Yadav

Yadav is a traditionally peasant-pastoral community of India and Nepal. The term "Yadav" is now commonly used as a surname by members of communities such as Ahirs, Golas, and Gavlis. At present people from this community are chiefly engaged in agriculture, military services, and also in cattle herding.

In India, they are found in states such as Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

 Origin and History 
In the Rigveda
The word Yadava (different from the modern day adopted surname ‘Yadav’) is described as "descendants of Yadu". Yadu is one of the five early Indo-Aryan tribes (Panchajana) described in the Rigveda. The Yadu's had a tribal association with the Turvasu tribe, and they often were described together. Yadu partially Indo-Aryan-culture influenced the Indus tribe. By the time of the arrival of the Puru and Bharata tribes, the Yadu-Turvasu had settled in the Punjab, with the Yadu's possibly living along the banks of the Yamuna River.

Mandalas 4 and 5 of the Rigveda describe the Yadavas and Turvasas as a foreign tribe and mention them being brought to India by sea and settled by Indra.

In Rigveda X.62.10, the Turvashas along with them are described as Das-Dasyu and Barbarians ( Mlechchha ). Historian R.P. Chanda speculated that they originally inhabited Western Asia, from where they came to India, settled in the Surashtra or Kathiawar peninsula and then spread to Mathura.

In the Epics and Puranas

A.D. Pusalkar observed that the Ahirs were called Asuras in the Epics and Puranas, which may be due to their mixing with non-Aryans and laxity in following the Aryan religion. In the Mahabharata, they are once called Vratyas and at another place, Krishna talks about his tribe which included eighteen thousand Vratyas.

From the genealogical sections of several major Puranas, it can be inferred that the Yadavas were spread across the Aravalli region, Gujarat, the Narmada Valley, the northern Deccan, and the eastern Gangetic valley. The Mahabharata and the Puranas mention that the a confederation of several clans ruled the Mathura region. The Mahabharata also mentions the migration of ancient Yadavas from Mathura to Dwarka due to pressure from the Paurava rulers of Magadha and possibly the Kauravas.Thapar, Romila (1978, reprint 1996). Ancient Indian Social History: Some Interpretations, New Delhi: Orient Longman, , pp.216-7Raychaudhuri, Hemchandra (1972) "Political History of Ancient India", Calcutta: University of Calcutta, pp. 127-8

Shri Ramdhari Singh, M.A. writes in his article titled “History of Andhaka-Vrishni-Sangha” –

The ancient Yadavas of the Mahabharata period were known as followers of the Vaishnavism, with Shri Krishna as the God they worship: they were all cowherds by profession. However, they participated in the battle of Kurukshetra. The present-day Ahirs are also followers of Vaishnavism.

 Relation with Ahir, Gopa & Goala castes 
The Ahir, Gopa and Goalas castes in India since the 19th and 20th centuries, have claimed descent from the legendary king Yadu as a part of a movement of social and political resurgence. The Yadav movement has worked to improve the social standing of its constituents through Sanskritisation, adoption of ‘Yadav’ title as a surname by these cowherd communities and their active participation in the armed forces, expansion of economic opportunities to include more prestigious business fields, and active participation in politics. Yadav leaders and intellectuals have often focused and tried to claim descent from Yadu, and from Krishna as an effort of recasting the group narrative to emphasise a martial character. 

Scholar M.S. A. Rao claimed that there are evidence for identifying the modern Ahirs (Yadavs) with the ancient Yadavas. Historian P. M. Chandorkar, using both literary and epigraphic sources, has argued that the modern Ahirs and Gavlis – until recently cattle-keepers – should be identified with Abhiras of the classical Sanskrit texts. He also notes that Khandesh, on the margin of the central Indian forests, was earlier known as the land of the Ahirs, and the local Marathi dialect continued to be called Ahirani.

Historian T. Padmaja writes in her book named ‘Temples of Krishna in South India: History, Art, and Traditions in Tamil Nadu’ that Ahirs were known as Ayar in Tamil Nadu, it is believed that the Ayars migrated to Tamil Nadu and established their kingdom. Some copper plate grants and inscriptions mention these Ayars as being of the Yadu lineage.
Claimed mythological characters
Goddess Gayatri
Gayatri is the expressed form of the popular Gayatri mantra, which is a bhajan of Vedic texts. She is also known as Savitri and Vedmata (Mother of the Vedas).

According to the Puranas, Gayatri was a girl who helped Brahma in the sacrifice performed at Pushkar Purāṇa, a Critical Study.
Goddess Durga
Maa Durga, a major goddess in Hinduism. She is worshiped as a key aspect of Goddess Maa and is one of the most popular and widely respected among Indian deities.

According to Chanda, a primitive form of Durga, was the result of "the syncretism of a mountain-goddess worshiped by the inhabitants of the Himalaya and Vindhya" as a war-goddess of the Abhir. In the Virata Parva Stuti and the Vishnu text, the goddess is called Mahamaya or Yoga Nidra of Vishnu. These indicate his Abhir or Gop origin. Durga then transformed into Kali as the incarnation of all-destructive time and this idea was built on the foundation of Vedic religion, Mythology and Philosophy.
Goddess Radha
Radha is also called Radhika, a Hindu goddess of Barsana is claimed as an Ahir while also being claimed as a Chechi Gujjar.
As a martial race

 Mythology 
The Narayani sena (army) that Lord Krishna gave to Duryodhana to fight in the Mahabharata is believed to consist of Abhiras. Abhira warriors were also present in the Samsaptaks. According to some claims, Abhiras are mentioned as in the Mahabharata and were a very important part of the Chakravyuh created by Dronacharya, who allowed only Brahmins and Kshatriyas in his army. 

 Modernly 
The Britishers classified the Ahirs as a martial castes and recruited them into the army. The British government then formed four companies of Ahirs, two of which were in the 95th Russell Infantry. The velour and sacrifice of Ahir soldiers at the Rezang La front of the Ahir Company of the 13th Kumaon Regiment lead by Major Captain Shaitan Singh Bhati during the 1962 Sino-Indian war is still greatly admired in India and in memory of their bravery, the battle site memorial was named as "Ahir Dham".

 See more 
• Shri Krishna

• Pran Sukh Yadav

• Ahirwal

• Ahirani

• Rezang La

• Abhira

• Ahirwada

 References