In the Indian epic Mahabharata, Hastinapura is the capital and the kingdom of the Kauravas, the descendents of Kuru, which include the Pandavas. The throne of this city is the prize over which the great war of the epic is fought.

The first reference to Hastinapur in Hindu Mythology comes as the capital of Emperor Bharat.Bharata's Lineage: - Rulers of Hastinapur:

• Shantanu
• Chitrangada
• Vichitravirya - Younger brother of Chitrangada
• Pandu - Son of Ambalika (younger wife of Vichitravirya)
• Dhritarashtra - Son of Ambika (elder wife of Vichitravirya)
• Yudhishthira - Son of Kunti
• Parikshit - Son of Abhimanyu(Son of Arjun) and Uttara
• Janamejaya - Son of Parikshit

In the present day Hastinapura is a small town in the Doab region of Uttar Pradesh, called Hastinapur, 37km from Meerut and 120km from Delhi.