Brij Bhasha (or Braj Bhasha) is a language spoken in India by more than 42,000 people in the undefined region of Brij Bhoomi, which was a political state in the era of the Mahabharata wars. This knowledge is obtained through ancient Hindu texts such as the Shrimad Bhagvatam, which describes the kingdom of King Kans, spreading through the Braj (also known as Vrij or Vraj), where the incarnation of Krishna was born and spent his childhood days. This region lies in the Agra-Mathura region and stretches to the Delhi area. In modern India, this area lies mostly in northwestern Uttar Pradesh, the eastern extremities of Rajasthan and the southern extremities of Haryana. Today Braj Bhoomi can be seen as a cultural-geographical entity rather than a proper state. Braj Bhasha is a dialect of Hindi, descended from Prakrit. It is the vernacular of the region and boasts a rich culture and literature by famous poets like Surdas and Aamir Khusro. It is very close to Avadhi, spoken in neighbouring Avadh. Braj Bhasha may also be known as Daihaati Zabaan (country language).