The southern belt of Haryana state in India is known as Ahirwal/अहीर वाल. Yadav and people from Yaduvanshi Ahirs community dominate this area.[1]
Ahirs, Yadavs or Yadavas are to be met with throughout the country especially in Haryana. They include the Abhiras or Ahirs of northern India, Raos of Haryana, Gwalas of Uttar Pradesh, Mandals of Bihar, Pradhans of Orissa, Yadavs of Rajasthan, Ghoshals of Bengal, Gollas and Wadeyars of Karnataka.Yadavas are categorized into Chandravanshi Kshatriyas. The Yadava contribution to the composite culture of India is immense: the nomadic art forms, the Abhira language (Apabhramsa), the Raslila and certain ragas life Ahir-Bhairav, Abhirika, Gopixa, Kannadaguala and perhaps most of all, the Krishna cult.
Swami Ramdev (Ramkishen Yadav) born in Mahendragarh Haryana
Although the Ahirs and Yadavas form one group, the former (the Ahiras or Abhiras) 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 Rewari and Narnaul which is therefore known as Ahirwal or the abode of Ahirs. Their origin is controversial,but prominent view among Indian historian agree indo-aryan origin of ahirs and recognised as yadavs.[2] Sir William Wilson Hunter propounded the Scythic Origin view by directly deriving Ahir from Ahi, which means snake in Sanskrit, and saying that snake worship compounded by other cultural facts, suggests scythic origin. However, J. C. Nesfield refutes it by saying that snake worship is not peculiar to scythics but a common practice all over India, and he also argues that it is absurd to derive Ahir from ahi, a Sanskrit word, when the original name of the community is Abhira, and Ahir its Prakrit corruption. He is of the view that Ahirs have purely Aryan origin. One study in Deccan Ahirs have found out existence of Totemistic septs, which is regarded as a sure sign of being Non-Aryan, seconded by existence of a sect called Romabans, which is the regular corruption of word romak, frequently found in Sanskrit works on astronomy, and identified by Prof. Weber to be the town Alexandria in Egypt, from where the science of astronomy was cultivated and from whom people of India borrowed the concepts of astronomy. It is argued that foreign hordes from Romak might have settled in India, and incorporated into Ahirs.[3] Sanskrit scholars in India however, have demurred this suggestion. Bhagwan Singh Suryavanshi, in his research, claims archaeological research in Deccan has revealed the presence of pastoral people of Neolithic era, who shares many attributes of Abhira. Hence, Abhira might have been present much earlier than what has been postulated so far. Finally he concludes, they spread from Indus to mathura, and migrated southward and eastward.[4] He also claims that similarity of culture and common belief that they are descendant of Lord Krishna, is the 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,[5] which means cowherd, he further argues, Aitareva Brahmin refers to Vasah, as the name of people, which in vedic literature means cow.
Finally, he concludes from 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, by directly relating Krishna, to Rig Veda's "Krishna Drapsah", where he fights Aryan God Indra. Added to this Karmakar, shows Harivamsa says Yadu was born of Harynasva and Madhumati, who was the daughter of Madhu. Madhu says all the territory of Mathura belongs to Abhiras.[5] Further, Mahabharata describes Abhira as forming one of the seven republics, Samsaptak Gunas, and as a friend of Matsyas, a pre vedic tribe.[5] Some historians hold that they were a powerful race of nomad cowherds from eastern or central Asia who entered India from the Punjab in large hordes about the same time as the Sakas and the Yuehchis in 1st or 2nd century BC and gradually spread over large parts of northern, eastern and central India. Other views are that they came from Syria or Asia Minor about the beginning of the Christian era; were Dravidians; sprang from the Aayars of Tamil Nadu; lived in India long before the Aryan invasion; were descendants of the Yadavas of the Lunar family of Pururavas Aila; and that their original habitat was the region between the Sutluj and the Yamuna from where they migrated beyond Mathura in the east and beyond Gujarat and Maharashtra in the South. The Ahirs of Mathura and Bajra regions were known to be peace loving cowherds whereas the Abhirs of Haryana and Mahendragarh, who later on became to be called as Ahirs, were powerful and accomplished warriors. The generations from the kidnapped women or widows were known as Yaduvanshis. However, the ones with Abhir fathers became to be known as Yadavs. Because of the dominance in Indian politics they have a powerful hold in every region where they are living.Ahirs of Haryana belongs to a higher social status stronger financia backup, whereas the rest of them are flourishing farmers in Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan states.
Rao Tula Ram was the most well known of the Ahir leaders. He fought against the British in the 1857 revolt. Many brave Ahir soldiers from Haryana have sacrificed their lives in INDO-CHINA 1962 war.In Kargil war with Pakistan maximum number of martyrs were from Rewari district which is dominated by Ahirs.
