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This article is about Yadav (caste). For other uses, see Yadav (disambiguation).
Yadav
ClassificationChandravanshi Kshatriya
ReligionsHinduism
LanguagesHindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Oriya, Marathi and dialects of these languages
Populated statesIndia, Nepal
SubdivisionsAhir, Dhangars, Maniyani, Konar, Gaur, etc. 57 sub-castes/clans

Yādav is a caste found in India and Nepal which claims descent from the ancient KingYadu who belonged to the Chandravanshi Kshatriya clan . As the name of one of the five Aryan clans mentioned in the Rig Veda as Panchjanya, meaning "five people", it is the common name given to the five most ancient vedic kshatriya tribes. People of the Yadav caste generally follow Vaishnav traditions, and share Dharmic religious beliefs. Traditionally[1] Yadavs are classified under the Kshatriya varna in Hinduism and remained in power in India and Nepal until 1200-1300 CE, before the arrival of Muslim invaders.[2] In the 1881 census records of the British empire it is stated that "the Yadavas, who in their turn are identified with the Gaolis and Ahirs, were the dominant race at that time."[1][3]

Yadav caste includes Jadeja, Bhati, Raizada, Chudasama, Jadon and other yaduvanshi castes. Jaisalmer Kingdom was created and ruled by the Yadav king Rawal Jaisal.

Yadu was the eldest son of Yayati (father of Yadavs). It is written in the Vishnu Puran that he did not inherit his father's throne. He, therefore, retired towards Punjab and Iran. He had five sons, of whom except Satjit and Krishna, three remained childless. Satjit had three sons: Bibai (Biveya), Hai (Heya) whose descendants are Jats of the Heer gotra and Ahai (Aheya) who founded the Ahir community.[4]

Yaduvanshi Krishna (left) with Radha,

Origin

In Hindu mythology, Yadavs are the descendants of Yadu, the eldest son of King Yayati. It is said that Yadu was expelled by Yayati from his kingdom and became a rebel. His successor was Madhu also called Madhu Rakshasa (Demon), who ruled from Madhuvana, situated on the banks of river Yamuna, which extended up to Saurastra and Anarta (Gujrat). His daughter Madhumati married Harinasva of Ikshvaku race, from whom Yadu was born again, this time being ancestor of Yadavas. Nanda, the foster father of Krishna, was born in the line of succession of Madhu and ruled from the same side of Yamuna.[5] Jarasandh, Kansa's father-in-law, and king of Magadha attacked Yadavas to avenge Kansa's death. Yadavas had to shift their capital from Mathura (central Aryavart) to Dwaraka (on the western coast of Aryavart) on the Sindhu. Yadu was a legendary Hindu king, believed to be an ancestor of the god Krishna, who for this reason is sometimes referred to as Yadava.

Ramprasad Chanda, points to the fact that in the Rigveda, Indra is said to have brought Turvasu and Yadu from over the sea, and Yadu and Turvasu are called Barbarian or Dasa. After analyzing the ancient legends and traditions he comes to the conclusion that Yadavas were originally settled in the Kathiawar peninsula and subsequently spread to Mathura. In his opinion they may have come with the Purus, Druhyus and Anus from Mesopotamia. Of the Yadus, rigveda provides two very interesting data, first, that they were arajinah - without King or non-monarchical, and second that Indra brought them from beyond the sea and made them worthy of consecration.[6]. A. D. Pusalkar observed that Yadvas were called Asuras in the epic and puranas, which may be due to mixing with non-aryans and the looseness in observance of Aryan Dharma. It is important to note that even in the Mahabharata Krishna is called Sanghmukhya - Head of Sangh (congress). Bimanbehari Majumdar points out at one place in the mahabharata Yadavas are called Vratyas and at another place Krishna speaks of his tribe consisting of eighteen thousand vratyas. It is interesting to note that much later, Abhira of Deccan were called Andhra-Vratyas, and Purunas refer to them as Vratyas on many occasions. A Vratya is one who lives outside the fold of the dominant Aryan Society and practice their own form of austerity and esoteric rites. some scholars conjecture that they might have been the source of non-aryan beliefs and practices introduced into Vedic religion.[7]

