Yadav

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"Yadavas" redirects here. For the Yadava dynasty, see Seuna Yadavas of Devagiri.
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Castes of India
Yadav
Classification Kshatriya
Subdivisions 57 sub-castes/clans
Significant populations in several regions in India, Nepal
Languages Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and dialects of these languages
Religions Hinduism

Yadav or Yadava (Sanskrit: यादव, yādava) is an Indian caste that claims descent from Yadu. Yadavas have been mentioned as one of the ancient Vedic panchjanya tribes in ancient Dharmic texts.

Yadavs mostly follow Vaishnav traditions and Dharmic religion, and are located in different parts of India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Traditionally, the Yadavs are classified under the Kshatriya varna in Hinduism. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5][6][citation needed].

Contents

[edit] Origins

In Hindu mythology, Yadvas are described as the descendants of Yadu, the eldest son of King Yayati, whose father removed him from the succession because he rebelled against Yayati's wishes. Yadu and his descendants started ruling in places that are assumed to be referred to in the Hindu scriptures as Jambudvipa. Later on, the Yadu overthrew many Puru rulers. According to the Bhagvad Gita, Yadavas were possessors of great mystical knowledge, as far back as Manu, and much knowledge was also given to Surya and Ikshavaku in far ancient times. According to Dharmic mythology, Jarasandh, Kansa's father-in-law, and king of Magadha attacked Yadavas to avenge the killing of Kansa. Yadavas had to shift their capital from Mathura (central Aryavart) to Dwaraka (on the western coast of Aryavart) on the Sindhu.

Abhira, which is considered to be a subgroup of Yadava caste today, is assumed to be different from ancient Yadavas. Linkage is obscure and views vary from scholar to scholar. The term was used for cowherds initially but has been extended to include Yaduvanshi and Nandavanshis too by its corrupt version Ahir. Abhira means "fearless" and appear in most ancient historical references dating back to the Abhira kingdom of the Saraswati Valley, who spoke Abhiri until the Buddhist period.[7] Analysis of Hindu scriptural references of the Abhira kingdoms has led some scholars to conclude that it was merely a term used for Holy Yadava Kingdoms. In Bhagavatam, the Gupta dynasty has been alled Abhir.[8]

Stephen Knapp seeks a connection between Yadavas and Jews. According to him, the Greeks referred to the Jews as Judeos, or Jah deos or Yadavas, meaning people of Ya.[9]

[edit] Yadavas as an ethnic category

According to M.S.A. Rao (an eminent sociologist) Yadava is a category consisting of several allied castes which together constitute about one-tenth of the total population of India. The castes coming under this category are to be found in different parts of India, Burma, Nepal and Sri Lanka and are known as the Ahir in the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat and Rajasthan; the Goalas and Sadgopa or Gauda in Bengal and Orissa; Dhangar in Maharashtra; Yadava in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and Idayan and Konar in Tamil Nadu. There are also several sub-regional names such as Thetwar and Rawat in Madhya Pradesh, and Mahakul (Great Family) in Bihar.

Two things are common to these cognate castes. First, they claim to be the descendants of the Yadu Dynasty(Yadava) to which Lord Krishna belonged. Secondly, many castes in this category have a set of occupations centering round cattle. The Krishna mythology lends a kind of legitimacy to the pastoral occupations relating to cattle, and as the castes following these occupations are to be found in almost all parts of India, the Yadava category encompasses a whole range of related castes.

Besides this mythical origin of the Yadavas, semi-historical and historical evidence exists for equating the Ahirs with the Yadavas. It is argued that the term Ahir comes from Abhira (Behandarkar, 1911;16), who where once found in different parts of India, and who in several places wielded political power. The Abhiras are equated with Ahirs, Gopas and Gollas, and all of them are considered Yadavas.

M.S.A Rao further states that the Allahabad iron pillar inscription of Samudragupta (fourth century A.D) mentions the Abhiras as one of the tribal states of west and south west India, who paid homage to the emperor(churn, 1943:81). A fourth century (A.D) inscription found in Nashik speaks of an Abhira king, and there is proof that in the middle of the fourth century the Abhiras were settled in eastern Rajputana and Malwa. Similarly, when the Kathis arrived in Gujarat in the eighth century, they found the greater part of the country in the possession of the Ahirs. The Mirzapur district of the United Provinces has a tract known as Ahraura, named after the Ahir, and near Jhansi, another piece of country was called Ahirwar. The Ahirs were also kings of Nepal at the beginning of the Christian era. Khandesh and the Tapti valley were other regions where they were kings.

