Surasena (or Sourasena) (Sanskrit: शुरसेन, Śūrasena) was an ancient Indian region corresponding to the present-day Braj region in Uttar Pradesh. According to the Buddhist text Anguttara Nikaya, Surasena was one of the solasa (sixteen) Mahajanapadas (powerful realms) in 6th century BCE[1] The ancient Greek writers refer the region as Sourasenoi and mention its capital as Methora.[2]
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There are several traditions regarding the etymology of its name. According to one tradition, it was derived from a famed Yadava king Surasena, while others see it as an extension of Surabhir (Abhira). According to Megasthenes, people of this place worshipped the shepherd God Herakles, which according to many scholars was due to a misconception while others see in it connotations of Scythic origin of Yadus. It was the sacred land of Lord Krishna in which he was born, raised, and ruled. It was an ancient Janapada. It has been well mentioned in Mahabharata.
The Mahabharata and the Puranas refer the rulers of the Mathura region as the Yadus or Yadavas, divided in to a number of septs, which include the Vrishnis.[3][4] The Buddhist texts refer to Avantiputta, the king of the Surasenas in the time of Maha Kachchana, one of the chief disciples of Gautama Buddha, who spread Buddhism in the Mathura region.[5]
Its capital, Mathura, was situated on the bank of the river Yamuna, presently a sacred place for the Hindus. The ancient Greek writers mention about another city named Cleisobora in this region.[6]