Genetically, they are in Indo-Caucasoid family,[8] A study in East of India shows their gene structure is similar to Brahmin, Kayastha & Rajput living in the same area.[9]


Ahirs as Yadavas

Besides mythological origin, historical evidence exists for identifying the Ahirs with the Yadavas. The term Ahir comes from Abhira (Bhandarkar, 1911;16), who where once found in different parts of India, and who in several places wielded political power. Ancient Sanskrit classic, Amarkosa, calls gwal, gopa & ballabh to be the synonym of Abhira.A Chudasama prince styled Grahripu and Ruling at Vanthali near Junagarh described in the Dyashraya kavya of Hemachandra, describes him both as a Abhira and a Yadav.[10] Further, in their Bardic traditions as well as in popular stories Chudasmas are still called Ahir Ranas.[11] Again, many remains of Khandesh (historical stronghold of abhiras) are popularly believed to be of Gawli Raj, which archaeologically belongs to the Yadvas of Devgiri.[12] Hence, it is concluded that Yadvas of Devgiri were actually Abhiras. Moreover, there are sufficient number of clans within Ahirs, who trace their lineage from Yadu and Lord Krishna, some of which are mentioned in Mahabharata as Yadav Clans. James Tod demonstrated that Ahirs were included into the list of 36 royal races of Rajasthan (Tod, 1829, Vol.1, p.69 ii,p.358).[13][14]
See: Ahirs

Classification based on origin

The Yadavas of Eastern India are traditionally divided into three major clans or shakhas ("branches"):[15]

  • Krishnaut or Kishnauth, the descendants of Krishna
  • Madhauth or Majhauth, the descendants of Madhu, ancestor of Yadu.
  • Gaur, Gor or Gorya, a very ancient Yadav clan of Epic Mahabharata.[16]

Yadavas of Western India (whom Denzil Ibbetson also terms as Ahir) are traditionally divided into three major clans called Khanap:[17]

  • Yaduvanshi - Descendants of Yadu
  • Nandvanshi' - Descendants of Nand Baba who was Ahir[18][19][20]
  • Gwalvanshi - Descendants of Holy Gwals (Original word Gaur becomes Gwar and then Gwal)
          Yayati[21]
            |
           Yadu (Ancestor of Madhu)
            |
          Madhu ---- Nanda ----Nandavanshi, Madhauth(Majhauth)
            |
          yadu (Successor of Madhu)
            |
          Krishna
            |
          Krishnauth,Yaduvanshi

Yadav kingdoms

The lineage of several rulers of ancient and medieval India is traced to Yadu. These include mythological characters such as Krishna, as well as historical rulers such as King Porus, who fought Alexander the Great in the Battle of the Hydaspes River.

Asia in 1200 AD, showing the Yadava Dynasty and its neighbors.

Many groups and clans claiming descent from the ancient Yadu clan call themselves Yadavs. Some of the major groups derived from the principal professions they follow or the crafts they practice, for example, Sandilya (Central UP), Bhragudev (Central UP),Gwal and Dadhor (Eastern UP), Gosia (Central UP),* Nirwan (Western UP Chaubisa)is a gotra found in rajputs, jats[22] and Ahirs[23] of Haryana. Gawli, Jadon, Gaurs (also called Goriya, and mentioned in the Mahabharata), Jadhav Maratha), Chawda and Chaudhry in Gujarat, Konar Doss, Karayalar (Yadava) (Tamil: கோனார் pillai (in Tamil Nadu and Kerala), Maniyani, Kondayankotth, Nambiyar, Vathiyar, Nayakkar-Tirunelveli-Tamil Nadu (in Kerala), Mohaladiya Belongs to Alwar Rajasthan, Saini (Shoorseni/Surasena/Shaursaini),[24][25][26][27][28][29][30] Adhikari Bengal and Orissa, Bhatrajus (Andhra Pradesh)Kuruba, Kuruma, Gouda (Orissa), Jambavas, Kuruma, Manthri, Pillai, in Andhra Pradesh Telangana region, Manjrauth (linked with Jarasandh), Rabari in Gujarat, Rauts[disambiguation needed], Pradhans Sridhar Yadav.

