What was the name of the blind king of Hastinapura?

Dhritarashtra was the blind king of Hastinapura in the Mahabharata. He was born blind to Ambika after Vyasa fathered him through the practice of niyoga, a custom used to continue a royal lineage after a king’s death without heirs.

Although Dhritarashtra was older than his half-brother Pandu, his blindness prevented him from inheriting the throne at first. Pandu became king, but after Pandu withdrew to the forest, Dhritarashtra assumed the crown and ruled the Kuru kingdom. His position remained complicated because his nephew Yudhishthira also had a strong claim to succession.

Dhritarashtra married Gandhari, who famously blindfolded herself for life in solidarity with her husband. They had one hundred sons, the Kauravas, including Duryodhana, as well as a daughter named Dushala and the son Yuyutsu.

His affection for Duryodhana repeatedly weakened his judgment. Though he recognized the danger posed by the dice game and the growing conflict with the Pandavas, he failed to restrain his son. During the war, Sanjaya narrated events to him through divine sight.