Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "यादव" in Hindi language version.
in the महाभारत, Abhir, Gopa, Gopal and Yadavas are all synonyms.
Doctor Bhagvanlal held that the Chudasamas were originally of the Abhira tribe, as their traditions attest connection with the Abhiras and as the description of Graharipu one of their kings by Hemachandra in his DvydaSraya points to his being of some local tribe and not of any ancient Rajput lineage. Further in their bardic traditions as well as in popular stories the Chudasamas are still commonly called Ahera-ranas. The position of Aberia in Ptolemy (A.D. 150) seems to show that in the second century the Ahirs were settled between Sindh and the Panjab. Similarly it may be suggested that Jadeja is a corruption of Jaudheja which in turn comes from Yaudheya (the change of y to j being very common) who in Kshatrapa Inscriptions appear as close neighbours of the Ahirs. After the fall of the Valabhis (A.D. 775) the Yaudheyas seem to have established themselves in Kacch and the Ahirs settled and made conquests in Kathiavada.
Hemachandra in his Dvyasrayakavya mentions Graharipu, as a mighty Abhira-Chudasama king of Saurashtra. The Chudasama kings are described as Abhiras by Merutungacharya.
The Yadavas of the Mahabharata period were known to be the followers of Vaisnavism, of which Krsna was the leader: they were gopas (cowherd) by profession, but at the same time they held the status of the Ksatriyas, participating in the battle of Kurukshetra. The present Ahirs are also followers of Vaisnavism.
The Yadavas of the Mahabharata period were known to be the followers of Vaisnavism, of which Krsna was the leader: they were gopas (cowherd) by profession, but at the same time they held the status of the Ksatriyas, participating in the battle of Kurukshetra. The present Ahirs are also followers of Vaisnavism.
The fact that the Yadavas were pastoral in their habits is distinctly proved by the fact that Krishna's sister Subhadra when she was taken away by Arjuna is described as having put on the dress of a Gopi or female cowherd. It is impossible to explain this fact unless we believe that the whole tribe was accustomed to use this dress. The freedom with which she and other Yadava women are described as moving on the Raivataka hill in the festivities on that occasion also shows that their social relations were freer and more unhampered than among the other Kshatriyas. Krishna again when he went over to Arjuna's side is said in the Mahabharata to have given in balance for that act an army of Gopas to Duryodhana. The Gopas could have been no other than the Yadavas themselves.
Hemachandra, in the Dyashraya-Kavya, describe the prince Grahasipu, ruling at Vanthali near Junagadh, as an Abhira and a Yadava (Krishna's legendary tribe) (Enthoven 1920, 25).
Radha or Radhika who was the daughter of Vrashabhánu, an Áhir chief of Varsána, a village near Gokul.
The Narayani Army which the Krishna organised and which made him so powerful that his friendship was eagerly sought by the greatest kings of his time, is described in the Mahabharata as being all of the Ahir caste.
In the Mahabharat it is mentioned that the Narayani army which Sri Krishna organised was composed of Ahirs.
The Narayani Army which he organized, and which made him so powerful that his friendship was eagerly sought by the greatest kings of his time, is described in the Mahabharat as being all of the Abhira caste.
भगवान कृष्ण ने दुर्योधन को महाभारत में लड़ने के लिए जो नारायणी सेना दी थी वह आभीरों की ही थी। संसप्तकों में भी वीर आभीर योद्धा विद्यमान थे। द्रोण की सुवर्ण-व्यूह रचना में आभीरों का मुख्य स्थान था।
The Ābhīras had an extensive empire comprising Maharashtra, Konkan, Gujarat and some part of South Madhya Pradesh.
It is clear that the rule previous to that of the Gurjaras was that of the Traikutakas who claimed to be Haihayas by descent and whose capital Trikuta not yet well identified is mentioned even in the Rāmāyaṇa and in Kalidasa's Raghuvansha.
Sanskrit scholars such as Panini and Chanakya say that Abhiras follow the Bhagavata sect of Hindu religion.
In the Rgveda, x.62.10, the Yadus and Turvaśas are called dāsas or barbarians. From these evidences R.P. Chanda infers that the Yadus were of homo-Alpinus origin, settled originally in Western Asia, whence they came to India, settled in Surāştra or Kathiawad Peninsula and then spread to Mathura.
A.D. Pusalkar observes that the Yadava branches are called Asuras in the epics and purāņas on account of their considerable mixture with the non-Aryans and the resultant looseness in the observance of the Aryan Dharma. It is important to note that even in the Mahābhārata, Krsna is called the sanghamukhya. Bimanbehari Majumdar points out that at one place in the Mahābhārata the Yadavas are called Vrātyas and at another place, Krşņa speaks of his tribe consisting of eighteen thousand Vrātas. He is inclined to accept Bloomfield's interpretation of the term Vrātya as meaning Samghātmaka.
हरिवंश पुराण के अनुसार 'यदु' का जन्म हर्यश्व तथा मधुमती से हुआ था। मधुमती मथुरा के राक्षस-राज 'मधु' की पुत्री थी। मधु कहता है- "मथुरा के चतुर्दिक् सारा प्रदेश आभीरों का है।
The Mahabharata and other authoritative works use the three terms-Gopa, Yadava and Ahir synonymously.
In the Epics and the Puranas the association of the Yādavas with the Abhiras was attested by the evidence that the Yådava kingdom was" mostly inhabited by the Abhiras".
Again, many ancient remains in the Khándesh district are popularly believed to belong to the period of the Gauli Ráj. From the Archæological point of view, they are to be ascribed to the time of the Yádavas of Devagiri. It is, therefore, not unlikely that, according to popular belief, these Yádavas were Abhiras. This receives some support from the fact that Yaduvanshis even now are one of the most important sub-divisions of the Ahirs.
The Chudasama dynasty, originally of Abhira clan from Sind wielded great influence around Junagadh from the 875 A.D. onwards when they consolidated themselves at Vanthali (ancient Vamanasthali) close to Girnar under their-King Ra Chuda.
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 (Bhandarkar, 1911:16), who were 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.
The Yadavas, who in their turn are identified with the Gaolis and Ahirs, were the dominant race at that time.