The Ahirs believe that their ancestors walked together with Lord Krishna. Ahirs synonyms are Yadav and Rao Sahab. Rao Sahab is only used in Ahirwal region consisting of territories of few villages of Delhi,Southern Haryana & Behrod area of Alwar district (Rajasthan). Historically, Ahir laid the foundation of Ahir Batak town which was later called Ahrora and Ahirwar in Jhansi district in A.D.108. Rudramurti Ahir became the chief of the Army and later on, the king. Madhuriputa, Ishwarsen and Shivdatta were well known kings from the lineage who mingled with Yadav Rajputs,[31][32] Sainis, who are now found by their original name only in Punjab and in the neighbouring states of Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. They claim descent from Yaduvanshi Rajputs[33][34] of the Yaduvanshi [35][36] Surasena lineage, originating from Yadav King Shoorsen, who was the grandfather of both Krishna and the legendary Pandava warriors. Sainis relocated to Punjab from Mathura and surrounding areas over different periods of time.[37][38]

See also: Rajput Clans

Ancient Yadav Kingdoms

Natural fortress at Vijayanagara
File:Rao Tula Ram.jpg
King Rao Tula Ram of Rewari[39]

Some scholars, such as Robert Sewell, believe that the rulers of Vijayanagara Empire were Kurubas (also known as Yadavas).[40] 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 vansa (clan) as Hoysala vansa.

But there are no records directly linking the Hoysalas to the Yadavas of North India. Calling it 'poetic fancy', William Coelho, author of Hoysala Vansa, 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.[41] However, J.N. Singh Yadav, a famous historian, gives the following account in his Yadav's Through The Ages, " he 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 another 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.[42]

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."[43]

V. Kanakasabhai(1904) in his,"The Tamil Eighteen Hundred Years Ago( Chapter IV,Page-53-57, Asian Education Services Publications, Madras) states, " It is beyond doubt therefore that long before the fourth century BC the pandyan kingdom in the south of India had come into existance.... ... ... It appears that the founder of the southern Pandyan kingdom was a princess. Megasthanes who resided as an ambassador of seleukus in the court of Chandragupta at pataliputra, has the following account of the origin of the Pandyas: " Herakles(Krishna) begot a daughter in India whom he called Pandaia. To her he assigned that portion of India which lies to southward and extends to the sea, while he distributed the people subject to her rule into three hundred and sixty five villages, giving orders that one village should each day bring to the treasury the royal tribute, so that the queen might always have the assistance of men whos turn it was to pay the tribute, in coercing those who for the time being were defaulters, in their payments. Pliny gives a similar account, " next come the pandoe the only race in India ruled by woman. They say that Hercules (Krishna) having but one daughter, who was on that account all the more beloved, endowed her with a noble kingdom. Her desendents rule over three hundred cities and command on army of 150000 foot and 500 elephants. Ancient tamil poems seem to support this tradition because they refer to a woman as the founder of the Pandyan dynasty. She appears to have been subsequently worshipped as a goddess in Madura. In the chilappathikaram ( A Tamil epic) she is spoken as of Mathurapatti or " Queen of Madura" and she is described dressed half in the attire of a warrior and half in that of a princess. The Manimekalai ( another Tamil epic) also alludes to her as Mathurapathy. Taking together the tradation as reported by Megasthenes and Pliny and the allusions in ancient Tamil works, it appears that a princess who belonged to the race of the Pandus, then reigning at Madura on the banks of Jamuna, led a colony and founded Dakshina-Mathura on the banks of the Vaigai. Like Dido, who fled form Phoenicia and founded carthage, it is most probable that the princess was driven by some domestic affliction to settle in a distant land. The later traditionary accounts speak of this princess as a woman born with three breasts. It is quite possible that owing to this personal deformity she was obliged to seek a husband in a foreign country. She appears to have married a king of the Marar tribe, which was already settled in the Tamil country, and hence her descendants assumed the titles of Pandyan and Maran.The few Aryas who accompanied the Pandyan princess appear to have merged in the Tamil people by inter-marriages with them. The Pandyan kings of the first and second century A.D. considered themselves as Tamils, and not Aryas, although they claimed descent from Pandus.The Ayar or the cowherd race was distinct from the other races. Their name Ayar is derived from the Dravidian word "A" meaning cow. They were known as Abhiras in puranic history. In northern India they are still called Ahirs. In the Tamil land they were also called as Pothuvar or Commons( from the Dravidian word podhu meaning common) apparently because they possosed friendship to the nagas and Tamil alike. Originally they appear to have had their own petty kings, in the Chola country, but Karikal- Chola os said to have exterminated their line of kings. The Ayar in the Pandyan domminion had a tradation that they came into the Tamil land, along with the founder of Pandyan family. [44]


