Shalya was a powerful king from the Bahlika clan who ruled over the Madra kingdom in the Northwest region of the Indian subcontinent. He is a major character in the Mahabharata, one of the two Sanskrit epics of Ancient India.
Although he was the brother of Madri, the wife of Pandu, Shalya sided with the Kauravas during the Kurukshetra War. Despite this allegiance, he supported the Pandavas and desired their victory. During the conflict, he served as Karna’s charioteer before being appointed commander-in-chief of the Kaurava forces following Karna's death. Shalya was eventually killed by Yudhishthira, the eldest Pandava.