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Yadav is a Hindu caste.

Origin

According to Hindu mythology, Yadvas are descendants of Yadu who was eldest son of Yayati and was banished from ruling by his father because he refused to fulfil the wishes of his father and became a rebel. Yadu and his descendants started ruling in outskirts of the mainland, viz small islands. It is assumed the reference in scriptures of Jambudwepa is in memory of these islands. Later on Yadus entered the mainland overthrowing many Puru rulers.Presently they are known by my names.Gope means mystique stemming from Shiva (Also called Gopeshwar or lord of mysticism) and emulated in Bhagavad Gita, Yaduvanshis are descendants of the ancient Yadavs. Abhir (also known as Abhira or Ahira) means fearless and have got most ancient historical references dating back to Abhira kingdom of saraswati valley,they spoke abhiri(ancient sanskrit) till buddhist period .Some scholars believe Abhira identity was used by Yadava residents of Holy Land (like Saraswati Valley where they lived fearlessly)and separate identity emerged because of their gradual alienation because of many reasons some of which are saraswati going down the earth and fall of Dwarka.Some scholars see connection to jews of these abhira through biblical city ophir.Yadavas were possesors of great mysical knowledge is confirmed in Bhagwad Gita itself which says-same knowledge was given to Manu(first man on earth),surya and ichavaku(ancestor of lord Rama) at very ancient time.It is believed Abhira were the link between eastern and western religions.The Kshatriya religion was propounded by Krishna and no reference is found before him. We only find Rajnya as the term alternatively used for it (Bhagwad Gita is emaciated form of hidden knowledge-Gope-which has its root in Shiva). Later on many Kshatriyas were made based on the philosophy of this religion as revealed in Bhagavad Gita. Prominent members among the ancient Yadavas are:

• Vasudeva father of Krishna
• Krishna
• Kunti sister of Vasudeva and mother of Pandavas and Karna
• Kamsa a tyrannical king of Mathura, who was killed by Krishna
• Ugrasen father of Kamsa

The legend further states that Jarasandh, Kamsa’s father-in-law, and king of Magadha attacked Yadavas to avenge the killing of Kamsa. Yadavas had to shift their capital from Mathura (central India) to Dwaraka (on the western coast of India) on the Arabian Sea. Yaduvanshis are among the five most ancient Aryan groups of Bharata. They mostly follow Hindu religion, and are located in different parts of India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

Major Yadav clans

Major Yadav clans currently include

• Krishnauth (claiming direct lineage from Krishna)
• Manjrauth
• Gaur (also called Goriya, and mentioned in the Mahabharatha) derived from sanskrit "guh" meaning mystical and "ur" meaning home or abode (one who is the abode of mystical powers).
• Ahirs (variously called Ahira and Abhira) are divided into three major clans:

1. Yaduvanshi
2. Nandavanshi
3. Gwalvanshi

Also Known as

• Abhirs
• Ahirrao
• Ahirs
• Bhatis
• Gope
• Gaurs
• Ghosals
• Gollas
• Gowdas
• Kurubas
• Pradhans
• Rawals
• Rauts
• Raos
• Surabhirs
• Surasena
• Souryasaini
• Yadavas
• Yadavalu