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, of course,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.[45]

Trikuta Hill under Yaduvanshi king

Rawal Jaisal laid the foundation stone of Jaisalmer in 1156 A.D. He hailed from the Yaduvanshi Rajput kin group.[46] The city has an interesting legend associated with it, according to which, Lord Krishna, the head of the Yadav Clan, foretold Arjuna, one of the Pandava brothers of the Mahabharata that a remote descendent of the Yadav Clan would build his kingdom atop the Trikuta Hill. His prophecy was fulfilled in 1156 AD when Rawal Jaisal, abandoned his fort at Lodurva and founded a new capital Jaisalmer, perched on the Trikuta Hill.[46][47] [48] However, historical facts contradicts this claim, because Trikuta Hill is actually near Deccan, a range of hills bordering Nashik,[49] where one Abhira dynasty, Traikuta, directly claiming descent from ancient Haihai [50] Yadav King, Nala,[51] in 5th century A.D., had built kingdom on original Trikuta Hill, and hence assumed the title Traikuta.[52]

Hamir Dev, a descendant of Prithviraj Chauhan ruled Ranthambor. Seventeen kilometers from Sawaimadhopur stands a fort, encompassing in its stately walls, a glorious history of the Rajputs. Ranathambhor's venerable structure, rapturous beauty and sublime expressiveness seem to be continuously vocalizing the great legends of Hamir Dev, the Rajput king, who ruled in the 13th century.His wife was an Ahir lady, Raj Kaur.[53] She was also a brave warrior. In those days, the warrior and his wife would choose each other in the Svayamvar.Raj Kaur would also ride a horse, and support her husband in battle. The lady would pray and blow her conch shell while climb her horse. Together they successfully fought over seven battles. Both husband and wife wore armour in battle.

See also: Bharatpur,_India

Yadavs in modern India

Yadavs of Delhi NCR

Swami Ramdev (Ramkishan Yadav) born in Mahendragarh Haryana

The name of the State of Haryana may have been derived from its ancient inhabitants: Abhirayana. The name `Abhira` may stem from a-bhira meaning fearless.[32] [54] For centuries the Ahirs were eclipsed as a political power in Haryana until the time of the Pratihara dynasty. In time they became independent rulers of Southwest Haryana. Although the Ahirs and Yadavas form one group, the former are an important community of Haryana, but numerically they constitute less than 10% of the total population. Most of them live in the region around Behror, Alwar, Rewari, Narnaul, Mahendragarh and Gurgaon which is therefore known as Ahirwal or the abode of Ahirs.Ahirs synonyms are Yadav and Rao Sahab. Rao Sahab is only used in Ahirwal region consisting of territories of few villages of Delhi, Southern Haryana & Behrod area of Alwar district (Rajasthan). Ahir's of this region are mainly in armed forces.

Yadav dominated areas in National Capital Region(NCR) includes Gurgaon, Noida,[55] Manesar, Behror, Bawal, Dharuhera, Pataudi, Bhiwadi, Badshahpur, Kosli, Alwar and Rewari.