This indicates that the Abhiras, who rose to political prominence in the second century B.C., had a chequered political career until the fourtheenth century A.D when their importance was over-shadowed by the Mughals, but even during the Mughal period the Ahir and Golla rajahs were a power to be reckoned with. The Gavlis rose to political power in Deogarh, on the Chhindwara Plateau in the central provinces. The Saugar traditions traced down the Gavli supremacy to a much later date, as the tracts of Etawa and Khurai are held to have been governed by the chieftains till the close of the seventeenth century (Russell, 1916:II, 20).

[edit] Dialects

Although the Abhiras constituted a distinct ethnic group, they spoke diverse regional dialects. The language of the Ahirs was known as Ahirani in Khandesh, resembling Marathi. While the Ahirs of Kathiawad and Kachh have a dialect which resembles Gujarathi (Bhandarkar, 1911:17). Abhira bhasha is in fact considered to be Apabhransha. In the ninth century B.C., it had become the language of the people, and was spoken from Saurashtra mfg;.bfm;lfmf;.,m, and Shastri (1967) proves that poetry was composed in the language around the sixth century B.C. Suryavamsi (1962:14-15) mentions the following two dialects in addition to the ones above--Gaddi, which is currently the dialect spoken in Gadderan, on the outskirts of the Chamba and Kangra hills, and Gandi, spoken in some parts of Madhya Pradesh. Abhiri as a dialect has been recorded by Sanskrit poets such as Bharata and Dandin. Yadav (1916:15), notes that the dialect the people of Ahirwal in Haryana speak, has a resemblance to Rajasthani, and Grierson,(1916:9) considers Ahirwati a branch of eastern Rajasthani and western Hindi.

Legends of the cowherd Krishna and his dances with cowherdesses are mentioned in the Sangam classics. The term Ayarpati (cowherd settlement) is found in Cilappatikaram (Iyer, 1950). It is argued that the term Ayar has been used for the Abhiras in ancient Tamil literature, and V. Kanakasabha Pillai (1904) derives Abhira from the Tamil word Ayir which also means cow. He equates the Ayars with Abhiras, and Suryavamsi (1962:17-18) treats this as evidence of migration of the Abhiras to the south in the first century A.D.

Thus, linguistic evidence is used to support the argument that the Abhiras spread to different parts of India, and that they retained different but related cultural traditions. The most common denominator, as was pointed out earlier, was a descent from the Yadu dynasty and their association with cattle.[10]

[edit] Religious Seats of Yadavas

Besides chiefdoms and jagirs, the Yadavas had peethams (seats) granted to them by virtue of their religious powers. For instance, there were fourteen seats (peethams) among the Yadavas of Warangal according to a sanad granted in 1425 (Shaka Samvat), by Sree Pratapa Rudra, Maharaja of Warangal, to sree Kondiah Guru, as the head of the fourteen seats. Subsequently when Bhagyanagar was founded by Sultan Abdulla of Kutub Shahi in A.D. 1560 the rights of the yadavas were acknowledged and recognized, and the name Golkonda was substituted for Manugal.

According to the charter awarded by the Sultan Abdulla of Kutub Shahi in 1071 Hijri, Kondiah built the fort for the Sultan by using his charisma in resolving the mystery of the site, and also discovered for him gold coins buried underground. In return, the Sultan gave him the Charter conferring upon Kondiah the rights and privileges due to the head of the fourteen seats, and of twelve classes of Gollas and two classes of shepherds (Kuruba Gollas). Kondiah, although a follower of Basaveshwara (Lingayat), was the head of the Yadava Peethams. Perhaps the Gollas at this time were under the influence of Veerasaivism, although they were incorporated into the Yadava category.[11]

[edit] Political influence

Through numerous political parties such as the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal (Republic), Janata Dal the Yadavs have considerable political influence, especially in the North Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.[12] Laloo Yadav became the chief minister of Bihar and Mulayam Singh in UP.

