Ahir (a corruption of the word Abhir, "fearless") is a subgroup of the Yadav caste of India. Yadav is a Hindu caste which is referred to in ancient Hindu scriptures. ... The word Caste is derived from the Portuguese word casta, meaning lineage, breed or race. ...

According to tradition^{[citation needed]}, the Abhiras had the distinction of founding the first recorded kingdom on the banks of the sacred river Saraswati. On the other side of the river was the kingdom of the Suras. The Sarswati gradually went underground, and the Suras were blamed for the mishap and charged with sins with which the river was burdened. Both the Suras and Abhiras had to migrate away from their kingdom and were alienated from the rest of society. The Sarasvati River is an ancient river that is mentioned in Hindu texts. ... See also: Sura (disambiguation). ...

Hindu writers^{[citation needed]} have described the Ahirs as living in the north and west, the quarter varying according to the locality of the writer.The Sabha-parva and Bhisma-parva sections of the Mahabharata mention the province of Abhira, situated near what once was the Sarasvati River in ancient Sind .Suras and Abhira has together been referred to as Surabhiras in scriptures and later works does not discriminate between the two.Many scholars have sought link between Indian Abhira and Surabhir with Biblical equivalent Ophir and Sofir.Ptolemy says there was a country called Abhira at the mouth of the River Indus.Sreemad Bhagwatam gives similar account and location matches with Sind.Christian Lassen (1800-1876) author of Indische Alterthumskunde vol I p. 354, thinks “Ophir” was a seaport on the south west coast of India. Mrs.Manning says it was situated on the western coast of India.Gesenius, Sir Emerson Tennent, and Max Muller appear to agree with Christian Lassen .Because of so many views in favour sometimes Abhira is regarded as equivalent of Ophir, mentioned in the Bible and sofir (also the coptic name of India) refers to surabhir . To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Manuscript illustration of the Battle of Kurukshetra The (Devanagari: ), is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the . ... A medieval artists rendition of Claudius Ptolemaeus Claudius Ptolemaeus (Greek: ; c. ... The Indus is a river; the Indus River. ... Sindh (Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. ... Christian Lassen (October 22, 1800 _ May 8, 1876) was a German orientalist. ... Heinrich Friedrich Wilhelm Gesenius (February 3, 1786 - October 23, 1842), was a German orientalist and Biblical critic. ... Max Müller Friedrich Max Müller (December 6, 1823 – October 28, 1900), more commonly known as Max Müller, was a German Orientalist, one of the founders of Indian studies, who virtually created the discipline of comparative religion. ... Ophir (Hebrew אוֹפִיר, Standard Hebrew Ofir, Tiberian Hebrew ʾÔp̄îr) is a port or region mentioned in the Bible, famous for its wealth. ... Tanakh ‎ (also Tanach, IPA: or , or Tenak, is an acronym that identifies the Hebrew Bible. ... Coptic is the most recent phase of ancient Egyptian. ...

According to the Markandeya Purana, all the kshatriya (warrior caste) were killed in a massacre led by Parshuram. Only the Abhiras survived by escaping into the craters between mountains. The sage Markandeya remarked that "all Kshatriya have been killed but Abhira have survived; they will surely rule the earth in Kaliyuga." Vātsyāyana also mentions the Abhira kingdoms in the Kama Sutra[1].References of Abhira being residents of kingdom ruled by Yudhisthira is found in Bhagwatam. [2] Markandeya Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text, is in the style of a dialogue between the sage Jaimini, and the sage Markandeya. ... Kshatriya (Hindi: , from Sanskrit: , ) is the title of the princely military order in the Vedic society. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Bhargava Rama and Parshuram (Discuss) Parashurama Bhargava or Parasurama (Axe-wielding Rama), according to Hindu mythology is the Sixth avatar of Vishnu, belongs to the Treta yuga, and is the son of Jamadagni & Renuka. ... According to most inrepretations of Hindu scriptures, the Kali Yuga (Iron Age) began at the end of Krishnas bodily lifespan (approximately 5100 years ago, 3102 BC) and will last exactly 432,000 years — placing its conclusion in the year AD 428,899 (it began with a year 0). ... Mallanaga Vātsyāyana is the name of an Indian philosopher in the Cārvāka or Lokyāta tradition, who lived some time in the Gupta period (4th to 6th centuries [[Common Era|CE). ... Sudra and Abhira were mentioned as two kingdoms where the river Saraswati existed only as a dried up river bed during the time of Kurukshetra War. ... Modern translated version of the original Sanskrit. ...

Shreemad Bhagwatam, which gives detailed account of dynasties ruling after great war of Mahabharata, talks in detail about Abhira rulers Manuscript illustration of the Battle of Kurukshetra The (Devanagari: ), is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the . ...

Then will follow seven kings of the Abhira race from the city of Avabhrti, and then ten Gardabhis. After them, sixteen kings of the Kankas will rule and will be known for their excessive greed.Eight Yavanas will then take power, followed by fourteen Turuskas, ten Gurundas and eleven kings of the Maula dynasty.These Abhiras, Gardabhis and Kankas will enjoy the earth for 1,099 years.

Gupta Dynasty's account exactly matches with the Abhira Kings mentioned in the Bhagwatam.Many believe both Guptas and Mauryas were abhir[3]. The Gupta dynasty ruled the Gupta Empire of India, from around 320 to 550. ... Silver coin of the Gupta King Kumara Gupta I (414-455) CE. The Gupta Empire was an Indian empire ruled by the Gupta dynasty in ancient India from around 320 to 550 CE. // Origins The origins of the Guptas are shrouded in obscurity. ... The Mauryan empire (321 to 185 BCE), at its largest extent around 230 BCE. The Mauryan Empire was Indias first great unified empire. ...

External links

1.Ophir-Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
2.Abhira Located in Sind-Shrimad Bhagwatam
3.History of Antiquity – By Max Dunker volume IV