Yavana Kingdom

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This article is about the kingdom of Yavana in Indian epic literature. For the historical kingdoms, see Greco-Bactrian Kingdom and Indo-Greek Kingdom.

Yavana or Yona is grouped under western countries along with Sindhu, Madra, Kekeya, Gandhara and Kamboja as per the descriptions in the epic Mahabharata. In later history, this word was used to indicate the Greeks and the Arabs, leading to much confusion. Hence, the Yavana of Mahabharata could be a colony of the Greeks in the western region of India; however, this remains speculation as conservative dates for the Mahabharata war precede the Greco-Bactrian colony by 300 years.

They were described to be beyond Gandhara. There was another country mentioned in the epic as Parama Yona, in the far west of Yavana. This could be the Ionia of Greece, somehow related to Indian Ionians or Yavanas. The name Yavana could be the Sanskritized form of the name Ionia. Some believes that the name Ionia oringinated from the Sanskrit word Ayonija meaning 'one who born not from a (human) woumb' or 'people with extra ordinary origins'. Yavanas, Sakas, Pahlavas and Hunas were sometimes described as Mlechchas. Sometiems along with them, the Madras, Kambojas, Kekayas, Sindhus and Gandharas were included. This name was used to indicate their degraded nature and their cultrural differences with the Vedic culture, prevailed in the Kuru-Panchala kingdoms. There is a myth that the tribes like the Kambojas, Barbaras, Pahlavas, Yavanas, Sakas, Malecchas, Haritas and Kiratas etc had originated from the body parts of the divine cow, Kamadhenu of sage Vasistha, as hords of army men, to protect him from the attack of the king Viswamitra (Ramayana 1.55.2-3). This myth indicates that the ancient people could not understand the real oringins of these Mlechcha tribes who were highly skilled in weapons, warfare and material sciences but never followed the Vedic rites properly.

So the Vedic Society acknowledged their extra ordinary skills, but kept them as outcasts. Another account in the epic depicts Mlechchas as the decendands of Turvusu, one of the cursed sons of king Yayati. Yayati's eldest son Yadu, gave rise to the Yadavas and youngest son Puru to the Pauravas that includes the Kurus and Panchalas. His second son Anu gave rise to the Anavas the believed to be Iranians and third son Druhyu to the Druids of Ireland. The fourth son Turvusu gave rise to the Turks (Turushas or Tusharas), Ionians (Yavanas) and other Mlechchas. Only the fifth son Puru's line was considered to be the successors of Yayati's throne, as he cursed the other four sons and denied them kingship. Pauravas inherited the Yayati's original empire and stayed in the Gangatic plain who later created the Kuru and Panchala kingdoms. They were the followers of proper Vedic Culture. Yadavas made central and western India their stronghold. Anavas migrated to Iran, Druhyus or Druids to Europe and Turvusus or Tusharas to Turkmenistan, Turkistan (in Afghanistan) Turkey and Greece.