Yadav ( not to be misconstrued with Ahirs) is the Rajput clan directly claiming descent from Yadu in the great epic Mahabharat. Lord Krishna was born in Yadu tribe. Ahirs ( a cow herding cast in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajsthan of India used to rever the lord Krishna, a born Kshatriya. The Ahirs believe that their ancestors walked together with Lord Krishna. Though most Ahirs now use Rajput name of Yadav clan, they are not related in any way to Rajput clans of Yadu/ Jadon Rajputs of Karauli, Dholpur etc in Rasjsthan, UP, Jadeja Rajputs of Gujrat and Bhati Rajputs of Jaisalmer. No matrimonial alliances of Yaduvanshi Rajputs are held with so called Ahir, cow herding cast. As per annals of the earstwhile rulers, Yaduvanshh Rajputs are Chandravansi. History works of Smith and James Tod can be relied in this regard. Moreover, in the records of British empire, which is the most reliable record, Ahirs are altogerhter different lots. As per the most authentic 1931 Census condcuted by the British Indian Governement in India, which was the only census conducted on the basis of castes prevalent in India at that time, Ahirs with so many gotras were different from the Yaduvanshis. The fact that Lord Krishna was born to Yadu kshtriyas is borne out in the Mahabharat according to which HE was the son of Vasudeva and Devaki and for fear of being killed by Kamsa of Mathura, Vasudeva had taken him to Nanda Baba and Yasoda who belonged to Ahir caste, a cow herding caste.These so called Ahirs became his followers. Only Since last 30 years, suddenly, the politicians from Ahir caste started using surname " Yadav". As per Rig veda and Various Purans and many historical works available in India, Yaduvanshi and Chandravanshi are Yadus( Jadon found in western UP, Jadeja of Gujrat, Bhatis of Rajsthan, jharejas, Banaphars of Mahobas, Dabi ( Rajsthan) Kharbad Rajput of Udaipur; Khagar of Atri Gotra found in districts of jhansi, Hamirpur, Jalon of UP, Hoysal of Dwar samudra whose capital was Belapur, , Sighel Rajput( Kashyap gotriya) found in Azamgarh district of UP and Chhapra, Bhagalpur, Mujjafarpur district of Bihar are some of the Yaduvanshi Rajputs and are recongnised as such by all the Rajput castes/clans in India.Yaduvanshi Rajputs in UP have Thikans in Aligarh,Awagarh of Etah UP, Somna,Hasnagarh, Kole ( Aligarh), Secunderabad, Shamasabad, Ghiror and mustafabad in Mainpuri. Raja Balwant Singh of Awagarh, a Jadon Rajput, set up Raja Balawant Singh College in Agra and helped Guru Rabindra Nath Tagore in setting up Shantinketkan University. Dullipsingh of Jamnagar after whom is named Dulip trophy in Cricket, Ranjitsingh after whom is named Ranjit trophy in Crciket are Yaduvansi Rajputs of Jadeja/ Jadon clan of Rajputs and are classified as one of 36 clans of Rajputs in the history and in his work by James Tod also. Chandrchud singh of Aligarh who is hero in Indian cinema is Jadon Rajput.These Yaduvansi Rajput clans do not marry the Ahirs! Yayati's first wife Devayani bore a son named Durvasu ( or Rigvedic Turvasus tribe. The descendents of Durvasu are called Durvasu Rajputs and Chandravansi. Yayati's second wife Sharmishta gave birth to eldest son named Drahayu. The Descendents of his are called Drahayu Rajputs who ruled in Bengal, Assam and Tripura and still found there. Anu Rajputs who are descendents of Anu, second son of Sharmistha, second wife of Yayati, set up Ushinar shivi, Kakaya pradesh etc. As per annals and governement records of British period, Ahirs are shown as differetn caste and in no way connected with the Yaduvanshi Rajputs!

General profile

Yadavas are the single largest community in India, estimated to constitute more than 19% of the Indian population. In terms of sheer numbers, this translates to 200 million people, prompting some people to state that Yadavas are not merely a community but a "nation" in themselves. Through numerous political parties, such as the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal (United), Janata Dal (Secular) and Tamil Makkal Desam (Tamil Nadu), this caste has considerable political influence, especially in the governments of India's most populous states, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh.

Yadavs, though being Kshatriyas, in certain parts of India are classified by the respective governments as Other Backward Classes, or OBCs. This classification stems from their prevailing general economic and educational condition. The Yadavas are linked to Krishna and several ruling families, such as the ancient kings of Prayag, the Yadavas of Devagiri, the Nandas, the Wodeyars of Mysore and more recently that of Rao Tularam of Haryana, one of the leading figures of the First War of Independence (1857) in India.

Famous Yadavs

• Lord Krishna
• Rao Tula Ram (1857 freedom fighter)
• Veera Pandya Katta Bomman,
• Jijabai( mother of Shivaji)
• Rao Balbir Singh(King of haryana)
• The Wodayars of Karnataka
• Yadava of Deogiri now Daulatabad
• Mulayam Singh Yadav, UP politician
• Laloo Prasad Yadav, Bihar politician
• Anand Yadav, Marathi writer
• Rajendra Yadav, Hindi novelist and Editor of "HANS"
• Raghuvir Yadav
• Rajpal Yadav
• B P Mandal,(author:Mandal commission)
• Babulal Gaur( C.M, Madhya Pradesh)
• Swami Ramdev (Yoga Teacher)
• Siddaramaiah, Former Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka
• Yogendra Yadav (Well-known psephologist, political scientist and T.V. commentator)
• Suresh Kalmadi President Asian Olympic Association
• Madhu Yadav Sampati(Partner AvignaSoft, Inc and founder of North America Yadavs Association)
• Rajesh Yadav

External links

• Krishana
• Krishna
• Yadav History
• Yadavas of Devagiri
• Devagiri Kingdom
• Book: Yadavas Through the Ages--from ancient period to date
• Dwaraka - A LOST CITY RECOVERED -
• d w a r a k a
• LEGEND OF DWARAKA
• Death of the Aryan Invasion Theory
• A quick look at the ‘Aryan problem’
• The Vedic Age
• Vedic Discoveries
• The Eternal Teaching: Hinduism
• Mahabharat Mapping
• Samajwadi Party
• Goa - Culture
• Maratha History
• MARATHI: THE LANGUAGE AND ITS LINGUISTIC TRADITIONS
• Rewari Haryana

• Ethnic groups in Nepal
• Social groups of India
• Indian surnames