Some of the villages in Ahirwal with Yadav prominence are:-

  • Delhi has Chhaproula,Dhanawas, Haider Pur, Jwala Heri, Rajokri, Madipur, Surehra, Samaypur, Badli, Najafgarh, Todapur, Khaira, Sakarpur, Bagdola,naharpur(rohini), Gudhana and Kapashera.
  • Gurgaon has Wazirabad, Samaspur, Kanhai, Badshapur, Islampur, Sukhrali, Hyatpur, Shilokhra, Tikri, Teekli, Sahraul, Khedki, Daula, Fazilpur, Sikohpur , Nathupur, Chakkarpur, Sikanderpur, Nawada, Mohmmadpur, Dundahera, Iqbalpur, Smalkha, Bamdoli, Mirpur, Sashand and Manesar.
  • Noida has Sarfabad, Garhi Chaukhandi,Morna ,Hoshiyarpur ,Patwari,Hoshiyarpur, Khanjarpur, Zahilabad,Rasoolpur Navada, Partha, Sorkhla and Naharpur etc.[56][57][58]

Places of Yadav prominence in Northern India

File:Akhilesh.jpg
Akhilesh Yadav of Samajwadi Party

Rao Birender Singh Yadav was the second chief minister of Haryana and Chaudhary Brahm Prakash Yadav was the first chief minister of Delhi.In Marubhumi (Marwar), Saurashtra and Maharashtra they served the local rulers and established their own rule. Ishwarsena, a great Ahir general, became master of Western Deccan in place of the famous Satava-hanas. He took the title of Rajan and an era was named after him. His descendants continued to rule for nine generations.

Pran Sukh Yadav (1802–1888) was an extraordinary military commander of his time. He was a close friend of Hari Singh Nalwa and famous Punjab ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh.In his early career he trained Sikh Khalsa army. After the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh he fought in both the First and Second Anglo-Sikh Wars, due to his extreme hatred towards Britishers after the defeat of Sikhs he started giving military training to the farmers of Narnaul and Mahendragarh region.

King Rao Tula Ram of Rewari was born on 9 December 1825 in a Royal Rao Bhadur Nirpur Yadav family which belonged to "Rao Bhadur Ghari-Bolni" in village Rampura (Rewari). His father was Puran Singh and his mother's name was Gyan Kaur who was daughter of Great Jat ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh.[62][63] In 1857, Rao Tula Ram led the rebellion in Haryana along with his brother Rao Bhadur Tula Ram of Ghari Bolni and Rao Gopal Dev of Nirpur.For centuries the Ahirs were eclipsed as a political power in Haryana until the time of the Pratihara dynasty. In time they became independent rulers of Southwest Haryana.[54] Although the Ahirs and Yadavas form one group, the former are an important community of Haryana, but numerically they constitute less than 10% of the total population.[54][64] Most of them live in the region around Rewari, Narnaul, Mahendragarh and Gurgaon which is therefore known as Ahirwal or the abode of Ahirs.[54][65]

Yadavs in Maharashtra

Devagiri fort - The capital of Yadavas of Devagiri

The Seuna, Sevuna or Yadava dynasty (850 - 1334) was an Indian dynasty, which at its peak ruled a kingdom stretching from the Tungabhadra to the Narmada rivers, including present-day Maharashtra, north Karnataka and parts of Madhya Pradesh, from its capital at Devagiri (present-day Daulatabad in Maharashtra). It claimed descent from the Chandravanshi Yadavs of North India.

Solaskars are another group that belong to the Kshatriya Yadav clan, and claim to be the successors of the Yadavas of Devagiri. They are the protectors of sixteen Shiva temples situated in the hillside region of Satara. Solashi (place of Solaskar) is in North Koregaon Area on the South East side of Khambatki Ghat while coming from Pune to Satara. The village is recognized by an old and nice temple of Shul-Pateshwar. On the North side of the village is a large mountain (same one of Khambati ghat) on which temples of Hareshwar and Dhareshwar were built. It has a height of 4000 meters. Solashi is one of the villages situated on the northern side of Koregaon. It is famous for the God Hareshwara. There are sixteen small temples of Lord Shiva around the entire village. All Solaskar families in Solashi are vegetarians.

