Abhira dynasty

Though often referenced in ancient Indian literature, the origin of the Abhiras is obscure. According to the Mahabharata, the Abhiras lived near the seashore and on the bank of the Sarasvati, a river near Somnath in Gujarat. The Mahābhashya of Patañjali simply mentions them as a tribe distinct from the Shudras. The Puranic texts associate the Abhiras with Saurashtra and Avanti. According to Balkrishna Gokhale, the Abhiras have been well-known since epic times as a martial tribe. The Bhagavata calls the Abhiras, "Saurashtra" and "Avantya" rulers (Saurashtra-Āvanty Ābhīrāḥ), and the Vishnu treats the Abhiras as occupying the Surashtra and Avanti provinces. The Puranas claim that the imperial Abhiras were the successors of the Satavahanas. They were called Andhra-Vratyas and mentioned as the successors of the line of Simuka. Some of them entered the military service of the Western Satraps (Sakas), and helped them in conquest of new territories. The Gunda inscription dated Saka year 103 (181 CE) refers to Abhira Rudrabhuti as the senapati (commander-in-chief) of the Saka satrap (ruler) Rudrasimha. {{blockquote The inscription refers to Rudrasimha as simply a ksatrapa, ignoring the existence of any mahaksatrapa. According to Sudhakar Chattopadhyaya, this indicates that the Abhira general was the de facto ruler of the state, though not assuming any higher title. The inscription states Abhira Rudrabhuti as the son of the general Bapaka. Archaeologist and scholar Bhagwan Lal Indraji (1839–1888) believed that the Abhiras probably came by sea from Sindh, conquered the western coast, and made Trikuta in Aparanta their capital. Abhira Mahakshtrapa Isvaradatta was their leader. He probably attacked and gained a victory over the Kshatrapas. Indarji further states that the Abhira Mahakshtrapa Isvaradatta was the founder of the Traikutaka dynastyknown later as the Kalachuri or the Chedi era{snd}}originating probably in the establishment of his power in the Konkan, with Traikuta as his capital. Under Rudrasena, son of Viradaman the Kṣhatrapas, the Western Satraps appear to have re-established their sovereignty by driving out the Traikutakas who, thus dispossessed, retired to Central India and assumed the name of Haihaya or Kalachuri. On the final destruction of the Kshatrapa rule, the Traikutakas apparently regained Traikutaka about which time Dharasena (A.D. 456) succeeded to the throne. ==History==

in the Allahabad Pillar inscription of Samudragupta. The history of the Abhiras is shrouded in much obscurity. Patanjali in his Mahabhashya mentioned the Abhira kings. Abhira chieftains served as generals to the Saka rulers. In the second century A.D., an Ahir Chief Isvaradatta became the Mahakshatrapa (Supreme King). The Abhira played a key role in causing downfall of Satvahanas in third century A.D. Saka Satakarni Another king claiming to be a son of Mathari besides Abhira Ishwarsena is Sakasena. He is identified with Saka Satakarni, whose coins have been found over Andhra Pradesh and is taken to be a Satavahana king and successor of Yajna Sri Satakarni. However, K.Gopalchari thinks that Sakasena was an Abhira king. Reasons: • The name of Sakasena or Saka Satakarni does not occur in the Puranic genealogies of the Satavahana kings. He claimed to be th son of Mathari, the wife of Abhira Sivadatta, as indicated by his epithet Mathariputra. Ishwarsena's coins are dated only in the first and second years of his reign and are found in Saurashtra and Southern Rajputana. The Traikuta rule of Aparanta or Konkan begins in A.D. 248 (Traikuta era) exactly the time of Ishwarsena's rule, hence Traikutas are identified with the Abhira dynasty. The Abhiras began to rule in Southern and western Saurashtra from the second half of the 10th century A.D their capital was vamanshtali, modern vanthali nine miles west of Junagadh. They became very powerful during the reign of Graharipu who defeated the Saindhavas and the Chaulukyas. ==Territory==

The Abhiras ruled western Maharashtra which included Nasik and its adjoining areas, Aparanta, Lata, Ashmaka, and Khandesh Their core territory included Nasik and the adjoining areas. The Abhira territory also may have consisted of Malwa, which they gradually seized from the Kshatrapas. ==Decline==

After the death of Abhira Vashishthiputra Vasusena, the Abhiras probably lost their sovereign and paramount status. The Abhiras were finally supplanted by their feudatories, the Traikutakas. But still many petty Abhira chieftains and kings continued to rule until the fourth century, roughly till 370 AD, in the Vidarbha and Khandesh region. They continued to rule, but without sovereignty, until they came into conflict with the Kadamba king Mayurasarman and were defeated. ==Descendants==

According to the historian Yaaminey Mubayi, several such dynasties, like the Kalachuris, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas and later the Seuna Yadavas trace their origin to Abhiras, which highlights the integration of politically strong pastoral groups into Brahmanical caste order. == See also ==