Many groups and clans claiming descent from the ancient Yadu clan call themselves Yadavs. The major clans among these are:

  • Ahirs (variously called Ahira and Abhira) are divided into clans called Khanap:
    • Nandavanshi (descendants of Nanda}
    • Gwalvanshi (descendants of Holy Gwals)
    • Dadhor
  • Behera, Pradhans,Mohakud, Mahakud, Khillar , Das in Orissa
  • Adhikari [Bengal and Orissa]
  • Bharwad in Gujarath
  • Bhatrajus (Andhra Pradesh)
  • Dhangars (in Maharashtra and Karnataka), having 108 clans
  • Edayar (Tamil Nadu)
  • Gaurs (also called Goriya, and mentioned in the Mahabharata)
  • Gawlis
  • Gadri / Gadariya
  • Gaddi
  • Golla
  • Gouda (Orissa)
  • Jadam
  • Jambavas
  • Jadon
  • Kalchuri
  • Konar (Yadava) (Tamil: கோனார் (in Tamil Nadu and Kerala)
  • Kurubas or Gollas (in Karnataka)
  • Krishnauth (claiming direct lineage from Lord Shri Krishna)
  • Kurubas (Karnataka)
  • Kondayankotth-Tirunelveli-Tamilnadu
  • Maniyani (in Kerala)
  • Manjrauth (linked with Jarasandh)
  • Mandal & Bhagat (Bihar)
  • Oraon
  • Pradhans
  • Puhanian
  • Rauts
  • Sadgops (in Bengal)
  • Souryasaini
  • Saini
  • Surabhirs
  • Surasena
  • Taljunghi
  • Thatte
  • Yadavas
  • Yadavulu
  • Jadeja
  • Bhati
  • Banaphar
  • Servai, Tamil Nadu
  • Vadukayar, Tiruvnelveli in Tamil Nadu
  • Deshwal (some city in U.P)
  • many more

of the major groups called castes many bear names derived from the principal professions they follow or the crafts they practice, for example, the cattle-breeding group takes the significant name of Gauli, derived from a Sanskrit word for cow. The names of the shepherd castes seem to be derived from words meaning sheep. Such is at least the case with Gadaria from 'gadar', on old Hindi word for sheep. Many others of these major groups called castes bear merely tribal or ethic names. Such are for example: Arora, Gujar, Lohana, Bhatia, Mina, Bhil, Dom, Oraon, Munda, Santal, Koch, Ahir, Mahar, Nayar, Maratha, Gond, Khond, etc.[13]

[edit] Notable Yadavs

Shree Raje Ratnasing Jadhavrao, Shree Raje Krushnasing
Shree Raje Ratnasing Jadhavrao, Shree Raje Krushnasing
Shrimant Namdar Sardar Raje Shambhusing Amarsing Jadhavrao
Shrimant Namdar Sardar Raje Shambhusing Amarsing Jadhavrao
Shrimant Sau Khashibaisaheb Jadhavrao, The Queen of Malegaon
Shrimant Sau Khashibaisaheb Jadhavrao, The Queen of Malegaon


Mythology

Historical

Some scholars, such as Robert Sewell believe that the rulers of Vijayanagara Empire were Kurubas (also known as Yadavas).[14]

