What happened to the Kuru dynasty after Mahabharata war?

After the Mahabharata war, the Pandavas ruled Hastinapura and appointed Yuyutsu as governor of Indraprastha. After Krishna left the world, Pandavas appointed Parikshit, Arjuna’s grandson as the king of Hastinapura and left for the heavens via Himalayas. But what happened after that? How did this dynasty end? Did it continued to rule till our historical era?

After Krishna and Pandavas left this world, the Dwapar Yuga ended and the Kali Yuga began. The Kali demon, who is personification of the evil era came to Hastinapura but was stopped by Parikshit, the king. After Parikshit defeated Kali demon, the demon requested Parikshit to allow him to stay because it was his era after all. So, Parikshit allowed the demon to stay in places of vice, like gambling places, brothels, bars, and gold. The demon immediately went inside the king’s crown and started corrupting him. As a result, Parikshit became arrogant. When he went to a sage named Shamika he was thirsty. The sage was in his deep meditation, so he didn’t respond. Parikshit in anger put a dead snake on the sage’s shoulder. The sage’s son Shringin saw this, and he cursed Parikshit to be killed by a snake bite. Parikshit realized his mistake and accepted this curse. But as he was killed by a snake, his son Janamejaya went on eliminating all the Nagas from his kingdom. Now, whether those were snakes or the Naga tribes is a question where mythology and history differ. He was stopped by a sage named Astika, which is the first chapter of Mahabharata begins.

Parikshit defeated Kali demon and allowed him to live in places of vices.

Janamejaya killing off the Nagas in Sarpa Satra. Stopped by the sage Astika.

After that, we get to know who ruled after Janamejaya from the Puranas, especially the Matsya Purana.

KURU STATE LINEAGE (SENIOR)

(capital at Hastinapura)

Parikshit
Janamejaya
Śatáníka
Aswamedhadatta
Asíma-krishńa
Nichakshu 

(capital moved to Kaushambi after Ganga floods)
Ushńa
Chitraratha
Vrishnimat
Sushena
Nrichakshu
Sukhihala
Pariplava
Sunaya
Medhavin
Nripanjaya
Mridu
Tigma
Vrihadratha
Vasudana
Satanika II
Udayana 

(contemporary & follower of Buddha and hero of many plays)
Ahinara
Danḍapāṇi
Niramitra
Kshemaka

Khemaka was the last Kuru king who was killed by his minister Vishwa. The kingdom was later annexed by Maniprabha of Avanti and finally taken over by Magadha during the Shishunaga dynasty.

Very less is known about the other branch of Kuru dynasty which ruled from Indraprastha. But the Vedic texts say they were taken over by Panchala after invasion from the Salwa tribe. By the time of Buddha, Greeks, and Mauryas, Indraprastha had become a republic (Rajashabdojivin Sangha) as also mentioned by Kautilya. We don’t have an actual lineage ahead of this but Tomars, Panduvamshis of Dakshina Kosala were some of the few clans which claimed descents from the Pandavas.

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