayini, killed his master and made his son Pradyota the new king. It is said that many of the Haihayas were learned in the Vedas. Medieval Haihayas A number of early medieval dynasties, which include the Kalachuris and the Mushakavamsha Mushika Kingdom of Kerala, claimed their descent from the Haihayas. The Haihayas of eastern India fought against Islamic invaders in medieval times. References in Mahabharata Disputes with the Ikshvaku Kings Sagara was a king of the Kosala Kingdom, ruling from Ayodhya. He was of the lineage of Ikshwaku, a famous royal dynasty in ancient India. Sagara is mentioned as the son of Jadu (MBh 12,56). His army numbered 60,000 men, all of whom he allegedly treated as sons. Sagara is said to have defeated the Haihayas and the Talajanghas. He brought under subjection the whole of the military class. (MBh 3,106) The Haihayas and Talajanghas of the Vatsa Kingdom The Haihayas and Talajanghas probably had their origins in the Vatsa Kingdom. The Haihayas in the Vatsa kingdom, known collectively as Vitahavyas under King Vitahavya, attacked the neighbouring country called Kasi, during the reign of four successive generations of Kasi kings: Haryaswa, Sudeva, Divodasa, and Pratarddana. The last one among them, Pratarddana, defeated the Haihayas and probably expelled them from the Vatsa kingdom. Kasi kings were also born in the race of Ikshwaku. This could be the seed of Haihayas's dispute with them (MBh 13,30). Under Haryaswa's reign In Saryati’s lineage (Saryati and Ikshwaku were two among the many sons of Manu [MBh 1,75]), two kings took their birth, Haihaya and Talajangha, both sons of Vatsa. Haihaya had ten wives and a hundred sons,