The first king of Ayodhya, founder of the Ikshvaku dynasty.
Accounts of this vary across texts and traditions. This entry primarily follows Puranic tradition, with other tellings (Valmiki Ramayana (Bala Kanda genealogy), Kalidasa's Raghuvamsha) noted where relevant.
Ikshvaku is the son of Manu and the founder of the dynasty of kings of Ayodhya, into which Rama is born. Rama's family is often called the Ikshvaku line, or Raghava after Raghu.
The Puranas say that Ikshvaku was born from Manu's sneeze. He ruled from Ayodhya and had many sons, who became kings in different parts of North India.
This entry is independently written for myVamsam using the sources listed above. Where traditions differ, this entry identifies the relevant tradition rather than presenting one account as universally established fact.