The Jadhavs also claim descent from the Yaduvanshi clan.

Yadavs of Tamil Nadu and Kerala

File:Maha veeran Alagu muthu kone.jpg
Veeran Azhagu Muthu Kone (Freedom Fighter)
Konar

Konar or Idaiyar or Tamil Yadavar[66] is a caste from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a sub-division of Yadava community. They are also known as Ayars. Konars are distributed throughout the state of Tamil Nadu. They are one of the ancient Tamil castes.[67]

Konar in ancient literature

Ilango Adigal had mentioned Konars of Madurai in his Tamil epic Silapathikaram, which is considered to be one of the five famous epics of Tamil literature. According to this epic, they gave accommodation for Kannagi. They occupied grasslands known as Mullai in Ancient Tamil country. Konars traditionally raise cows, goats and sheeps and sell milk.[68][69]

Maniyani

(Kolaya, Ayar, Mayar, Maniyani and Iruman)[70]

Maniyani is a caste of Kerala that claims descent from Krishna. The Maniyani are the Kshatriyas of Kerala, India. Maniyanis are also known as Kola- Aya (Kolayars). They are the Yadavas of Kolathnadu and Thulunad.[71] They are seen in Kannur and Kasargod Districts. Ayar is a common surname for Yadavas through out India. They settled in north Kerala about 3000 years back. Kola is the name of Yadava clan who settled in North Kerala and Southern Karnataka.[72]

File:Mandal3b.jpg
B. P. Mandal statue in Patna, Bihar

All-India Yadav Mahasabha

The emergence of an educated and religiously orthodox elite among the Yadavs, after the religious movements of Arya Samaj and Janeu movements led to the formation of the All-India Yadava Mahasabha in 1923 in Allahabad. The AIYM immediately engaged itself in two issues. It appealed to its castemen in all regions to add “Yadav” to their names and at the same time launched on a major programme of social reform. The regional organisation of the Hyderabad Rashtra Yadav Mahajana Samajam, for example, appealed to the Census Commission that their caste name Ahir be changed to Yadava.[73]

All India Yadav Mahasabha is also pressing Indian government for the formation of Yadav regiment in Indian Army after they showed their bravery in the 1965 Indo-China war. In 1966 the AIYM held its annual conference in Etawa, with Mulayam Singh Yadav as chairman of the reception committee and Rao Birender Singh the scion of the Rewari dynasty as president.[74] [75] [76] After Independence, the Yadavs have emerged as the leaders of the other backward classes. Prof. Rao’s study of the Yadava elite in the various states (based on the members and supporters of the All India Yadav Sabha and not on those of the rival All India Yadav Mahasabha) reveals the growth of varied business and professional groups within the caste category. Heading the list are businessmen who comprise roughly 21 per cent of the elite. They include dairy owners, contractors, tobacco and timber merchants, wholesale grass dealers, owners of engineering firms and other industries as well as restaurant owners. They are followed by the large farmers who comprise around 21 per cent of the Yadav elite. Politicians (MPs, MLAs, ministers, municipal councillors, district board members, office-bearers of political parties) constitute 17 percent of the elite and school and college teachers, doctors, lawyers and engineers together another 20 percent.[77][78]

Yadavs in the military

File:Victoria Cross Medal Ribbon & Bar.jpg
The prestigious Victoria Cross, awarded for exceptional valour "in the face of the enemy".
File:Yogendra Singh Yadav.jpg
Yogendra Singh Yadav Param Vir Chakra (Kargil War)

The Ahir/Yadav community has served the Indian armed and defense forces and laid down their lives to safeguard India. Some prominent battles fought by Ahir soldiers are the Indo-China war, the kargil war [79][80] Akshardham,[81] and Parliament attacks.[82]

Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav of the Indian army was awarded the highest Indian military honour, Param Vir Chakra for his actions during the Kargil War on 4 July 1999.

