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In the Mahabharata epic, the Heheya Kingdom (also known as Haihaya, Haiheya, Heiheya, etc.) is one of the kingdoms ruled by Chandravanshi Kshatriya kings in the central and western India. It was ruled by the powerful Kartavirya Arjuna, who even defeated Rakshasa Ravana. Its capital was Mahishmati on the banks of river Narmada in present-day Madhya Pradesh. They conquered many other kingdoms of India. However, the enmity with the warrior-type Brahmins (Bhargavas) resulted in their demise. Parasurama was the Bhargava leader under whom they were exterminated. Talajangha was an allied kingdom of Heheya, probably to the east of it.
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Haihaya clans
The Haihayas (Sanskrit: हैहय) were an ancient confederacy of five ganas (clans), who claimed their common ancestry from Yadu. According to the Harivamsha Purana (34.1898) Haihaya was the great grandson of Yadu and grandson of Sahasrajit. In the Vishnu Purana (IV.11), all the five Haihaya clans are mentioned together as the Talajanghas. The five Haihaya clans were Vitihotra, Sharyata (mentioned elsewhere in the Puranas as the descendants of Sharyati, a son of Vaivasvata Manu), Bhoja, Avanti and Tundikera. The Haihayas were native to the present-day Malwa region of Western Madhya Pradesh). The Puranas style the Haihayas as the first ruling dynasty of Avanti.
Foundation of Mahishmati
In the Harivamsha (33.1847), the honour of founding their future capital city of Mahishmati (in present-day Madhya Pradesh) was king Mahishmant, son of Sahanja and a descendant of Yadu through Haihaya. At another place, it names Muchukunda, one of the ancestor of lord Rama as the founder of Mahishmati. It states that he built the cities of Mahishmati and Purika in the Rksha mountains.
According to the Padma Purana (VI.115), the city was actually founded by a certain Mahisha
Arjuna Kartavirya and his successors
According to the Mahabharata and the Puranas, the most celebrated Haihaya king was Arjuna Kartavirya. His epithet was Sahasrabahu. He was called a Samrat and Chakravartin. His name is found in the Rig Veda (VIII.45.26). He ultimately conquered Mahishmati city from Karkotaka Naga, a Naga chief and made it his fortress-capital. According to the Vayu Purana, he invaded Lanka and took Ravana prisoner. Arjuna propitiated Dattatreya and was favoured by him. Arjuna's sons killed sage Jamadagni. Jamadagni's son Parashurama in revenge killed Arjuna. Arjuna had a number of sons. His son Jayadhvaja succeeded him to the throne. Jayadhvaja was succeeded by his son Talajangha.
The Vitihotras
Later, the Haihayas were mostly known by the name of the dominant clan amongst them - the Vitihotras (or Vitahotras or Vitahvyas). According to the Puranas, Vitihotra was the great-grandson of Arjuna Kartavirya and the eldest son of Talajangha. The Puranas also mention the names of two Vitihotra rulers: Ananta, son of Vitihotra and Durjaya Amitrakarshana, son of Ananta The northward expansion of the Haihaya territory to the mid-Ganges valley by the Vitihotra rulers was stopped by the Ikshvaku king Sagara. The Mahagovindasuttanta of the Dighanikaya mentions about an Avanti king Vessabhu (Vishvabhu) and his capital Mahissati (Mahishmati). Probably he was a Vitihotra ruler. Probably, during the rule of the later Vitihotras, the whole Avanti region developed into two realms, divided by the Vindhyas, having principal cities at Mahishmati and Ujjayini (present day Ujjain). According to the Matsya Purana (5.37), Pulika, one of the ministers of Ripunjaya, the last Vitihotra king of Ujjayini killed his master and made his son Pradyota new king.
It is said that many of the Haihayas were learned in the Vedas.
Medieval Haihayas
A number of early medieval dynasties, which include the Kalachuris and the Mushakavamsha of Kerala, claimed their descent from the Haihayas. The Haihayas of eastern India fought against Islamists invaders in medieval times.