Ahir
Ahir/Aheer also called Yaduvanshi is a Yadav caste found in India and Nepal, The Ahirs were the worshippers of Krishna and their religion was called Bhagavata, others were Buddhists or Jains.[1] They consider themselves descendants of Krishna of the Yaduvansha and traditionally call themselves Yaduvanshi and use their surname Yadav. The term Ahir is a Prakrit form of the Sanskrit word Abhira which means fearless-(cowherd Gopa).[2][3] Sanskrit scholars such as Panini and Chanakya say that Ahirs follow the Bhagavata sect of Hindu religion.[4] The Ahir (Yadav) community is given representation in government jobs and educational institutes as an Other Backward Class (OBC) in the states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.[5]
| Ahir/Yadav/Yaduvanshi | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Vedic Chandravanshi Kshatriya |
| Religions | Vaishnavism |
| Subdivisions | Yaduvanshi, Gwalvanshi, Nandvanshi and Krishnavanshi |
The Abhira (Ahir) Kshatriyas were named Gope when they protected the cows, and Gopal when they tended and grazed the cows. 23 In the period (from 500 B.C. to 1 B.C.) when the Pali language was prevalent in India, the word 'Gopal was modified to 'Goal' and by further modification it took the form of Gwal. This has been aptly described by an unknown poet 24 in a verse that" due to rearing cattle, the Yadav are called ' Gope', and after being called' Gopal', they are called' Gwal.[6]
Origin[change | change source]
The origin of the Ahir is controversial, but prominent view among Indian historian agree Indo-Aryan origin of Ahirs and recognised as Yadavs.[7]
Ancient Martial race[change | change source]
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.[8][9][10][11]
The British Rulers of India classified the Ahirs amongst the "martial races"[12] It was a designation created by officials of British India to describe "races" that were thought to be naturally warlike and aggressive in battle, and to possess qualities like courage, physical strength, fighting tenacity and military strategy. The Ahirs may be seen to have continued their warrior tradition by their extensive participation in the Indian Army and police forces. Since ancient time, as per Mahabharata, Ahirs have been warriors; some were agriculturists and farmers. Ahir’s have been serving the Indian military right from the British period and won the highest of gallantry awards like Victoria Cross and the Param Veer Chakra. In the annals of Indian military history there is sufficient proof of Ahir bravery that is immortalized in the ballads of Alha and Udal of Bundelkhand. In 1962, a company of 120 Ahir men laid down their lives fighting against the Chinese - the Commander, (Major) Shaitan Singh was posthu-mously awarded the Param Vir Chakra. Equally meritorious was the Ahirs' record in the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965 and the heroes of Chusol (Ladakh) are famous.[13]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ Yadav, J. N. Singh (2001). Yadavas of South India. Yadava Publications.
- ↑ Geraets, Wil (2011-05-18). The Wisdom Teachings of Harish Johari on the Mahabharata. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-59477-932-9.
In the south was Mathura, the powerful kingdom of the fearless cow-herding Abhira tribe ruled by King Ugrasena, the maternal grandfather of Krishna.
- ↑ Yadava, S. D. S. (2006). Followers of Krishna: Yadavas of India. Lancer Publishers. ISBN 978-81-7062-216-1.
The term Ahir is a Prakrit form of the Sanskrit word ABHIRA meaning fearless.
- ↑ Chopra, Omesh K. (2020-03-02). History of Ancient India Revisited, A Vedic-Puranic View. BlueRose Publishers.
Sanskrit scholars such as Panini and Chanakya say that Abhiras follow the Bhagavata sect of Hindu religion.
- ↑ "National Commission for Backward Classes". www.ncbc.nic.in. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
- ↑ Soni, Lok Nath (2000). The Cattle and the Stick: An Ethnographic Profile of the Raut of Chhattisgarh. Anthropological Survey of India, Government of India, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Department of Culture. ISBN 978-81-85579-57-3.
- ↑ Rao, M. S. A. (1974). Urban Sociology in India: Reader and Source Book. Orient Longman.
- ↑ Bhattacharya, Jogendra Nath (1896). Hindu Castes and Sects: An Exposition of the Origin of the Hindu Caste System and the Bearing of the Sects Towards Each Other and Towards Other Religious Systems. Thacker, Spink.
The Narayni army which he organised, and which made him so powerful that his friendship was eagerly sought by the greatest kings of his time, is described in the Mahābhārat as being all of the Abhira caste.
- ↑ commission, Great Britain Indian statutory (1930). Report of the Indian Statutory Commission ... H. M. Stationery Office.
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.
- ↑ Rajputana Classes: 1921. Government Monotype Press. 1922.
In the Mahabharat it is mentioned that the Narayani army which Sri Krishna organised was composed of Ahirs.
- ↑ Pandey, Braj Kumar (1996). Sociology and Economics of Casteism in India: A Study of Bihar. Pragati Publications, 1996. p. 78. ISBN 9788173070365.
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.
- ↑ Mazumder, Rajit K. (2003). The Indian Army and the Making of Punjab. Orient Blackswan. ISBN 978-81-7824-059-6.
- ↑ Chopra, Pran Nath (1982). Religions and Communities of India. Vision Books. ISBN 978-0-391-02748-0.