Some early inscriptions, dated 1078 and 1090, have implied that the Hoysalas of Mysore were also the descendants of the original Yadava clan, by referring to the Yadava vamsa (clan) as Hoysala vamsa. But there are no records directly linking the Hoysalas to the Yadavas of North India. Calling it 'poetic fancy', William Coelho, author of Hoysala Vamsa, 1950, argues that there is no evidence of even a tradition that traces back their lineage to one of northern origin. S.U. Kamath argues that it was a common practice in royal families of medieval South India to build puranic genealogies-[15]. However, J.N. Singh Yadav, a famous historian, gives the following account in his 'YADAVAS THROUGH THE AGES', " The Hoysalas ruled illustriously for over three centuries and have left in the country imperishable monuments of art and culture. They were family of kings who ruled over practically the whole of the kannada country at the height of their power. They scheduled the hill tribes known as Malepas in the Western Ghats and they assumed the title 'Maleparoleganda'. The account of their origin can be traced in some of their inscriptions. They claimed Sosevura (Sasakapura of Sanskrit writers) as their birthplace. This place has been identified with Angadi of Mudigere Taluk in chikamanglura district. It has been mentioned as the seen of the incident between Sala and the tiger. When Sala,' an ornament of the Yaduvamsa' (Yaduvamsojvala tilakan) was worshiping the goddess Vasantike of Sasakapura, a tiger came from the forest. The holiman Sodutta, who was there gave him his fan saying 'Poysala(Strike, Sala). Sala killed the tiger. From that time the name of Poysala become the designation of the Yadava kings (E.C. VOL. VI, Cm. 20.). Almost the same account, though differing in certain details, is found in many of their inscriptions. According to annother version, when Sala was hunting along the slopes of the Sahya mountains (or the Western Ghats), he was astonished to see a hare (SKt. Sasa) pursuing a tiger, while he was walking alone saying to himself, 'This is heroic soil', a holy muni near by, being afraid of the tiger, called out 'Poy-Sala' and before it could proceed the length of a span Sala slew it with his sword (E.C., VOL. V, PART I B1. 171.). It is after this incident that the place came to be known as Sasakapura.[16]

The founder of the Wodeyar dynasty, Vijaya, also claimed descent from the Yadu and took on the name Yadu-Raya.

According to S.C.Raychoudhary (author of Social, Cultural and Economic History of India), a noted historian, "The Pandya kingdom generally associated with the Pandus of the Mahabarata covered the districts of Madura and Tinnivelly as well as certain portions of south Travancore."[17]

Dr.V. Manickam in his path-breaking work Kongu Nadu gives an expanded version of his doctoral thesis submitted to the university of Madras as follows,"It was noted that the pastoral people(Ayar) of the mullai land in Kongu formed the major component of the Vellalar community of the medieval period.It is Dr.V. Manickam thesis that the Vellalar of Kongu were nothing but the pastoral people of Kongu, ofcourse,with some additions (p-553). However, We come across references to Idaiyar of kiranur, alias Kolumam Konda Cholanallur (SII : 5:283), Kon from the same place (SII : 5: 265,267,269), and Yatavar in two epigraphs from Chevur (Eye Copy 94,98). Further, there are also references to Tiruvayappadi nattar, which indicate the supra-local activities of the herdsmen discussed in chapter 15. The presence of the herdsmen, with the titles as found in the macro region, may be explained as survivors of the pastoral people of the pre-chola period who were reluctant to integrate themselves in the new setup or new additions.[18]

Politics

  • Babu Shri Ram Lakhan Singh Yadav Member of Bihar Assembly for six terms. Former Union Minister and Member of Parliament. Former President, All India Yadav Mahasabha.
  • B. Ramdev cabinet minister in Andhra Pradeshin 80s. Vice- President Akhil bharat Yadav Mahasabha.
  • Lalu Prasad Yadav, Politician
  • Mulayam Singh Yadav, Politician
  • Rabari Devi, Ex. CM, Bihar
  • Sharad Yadav, politician
  • Subhas Yadav, politician
  • Rammurthy Yadav, Ex-MLA, Chalakurthy
  • Raghu Yadav, politician
  • R V Ramana Krishna, Founder SattaBharat
  • GopalKrishnan Yadav, Ex.Indian Bank Chairman,Leader of TamilNadu Samajwadi Party, Leader Of Yadava Mahasabha
  • Raja Kannappan,Politician
  • Dr. Karan Singh Yadav, Veteran Heart Sergeon & M.P., Alwar(Rajasthan)
  • Rao Birendera Singh Yadav, Ex CM, Haryana
  • Rao Inderajeet Singh Yadav, Minister for State for Defence, India
  • Babulal Gaur, Ex. CM, Madhya Pradesh


Military

Police

  • S.S.P.Yadav,IPS, Director General of Police (DGP), Andhra Pradesh
  • Rajbir Singh Yadav, Delhi encounter specialist President’s Police Medal for Gallantry 2003


Sports

Artists / Writers / Journalists

[edit] External links

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