Conquest for Rajasuya thumb|Bhima wrestles with Jarasandha, print by Ravi Varma Press After their marriage to Draupadi, the Pandavas' survival was disclosed in Hastinapura. This was followed by the division of the kingdom, with Pandavas establishing a new city called Indraprastha. Yudhishthira, the eldest Pandava, aspired to perform the Rajasuya Yajna, a royal sacrifice that would establish him as an emperor. For this endeavour, he needed to assert his dominance over other kings and obtain their allegiance. Bhima played a crucial role in this military campaign. He was tasked with subjugating the kingdoms in the eastern region of the sub-continent, since Bhishma—the Grandsire of the Kuru princes— thought the easterners were skilled in fighting from the backs of elephants and in fighting with bare arms. He deemed Bhima to be the most ideal person to wage wars in that region. The Mahabharata mentions several kingdoms to the east of Indraprastha which were conquered by Bhima.
Conquest for Rajasuya thumb|Bhima wrestles with Jarasandha, print by Ravi Varma Press After their marriage to Draupadi, the Pandavas' survival was disclosed in Hastinapura. This was followed by the division of the kingdom, with Pandavas establishing a new city called Indraprastha. Yudhishthira the eldest Pandava, aspired to perform the Rajasuya Yajna, a royal sacrifice that would establish him as an emperor. For this endeavour, he needed to assert his dominance ,over other kings and obtain their allegiance. Bhima played a crucial role in this military campaign. He was tasked with subjugating the kingdoms in the eastern region of the sub-continent, since Bhishma—the Grandsire of the Kuru princes— thought the easterners were skilled in fighting from the backs of elephants and in fighting with bare arms. He deemed Bhima to be the most ideal person to wage wars in that region. The Mahabharata mentions several kingdoms to the east of Indraprastha which were conquered by Bhima.