Abhira

The Abhira were a legendary Kshatriyas people mentioned in ancient Indian epics and scriptures as early as the Vedas. the Bhagavata religion was considered primarily as the religion of the Abhiras (Ahirs) and Krishna himself came to be known as an Abhira (Ahir). In the mediaeval literature, Krishna is called an Abhira (Ahir). 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.
Krishna belongs to a nomadic tribe of Abhiras known as Sattvatas who inhabited the country near Mathura. These Sattvatas or more properly the Yadavas of whom they were a branch were mentioned by Panini.
Etymology
Etymologically, he who can cast fear on all sides, is called Abhira. According to many historians Abhira means fearless. Anthropologists came up with the view that Haryana was known by this name because in the post- Mahabharata period here lived the Abhiras, who developed special skills in the art of Agriculture. According to Pran Nath Chopra Haryana got it's name from Abhirayana=Ahirayana=Hirayana=Haryana.
Origin and History
Enthoven, an administrator of the British Raj and gentleman-scholar, believed that Abhiras might have entered India from Afghanistan. The pastoral setting of the stories about Krishna's childhood may have originated in legends of a god worshipped by the Abhira tribe. However Hugh Nevill says that it is probable the Abhiras on being removed from Mesopotamia, across the river, may have called themselves Abhira, as we know they did so in Scinde; while the branch in Afghanistan are spoked of in the Assyrian inscription as of "the land of Abhiruz". Ramaprasad Chanda author of "The Indo-Aryan races" says that the Abhiras from whom the Gujaratis of our day have evidently sprung, were Aryan in speech and belonged to the Indo-Afghan stock. The Puranic Abhiras, have occupied the territories of Herat, which is probably a survival of their name, as they are invariably juxtaposed with the Kalatoyakas and Haritas -- the peoples of Afghanistan.
Journal of the Department of Pali believes that the Abhiras came to India from some part of eastern Iran. Skanda Purana also puts Abhiras as one of the tribes of Afghanistan.
Bhagwan Singh Suryavanshi says archaeological research in Deccan has revealed the presence of pastoral people of the Neolithic era who shares many attributes of the Abhira. Hence, they might have been present much earlier than has been previously postulated so. He concludes that they spread from Indus to Mathura, and migrated southward and eastward. He also says that similarity of culture and a common belief that they are descendants of Krishna is proof that they sprang from a common source.
According to a theory advanced by A. P. Karmakar, Abhiras were a Proto-Dravidian tribe, derived from Dravidian Ayir, which means cowherd. He concludes from the Padma Purana, where Vishnu informed Abhiras, "I shall be born among you, O Abhiras, at Mathura in my eighth birth". D. R. Bhandarkar supports the non-Aryan origin theory, directly relating Krishna to Rig Veda's "Krishna Drapsah", where he fights the Aryan god Indra. Abhiras were the people of Yadava community. Yadu was the eldest son of Yayati and Devyani, who was the daughter of Shukracharya. All the territory of Mathura belonged to Abhiras. Further, Mahabharata describes Abhira as forming one of the seven republics, Samsaptak Gunas, and as a friend of Matsyas, a pre-vedic tribe.
Others believe that Abhiras were originally nomadic pastoral tribes fom the lower Indus valley in modern Pakistan, who migrated eastwards and southwards across Avanti which includes districts of western Madhya Pradesh and parts of south-eastern Rajasthan. They were warriors, and after serving in the armies of various states, especially of the Sakas, some of their leaders set up an independent princes at mountainous strongholds in Southern India.
Commenting on this Bhandarkar says, Krishna is the Hinduised form of Jesus Christ, whose teachings Abhira have brought from outside, at the beginning of Christian Era, because Krishna is called Christo near Weastern Coast, and Dalliance element in Krishna's life is inspired from traditions of Abhira tribe.
Ghurye, contradicts this by saying Abhira as a tribe is mentioned in the works of Patanjali, dated 150 BC, by most conservative sources, so they definitely haven't entered at the beginning of the Christian era and possibly their presence goes very far into antiquity. Also, proofs of Extra Marital relationships exists within genealogy of Yadus so it is wrong to say Abhira are the source of Dlliance element, and he fails to see the difference between Abhira and the tribe of Krishna.
However, Smith has raised two questions on this synthesis by above scholars. First, If Abhira are Yadavs then why Mahabharata mentions them having abducted wives and children of Krishna and second, why Abhira kings names are after Shiva and not Vishnu till as late as 800AD, who is a rival god.
Dr. J.N. Singh Yadav and MSA Rao has contradicted Smith by saying, Those Abhira who abducted Krishna's Wives and Children might be Yadavs who were supporters of Duryodhna, and they also shows there is no rivalry between Shiva and Krishna.Mahabharta says that those Abhiras who looted Arjuna were the supporters of the Kauravas, and in the Mahabharata, Abhira, Gopa, Gopal and Yadavas are all synonyms.
The Yadavs, mentioned in the Mahabharata, were pastoral kshatriyas among whom Krishna was brought up. The Gopas, whom Krishna had offered to Duryodhana to fight in his support when he himself joined Arjuna's side, were no other than the Yadavs themselves, who were also the Abhiras. In the Mahabharata it is mentioned that when the Yadavas (belonging to the Abhira group) abandoned Dwaraka and Gujarat after the death of Krishna and retreated northwards under Arjuna's leadership, they were attacked and broken up.
Legendary Characters in Hinduism
Goddess Gayatri
Gayatri is the personified form of popular Gayatri Mantra, a hymn from Vedic texts. She is also known as Savitri and Vedamata (mother of vedas).
According to Padma Purana, lord Indra brought Gayatri, an Abhira girl, to help Brahma in a Yajna in Pushkar. She was married to Brahma during Yajna.
Brahma's first wife is Savitri and Gayatri is the second. The story says that Savitri became angry knowing the wedding of Gayatri with Brahma and cursed all the gods and goddesses engaged in the event.
However, in Padma Purana, after Savitri was appeased by Brahma, Vishnu and Lakshmi, she accepts Gayatri Abhira as her sister happily.
In some puranas, Gayatri is said to be the other names of Sarasvati, the wife of Brahma. According to Matsya Purana, Brahma's left half emerged as a female, who is celebrated under the names of Sarasvati, Savitri and Gayatri. In Kurma Purana, Gautama rishi was blessed by Goddess Gayatri and able to eliminate the obstacles he faced in his life. Skanda Purana tells that Gayatri is the wife of Brahma making her a form of Saraswati.
Gayatri further developed into a fierce goddess who could even slay a demon. According to Varaha Purana and Mahabharata, Goddess Gayatri slayed the demon Vetrasura, the son of Vritra and river Vetravati, on a Navami day.
Rule of the Junagadh
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.
A Chudasama prince styled Graharipu and ruling at Vanthali near Junagadh is described in the Dyashraya-Kavya of Hemachandra as an Abhira and a Yadava.
Rule of the Nepal
An Ahir dynasty ruled pre-12th century areas in present-day Nepal. According to Gopalarajvamshavali, the genealogy of ancient Gopala dynasty compiled circa 1380s, Nepal is named after Nepa the cowherd, the founder of the Nepali scion of the Abhiras. In it's account, the cow that issued milk to the spot, at which Nepa discovered the Jyotirlinga of Pashupatinath upon investigation, was also named Ne.
Related pages
Abhira dynasty
Yadav
References
Yadav
Mahabharata