Namdev Jadhav received Victoria cross also during the Burma Campaign of the Second World war, Havaldar Umrao Singh,[83][84] a gunner, won the Victoria Cross; which is a world–wide symbol of the recognition of the highest form of bravery in the face of the enemy; in hand to hand combat with the Japanese infantry, when its do or die squads raided his gun position, in the Kaladan Valley. He killed ten of them with his bare hands armed only with the gun bearer (a heavy metallic tool) they found him exhausted and bleeding in the morning but still alive amidst a pile of Japanese corpses littered around the gun, which, remarkably, was found to be still fit for immediate firing.

In the Indo-China War of 1962, the Ahirs (almost all of them from the Ahirwal region of Southern Haryana) of 13 Kumaon Regiment set an unparallel example in the military history of Aryavart by defending their position at Rezang La in Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir. The battle of Rezang La, a ridge overlooking the strategic Chushul plains in Ladakh, to defend the highest air strip in the world located at 16,000 feet — just across the Chinese claim line — is a chapter in the history of the Indian army which has been compared by some Indian military historians with the famed Battle of Thermopylae [citation needed]. In the final phase of the Indo-China War of 1962, where Indian units typically offered little resistance while being routed by attacking PLA[disambiguation needed] forces, the Ahir Charlie Company from 13 Kumaon Regiment, set a rare example of raw courage, bravery and dedication by literally fighting to the last man. Of the 120 defenders, only four survived, all seriously wounded. The dead bodies of those who died were discovered after the winter, frozen, mostly holding their weapons but with no ammunition. According to some accounts, several jawans, having run out of ammunition, came out of the pickets and charged the enemy with bare hands. Lance Naik Ram Singh killed several Chinese soldiers after lifting and hitting them against the rocks. It is also believed that these jawans inflicted heavy casualties on the attackers. Of the 120 soldiers, 114 were Yadavas from Ahirwal region of Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi.

On this horrific battle, Major-General Ian Cardozo, in his book Param Vir, Our Heroes In Battle writes, “When Rezang La was later revisited dead jawans were found in the trenches still holding on to their weapons... every single man of this company was found dead in his trench with several bullet or splinter wounds. The 2-inch mortar man died with a bomb still in his hand. The medical orderly had a syringe and bandage in his hands when the Chinese bullet hit him... Of the thousand mortar bombs with the defenders all but seven had been fired and the rest were ready to be fired when the (mortar) section was overrun.”

General T.N. Raina said, "You rarely come across such example in the annals of world military history when braving such heavy odds, the men fought till the last bullet and the last man. Certainly the Battle of Rezang La is such a shining example."

General K S Thimayya remarked, "I had said many years ago that the Army must have a Ahir Regiment. The supreme sacrifice of the Charlie Company has fulfilled my expectations. I hope a suitable memorial will be built in Ahirwal in their memory so that the generations to come may seek inspiration from the immense courage and valour of their forefathers."

The heroes who were awarded the Vir Chakra in 1962 defending Rezang La were Naik Hukum Chand (posthumous), Naik Gulab Singh Yadav, Lance-Naik Singh Ram (posthumous), Subedar Ram Kumar and Subedar Ram Chander. All were from the Ahirwal region. [83][85][86]

A small memorial for the dead soldiers in Rezang La reads:

How can a man die better,
Than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers,
And temples of his gods.
To the sacred memory of the Heroes of Rezang La,
114 Martyrs of 13 Kumaon who fought to the Last Man,
Last Round, Against Hordes of Chinese on 18 November 1962.
Built by All Ranks 13th Battalion, The Kumaon Regiment.

Dialects

File:Laluprasadyadav.jpg
Laloo Prasad Yadav

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, 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 wordAyir which also means cow. He equates the Ayars with Abhiras, and Suryavanshi (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.[87]

Religious Seats of Yadavs

Dr. Ram Baran Yadav president of Nepal

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.[citation needed]

According to the charter awarded by the Sultan Abdullah of Qutb Shahi dynasty 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.[88]

See also

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munna yadav [no body can estimate us@the ruler}

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