Kikata Kingdom

The Kīkaṭa kingdom, mentioned in the Vedas, is an ancient Indian kingdom whose precise geographical location remains a subject of scholarly debate. While some scholars associate it with the Magadha region in present-day Bihar, because Kikata is used as synonym for Magadha in the later texts; while others suggest a more western location, possibly in the vicinity of Kurukshetra (see below).

The Rigveda references the Kīkaṭas as a non-Vedic people, descendants of ikshuvaku, and of non-Aryan origin, living on the eastern side to Vedic India, who did not practice Vedas, and worshipped rishabhadeva. Scholars like Zimmer have argued in referring to ikshu, that they were a non-Aryan people. According to Weber, they were a descendants of Pre-Vedic Aryan people and were sometimes in conflict with other Vedic people.