Ahirs, Yadavs or Yadavas are to be met with throughout the country especially in Haryana. They include the Abhiras or Ahirs of northern India, Raos of Haryana, Gwalas of Uttar Pradesh, Mandals of Bihar, Pradhans of Orissa, Yadavs of Rajasthan, Ghoshals of Bengal, Gollas and Wadeyars of Karnataka.Yadavas are categorized into Chandravanshi Kshatriyas. The Yadava contribution to the composite culture of India is immense: the nomadic art forms, the Abhira language (Apabhramsa), the Raslila and certain ragas life Ahir-Bhairav, Abhirika, Gopixa, Kannadaguala and perhaps most of all, the Krishna cult.
Swami Ramdev (Ramkishen Yadav) born in Mahendragarh Haryana
Although the Ahirs and Yadavas form one group, the former (the Ahiras or Abhiras) 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 Rewari and Narnaul which is therefore known as Ahirwal or the abode of Ahirs. Their origin is controversial,but prominent view among Indian historian agree indo-aryan origin of ahirs and recognised as yadavs.[2] Sir William Wilson Hunter propounded the Scythic Origin view by directly deriving Ahir from Ahi, which means snake in Sanskrit, and saying that snake worship compounded by other cultural facts, suggests scythic origin. However, J. C. Nesfield refutes it by saying that snake worship is not peculiar to scythics but a common practice all over India, and he also argues that it is absurd to derive Ahir from ahi, a Sanskrit word, when the original name of the community is Abhira, and Ahir its Prakrit corruption. He is of the view that Ahirs have purely Aryan origin. One study in Deccan Ahirs have found out existence of Totemistic septs, which is regarded as a sure sign of being Non-Aryan, seconded by existence of a sect called Romabans, which is the regular corruption of word romak, frequently found in Sanskrit works on astronomy, and identified by Prof. Weber to be the town Alexandria in Egypt, from where the science of astronomy was cultivated and from whom people of India borrowed the concepts of astronomy. It is argued that foreign hordes from Romak might have settled in India, and incorporated into Ahirs.[3] Sanskrit scholars in India however, have demurred this suggestion. Bhagwan Singh Suryavanshi, in his research, claims archaeological research in Deccan has revealed the presence of pastoral people of Neolithic era, who shares many attributes of Abhira. Hence, Abhira might have been present much earlier than what has been postulated so far. Finally he concludes, they spread from Indus to mathura, and migrated southward and eastward.[4] He also claims that similarity of culture and common belief that they are descendant of Lord Krishna, is the 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,[5] which means cowherd, he further argues, Aitareva Brahmin refers to Vasah, as the name of people, which in vedic literature means cow.
Finally, he concludes from 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, by directly relating Krishna, to Rig Veda's "Krishna Drapsah", where he fights Aryan God Indra. Added to this Karmakar, shows Harivamsa says Yadu was born of Harynasva and Madhumati, who was the daughter of Madhu. Madhu says all the territory of Mathura belongs to Abhiras.[5] Further, Mahabharata describes Abhira as forming one of the seven republics, Samsaptak Gunas, and as a friend of Matsyas, a pre vedic tribe.[5] Some historians hold that they were a powerful race of nomad cowherds from eastern or central Asia who entered India from the Punjab in large hordes about the same time as the Sakas and the Yuehchis in 1st or 2nd century BC and gradually spread over large parts of northern, eastern and central India. Other views are that they came from Syria or Asia Minor about the beginning of the Christian era; were Dravidians; sprang from the Aayars of Tamil Nadu; lived in India long before the Aryan invasion; were descendants of the Yadavas of the Lunar family of Pururavas Aila; and that their original habitat was the region between the Sutluj and the Yamuna from where they migrated beyond Mathura in the east and beyond Gujarat and Maharashtra in the South. The Ahirs of Mathura and Bajra regions were known to be peace loving cowherds whereas the Abhirs of Haryana and Mahendragarh, who later on became to be called as Ahirs, were powerful and accomplished warriors. The generations from the kidnapped women or widows were known as Yaduvanshis. However, the ones with Abhir fathers became to be known as Yadavs. Because of the dominance in Indian politics they have a powerful hold in every region where they are living.Ahirs of Haryana belongs to a higher social status stronger financia backup, whereas the rest of them are flourishing farmers in Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan states.
Rao Tula Ram was the most well known of the Ahir leaders. He fought against the British in the 1857 revolt. Many brave Ahir soldiers from Haryana have sacrificed their lives in INDO-CHINA 1962 war.In Kargil war with Pakistan maximum number of martyrs were from Rewari district which is dominated by Ahirs.
